shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use A List Apart?

For people who make websites - alistapart.com

Depends. This is a free web-design magazine, not software — there is nothing to buy, deploy, or administer. Read it if you make websites; skip it if you are shopping for a tool.

Confidence

High. Based on 60+ public sources. Note: this is a publication, not a SaaS product — the report judges it as reading, not software.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo evidence — publication, no support desk
  • Security postureNo findings either way in sources

Pricing

Free

Reader

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Patreon membershipNot published in sources

Best for

  • Web designers and front-end developers
  • UX and content strategists
  • Writers pitching web-industry articles
  • Teams learning accessibility and standards

Not for

  • Anyone shopping for software — it is a magazine, not a tool
  • Teams needing project management, CRM, or anything deployable
  • Buyers wanting admin features, integrations, or SLAs
  • People needing only current techniques — much of the archive is dated

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

Classic articles may describe outdated techniques; verify publish dates before applying advice.

low

Only paid option is a Patreon membership; perks live on Patreon, not the main site.

low

No published security page; nothing to audit anyway since you hand over no data.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free, deep archive on design, code, UX, and accessibility
  • Long-running industry institution cited across the web
  • Pays contributors and accepts pitches from web professionals
  • Topics span typography, responsive design, privacy, and content strategy
  • Listed by university libraries as a trusted web resource

Cons

  • It's a publication — nothing to integrate, deploy, or administer
  • Archive includes 2000s-era advice; check publish dates
  • Its own redesigns have drawn public criticism
  • No published security page for the site itself

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/25/2026 - 8 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x2review x2security x1news x3

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • Free

    Starting price

  • 8

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Articles are free; membership optional
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Plain reading site, no onboarding
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Deep archive: design, code, UX, accessibility
  • Support quality. No evidence — publication, no support desk
  • Security posture. No findings either way in sources
  • Free Cost to read Full article archive, no account needed
  • Webzine Format Independent publication, per Wikipedia
  • Jeffrey Zeldman Publisher Founder, still publisher per 2025 posts
  • Yes Pays writers Accepts queries; pays per accepted article

Pricing

Reader

Free

  • Full article archive
  • No account required

Patreon membership

Not published in sources

  • Supports the publication
  • Member perks listed on Patreon

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Readers praise its classic pieces on typography and standards, though its redesigns have split opinion.

“Brilliant piece — "On Web Typography" via A List Apart”
Reddit, r/web_design

Companies that use it

  • Cardiff Metropolitan University (library resource list)⁸
Full analysis

Based on 60+ public sources. Note: this is a publication, not a SaaS product — the report judges it as reading, not software.

Free webzine for web-makers, not a tool. Great reading, nothing to deploy. Skip if you're buying software.

Methodology

Based on 60+ public sources. Note: this is a publication, not a SaaS product — the report judges it as reading, not software.

Sources

  1. A List Apart homepagealistapart.com
    official
  2. A List Apart — Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
    news
  3. A List Apart membership on Patreonpatreon.com
    official
  4. A List Apart security pagealistapart.com
    security
  5. Reddit: On Web Typography praisereddit.com
    review
  6. Ars Technica thread criticizing ALA 3.0 redesignarstechnica.com
    news
  7. Hongkiat: sites that pay writershongkiat.com
    review
  8. Cardiff Met library resource listlibrary.cardiffmet.ac.uk
    news

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