A List Apart
Depends
Confidence: High
This is a free web-design magazine, not software . there is nothing to buy, deploy, or administer.
Comparison
A List Apart vs Smashing Magazine
A List Apart and Smashing Magazine both land on Depends.
Smashing Magazine
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Front-end devs and designers should bookmark it . most content is free and well-regarded by working developers.
| Compare | A List Apart | Smashing Magazine |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | Web designers and front-end developers | Front-end developers and designers |
| Who it's not for | Anyone shopping for software . it is a magazine, not a tool | Anyone expecting software or tooling . it's editorial content, not a product |
| Privacy | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.⁴ | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed. |
| Support quality | No evidence . publication, no support desk | Only 3 Trustpilot reviews; no support data |
| Public sentiment | Readers praise its classic pieces on typography and standards, though its redesigns have split opinion.⁵ | Developers on Reddit broadly praise it as a regular read, though a few threads question quality trends.13 |
| Biggest gotcha | Classic articles may describe outdated techniques; verify publish dates before applying advice. | Membership price isn't publicly indexed . verify current cost on-site before subscribing10 |
Pick A List Apart when
- Web designers and front-end developers
- UX and content strategists
- Writers pitching web-industry articles
- Teams learning accessibility and standards
When A List Apart is not a fit
- 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
Pick Smashing Magazine when
- Front-end developers and designers
- Self-directed learners
- Teams caring about accessibility and UX
When Smashing Magazine is not a fit
- Anyone expecting software or tooling . it's editorial content, not a product
- Learners needing certified, structured curricula
- Teams shopping for a training platform with admin controls
- Non-technical buyers
Sources
- A List Apart homepagealistapart.comofficial
- A List Apart . Wikipediaen.wikipedia.orgnews
- A List Apart membership on Patreonpatreon.comofficial
- A List Apart security pagealistapart.comsecurity
- Reddit: On Web Typography praisereddit.comreview
- Ars Technica thread criticizing ALA 3.0 redesignarstechnica.comnews
- Hongkiat: sites that pay writershongkiat.comreview
- Cardiff Met library resource listlibrary.cardiffmet.ac.uknews
- Smashing Magazine homepagesmashingmagazine.comofficial
- Smashing Membershipsmashingmagazine.comofficial
- The Smashing Email Newslettersmashingmagazine.comofficial
- Smashing Magazine Reviews . Trustpilottrustpilot.comreview
review
- Smashing Magazine . Wikipediaen.wikipedia.orgnews
- Smashing Magazine . LinkedIn company profilelinkedin.comnews