MagCast vs Zinio Connect (a Naviga company)
MagCast
A premium white-label platform for launching branded digital magazine apps with dedicated business coaching
Publishers using it: 1
Zinio Connect (a Naviga company)
The leading end-to-end digital publishing platform for magazine conversion, global distribution, and monetization. (Now: Zinio was acquired by Naviga (formerly Newscycle Solutions) in May 2019 and currently operates as Naviga's commerce and distribution arm.)
Publishers using it: 3 · incl. Hoffman Media
Last verified Nov 12, 2026
At a glance
- MagCast scores 3.5/5 and Zinio Connect (a Naviga company) scores 3.8/5 in Benchmark Grid's independent mobile magazine apps benchmark, both assessed on the same 10 criteria.
- The widest gaps are integrations & api (MagCast 2.0, Zinio Connect (a Naviga company) 4.4) and entitlements & subscription integration (MagCast 2.5, Zinio Connect (a Naviga company) 4.5); they are within 0.3 on 3 of 10 criteria.
- MagCast is built for small publishers; Zinio Connect (a Naviga company) for enterprise.
- On total cost of ownership MagCast scores 3.0 and Zinio Connect (a Naviga company) 1.2 (higher means better value, not a lower price).
- In our tracking 1 publishers use MagCast and 3 use Zinio Connect (a Naviga company).
- Scores last verified 12 Nov 2026. Vendors cannot pay for a score or a position.
Where they differ
Zinio Connect (a Naviga company) is stronger on integrations & API (4.4 vs 2.0), entitlements & subscription integration (4.5 vs 2.5), security & privacy (4.5 vs 2.5) and app store compliance & updates (4.0 vs 3.0).
Which one fits
Choose MagCast if…
- You publish at small scale.
- You weight push & engagement tools heavily — MagCast leads on it in this benchmark.
Choose Zinio Connect (a Naviga company) if…
- You publish at enterprise scale.
- You weight integrations & API, entitlements & subscription integration and security & privacy heavily — Zinio Connect (a Naviga company) leads on those in this benchmark.
Also weighing these
The nearest-scored tools to MagCast and Zinio Connect (a Naviga company) in this benchmark, listed A to Z.
- 3.6Mag+Interactive mobile app creation platform for design-driven digital magazine publishersRead review
- 3.3Magzter Publisher PlatformA global digital newsstand offering cross-platform distribution and revenue sharing for magazine publishersRead review
- 3.7MobiLoudConvert existing websites into high-performance native iOS and Android mobile applicationsRead review
- 4.2PugpigThe world's leading digital publishing platform for media brands to launch and grow mobile apps, sites, and archives.Read review
All 6 scored tools are in Best Mobile Magazine Apps.
Who uses them
Publishers we have detected running each tool, from ads.txt, site code and published case studies. Agencies, brands and vendors are excluded.
MagCast · 1
Zinio Connect (a Naviga company) · 3
Head to head
| Criterion | MagCast | Zinio Connect (a Naviga company) |
|---|---|---|
| Monetisation14% of capability | 4.5 | 4.6 |
| Reader experience14% of capability | 3.2 | 3.5 |
| Content management & publishing workflow12% of capability | 3.2 | 4.2 |
| Analytics10% of capability | 2.8 | 3.5 |
| Entitlements & subscription integration10% of capability | 2.5 | 4.5 |
| Platform coverage10% of capability | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| App store compliance & updates8% of capability | 3.0 | 4.0 |
| Integrations & API8% of capability | 2.0 | 4.4 |
| Push & engagement tools8% of capability | 3.8 | 3.2 |
| Security & privacy6% of capability | 2.5 | 4.5 |
| Capability45% of composite | 3.3 | 4.0 |
| Publisher fit40% of composite | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Total cost of ownership15% of composite | 3.0 | 1.2 |
Cost of ownership
| Sub-score | MagCast | Zinio Connect (a Naviga company) |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 3.0 | 1.0 |
| Entry cost | 2.5 | 1.0 |
| Implementation cost | 2.9 | 0.5 |
| Hidden-fee risk | 3.9 | 2.0 |
| Ongoing cost | 3.0 | 1.5 |
MagCast pricing
From under $250/mo; the membership includes one magazine title, iOS and Android apps and a one-year term.
Zinio Connect (a Naviga company) pricing
Custom enterprise pricing based on publication volume; includes usage-based models such as pricing per page created.
What users say
MagCast
2 positive · 1 neutral · 0 negative
Zinio Connect (a Naviga company)
1 positive · 0 neutral · 0 negative
Mentions we could not tie to a real user, and those flagged as promotional, are excluded. Sentiment is opinion, and is independent of the verified publisher adoptions above.
MagCast scores 3.5 and Zinio Connect (a Naviga company) scores 3.8 in Benchmark Grid's independent Best Mobile Magazine Apps benchmark (benchmarkgrid.com/vs/magcast/zinio-connect-a-naviga-company, verified Nov 12, 2026)
Common questions
How do MagCast and Zinio Connect (a Naviga company) differ?
Zinio Connect (a Naviga company) is stronger on integrations & API (4.4 vs 2.0), entitlements & subscription integration (4.5 vs 2.5), security & privacy (4.5 vs 2.5) and app store compliance & updates (4.0 vs 3.0). Neither is better in the abstract — which one suits you depends on which of those dimensions carries the most weight in your operation.
Which is cheaper, MagCast or Zinio Connect (a Naviga company)?
On total cost of ownership — pricing transparency, entry cost, implementation, hidden-fee risk and ongoing cost — MagCast scores 3.0/5 and Zinio Connect (a Naviga company) scores 1.2/5. A higher score means better value, not a lower sticker price.
How are these scores calculated?
Each tool is assessed against its category's published criteria (10 in this benchmark), which make up Capability (45% of the composite), Publisher fit (40%) and Total cost of ownership (15%). Assessment is carried out by SODP's editorial team against a published methodology. Vendors cannot pay for inclusion, scores or positions.
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Both tools are scored in Best Mobile Magazine Apps. See alternatives to MagCast or alternatives to Zinio Connect (a Naviga company).
Weighing a third option? Add a tool to this comparison.
Where to next
Related comparisons
Other head-to-heads publishers look at in Best Mobile Magazine Apps.
