A reading list for people who love magazines
Top 100 Magazines is an independent editorial ranking of the best magazines in the world, published as an annual edition.
Why we exist
There are more magazines than anyone could read. Directories list more than 421,000 periodicals worldwide, past and present. China published 10,187 periodicals in 2024, and the United States had 7,218 print consumer magazines in 2018. Good journalism, beautiful design and big ideas are out there, but finding them takes time.
We do the reading and narrow the field to one hundred titles across five categories, each scored against the same published criteria, so you can decide where your reading time and subscription money are best spent.
How it works
Every magazine is scored from 0 to 10 on six criteria: editorial quality, influence, trust and transparency, design and craft, digital experience and reach. The weighted total is its score out of 100. The methodology explains each criterion, the weights, and how we stay independent.
Who we are
Top 100 Magazines is written and edited by the Top 100 Magazines editorial team. We do not publish email addresses: every message, from nominations to legal notices, goes through the contact form. The 2026 edition was last reviewed on 17 October 2026. Past editions are kept in the archive.
Get in touch
Publishers, readers and press can reach us through the contact form. Use it to nominate a magazine for the next edition, report a factual error, or ask a question.