Ethos / Compare / Ethical Consumer

Ethos vs Ethical Consumer: a scan-first app, or 35 years of research journalism?

Comparison based on publicly available information, as of July 2026

The key difference

Ethical Consumer is one of the oldest names in this field: an independent, not-for-profit, multi-stakeholder co-operative based in Manchester, publishing since 1989. It produces subscription-funded shopping guides with score tables and "Best Buy" recommendations, and states coverage of ethical ratings for 40,000+ brands and products across categories from energy and fashion to money and travel. The product is research journalism: you read a guide, compare the score table, and follow its recommendation.

Ethos is an aisle-side instrument rather than a publication. You scan a barcode or search a brand; Ethos resolves the ownership chain and opens a dossier of dated facts, each with its source. There are no Best Buys and no editorial score table — your private weights, applied on your device, produce the only score you see. Ethical Consumer tells you what its researchers concluded; Ethos records what happened and lets you conclude.

Choose Ethical Consumer when

• You want deep, long-form research — 35+ years of it — with score tables and explicit Best Buy recommendations.
• You shop mostly UK brands and categories, where its guides are strongest.
• You prefer a print or digital magazine and are happy with an annual subscription.

Choose Ethos when

• You want answers at the shelf — scan a barcode, see the file, get your score — rather than reading a guide beforehand.
• You want the weighting to be yours, including on value axes where reasonable people rank priorities differently.
• You want every claim pinned to a dated source URL you can check, with a corrections contact on the record.

Feature and pricing comparison

Ethical Consumer facts are taken from ethicalconsumer.org, including its subscription page, as of July 2026. Verify current pricing and coverage on their site. Corrections: [email protected]

Ethical Consumer: verified facts

• Describes itself as "an independent, not-for-profit, multi-stakeholder co-operative with open membership, based in Manchester," publishing since 1989.
• States coverage of "ethical ratings of 40,000+ brands and products" across energy, fashion, food & drink, health & beauty, home & garden, money, retailers, technology, and travel.
• Shopping guides include score tables comparing brands plus Best Buy recommendations.
• Subscription listed at £34.50/year by direct debit (£39.50 by card/PayPal) including six magazine issues and 12 months of full guide and company-profile access.

Ethos vs Ethical Consumer FAQ

What is the main difference between Ethos and Ethical Consumer?

Ethical Consumer publishes researcher-scored guides with Best Buy recommendations, funded by subscriptions. Ethos publishes no verdicts: it records cited facts across 15 value axes and your private weights produce the score, on your device.

How much does Ethical Consumer cost?

As of July 2026, its site lists £34.50 per year by direct debit (£39.50 by card or PayPal), including six magazine issues and full access to guides and company profiles. Verify current pricing on ethicalconsumer.org.

Is Ethos available today?

Ethos is in early access on iOS — join the waitlist. The free who-owns records on this site are public already.

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Ethos is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Ethical Consumer. Word marks are used only to identify the products compared. This page records publicly available information and does not characterize either product beyond it.

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