# Reddit vs Substack

Reddit and Substack both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 73% of Substack's written reviews are positive against 25% of Reddit's. Substack also leads on ads (none vs shown). Reddit's advantage is ratings volume (3.5M vs 562K). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Reddit sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Substack sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Reddit against 4.9 for Substack. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Reddit has 3.5M ratings behind it against 562K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 25% of Reddit's written reviews are positive against 73% of Substack's.

Reddit ships an update every 6 days, Substack weekly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reddit | Substack |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (3.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reddit/id1064216828/reviews) | **[4.9 (562K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/substack/id1581650857/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.5M** | 562K |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | **72.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#2** | #5 |
| Size | 454 MB | 236 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [REDDIT, INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/808295587) | [Substack, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1581650859) |

## What reviewers say

### Reddit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reddit/id1064216828)

**Currently charting:** #2 Top Free · News, #18 Top Grossing · News, #67 Top Free (US App Store)

Discover trending topics, engage in diverse discussions, and join communities for any interest. Share content, ask questions, and connect with others through a unique voting system that highlights popular posts.

**Highlights:** Thousands of community groups, Breaking news and trends, Humorous content and videos, Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions, In-depth discussion threads, Q&A forums, Upvote/downvote system

**Features:** iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reddit Premium | $6.99 | per month |
| Reddit Annual Premium | $59.99 | per year |
| Reddit Gold | $1.99 | one-time |
| Reddit Gold | $3.99 | one-time |
| Collectible Avatar - Tier 499 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Reddit Gold | $5.99 | one-time |
| Reddit Gold | $9.99 | one-time |
| Collectible Avatar - Tier 999 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Collectible Avatar - Tier 2499 | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic news aggregator
- 👍 Diverse communities
- 🔍 Helpful for finding information
- 💡 Customizable feeds
- 🎨 Unique avatar customization

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy video player
- 🤖 Aggressive recommendation algorithms
- 💬 Toxic community moderation
- 🔍 Difficult to find specific content
- 🔒 Privacy concerns

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes
- Unreliable content loading
- Inconsistent UI behavior
- Notification issues
- Subreddit search function not working

**Requested features**

- Improved video player controls
- Better content filtering options
- Streamlined community management tools
- Customizable notification settings
- Integrated browser for seamless browsing


### Substack

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/substack/id1581650857)

**Currently charting:** #5 Top Free · News, #14 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

Discover creators, ideas, and communities through videos, writing, and podcasts. Subscribe for free or upgrade to access exclusive content and connect directly with creators. Enjoy ad-free media and participate in live events.

**Highlights:** Subscribe to creators, Ad-free video and podcasts, Live streams and group chats, Explore independent ideas, Read aloud articles

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (18)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hung Up (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| The Dworkin Report (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Popular Information (Monthly) | $5.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Isolation Journals (Monthly) | $5.99 | per month |
| Ettingermentum (monthly) | $5.99 | per month |
| What To Cook (Monthly) | $5.99 | per month |
| The Present Age (Monthly) | $6.99 | per month |
| The Message Box (Monthly) | $7.99 | per month |
| House Inhabit (Monthly) | $8.99 | per month |
| Noahpinion (Monthly) | $9.99 | per month |
| Slow Boring (Monthly) | $9.99 | per month |
| Razib Khan (Monthly) | $10.99 | per month |
| House of Strauss (Monthly) | $11.99 | per month |
| The Dworkin Report (Annual) | $49.99 | per year |
| Annual | $59.99 | per year |
| Isolation Journals (Annual) | $59.99 | per year |
| Slow Boring (Annual) | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Stable and functional app
- 🚀 Intuitive and easy to use
- 👍 Variety of great content
- 👍 Supports independent writers
- 👍 Refreshing alternative to mainstream media

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy
- 🐛 Difficult to manage subscriptions
- 🐛 Inconsistent user experience between app and website
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with data collection
- 💤 Slow performance and loading times

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and inability to sign in
- Inconsistent behavior when archiving/deleting posts
- Playback issues with audio content
- Incompatibility with older devices or operating systems

**Requested features**

- Add search functionality within app
- Improve notification management
- Allow customization of font size and style
- Implement ability to mark articles as read/unread
- Add option to collapse/expand comment threads


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Reddit free?

Reddit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Substack free?

Substack is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Reddit or Substack?

Substack is rated higher. Reddit averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.5M ratings, while Substack averages 4.9 from 562K ratings.

### Do Reddit or Substack have ads?

Reddit shows ads; Substack does not.

### Which is updated more often, Reddit or Substack?

Reddit ships an update every 6 days, and Substack weekly. Most recently, Reddit was updated on November 1, 2026 and Substack on November 1, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Reddit or Substack?

Reddit currently peaks at #2 in the App Store charts, and Substack at #5. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*