The New Yorker vs Substack
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The New Yorker
Access award-winning journalism, investigative reporting, cultural criticism, exclusive podcasts, and daily cartoons. Stay informed with personalized digests and explore decades of archives, all in one place.
- Award-winning journalism
- Investigative reporting
- Exclusive podcasts
- Daily cartoons
- Personalized digests
- Decades of archives
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Download the New Yorker app for award-winning journalism on politics, culture, and the world. Get investigative reporting, cultural criticism, exclusive podcasts, and daily cartoons—plus access to decades of archives, all in one place. POLITICS, CULTURE, AND INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING - Stay informed with breaking news and in-depth analysis on stories that matter. - Follow journalists and subjects you care about. Get notified when new coverage publishes. - Browse Channels for focussed coverage of politics, culture, business, science, and books. - Dive into award-winning investigative reporting that exposes truths about the world. PERSONALIZED DIGESTS AND NEWSLETTERS - Explore curated newsletters on politics, culture, fiction, cartoons, and more. - Personalize your feed based on your reading interests and get recommendations tailored to you. EXCLUSIVE PODCASTS AND AUDIO JOURNALISM - Listen to exclusive audio narrations of New Yorker articles on your commute. - Explore The New Yorker's premium podcast lineup, interviews, panel discussions, and investigative series. - Seamlessly switch between audio and reading where you left off. CARTOONS, ARCHIVES, AND VISUAL STORYTELLING - Browse The New Yorker's legendary cartoons and visual journalism daily. - Access decades of archives—explore the full depth of New Yorker reporting and criticism. - Discover fiction, humor, and cultural coverage across all formats. Download The New Yorker app today to discover the journalism that helps you understand not just what's happening, but why it matters. Deep reporting on politics, culture, and the world—always evolving, always essential. The app is free to download. Subscribers receive unlimited access. App subscribers have full access to the website, including the archive and most recent issue. Users who have trouble accessing stories can contact Customer Care for assistance. Non-subscribers may access the app by starting a 7-day free trial which automatically renews for $11.99 per month or $119.99 annually, unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. The Apple account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period and will state the cost of renewal. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. Subscriptions may be managed by the user, and auto-renewal may be turned off by updating the user’s App Store Subscription settings after purchase. Information about our Terms of Service & Privacy Policy can be found at http://www.condenast.com/privacy-policy.
Substack
Discover and support creators through videos, writing, and podcasts. Subscribe for free or upgrade to access exclusive content and connect directly with your favorite artists and writers. Enjoy ad-free viewing and listening, and engage in real-time with livestreams and group chats.
- Subscribe to creators
- Ad-free videos and podcasts
- Livestreams and live group chats
- Explore independent ideas
- Connect with communities
- Short-form video clips
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Substack is a new media app that connects you with the creators, ideas, and communities you care about most. - Support the creators you love: Subscribe for free or upgrade to view original work and connect directly with your favorite writers, artists, and podcasters. - Enjoy ad-free videos and podcasts: Access short-form clips, video episodes, and read-aloud articles without interruptions. - Connect in real time: Join livestreams and live group chats, where top creators bring their biggest supporters into their world. - Explore independent ideas: Discover bold opinions and engaging views across food, sports, politics, fashion, comedy, finance, and more. How it works: 1. Download the Substack app. 2. Claim your handle. 3. Explore the feed to enjoy notes, videos, and clips from creators. 4. Subscribe to your favorites for free, tune into their livestreams and join private group chats.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Substack at 73% against The New Yorker's 16%. Substack also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.9) and ads (none vs shown). The New Yorker's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and chart position there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. The New Yorker sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Substack sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Substack holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Substack has 565K ratings behind it against 8.2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 16% of The New Yorker's written reviews are positive against 73% of Substack's.
The New Yorker ships an update fortnightly, Substack weekly. Both last shipped on November 5, 2026.
| Parameter | The New Yorker | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.9 (8.2K ratings) | 4.9 (565K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 16.4% of reviews | 72.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 8.2K | 565K — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Weekly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #8 | #3 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 120 MB | 239 MB |
| Age rating | +12 | 17+ |
| Developer | Advance Magazine Publishers Inc. | Substack, Inc. |
Customer experience
The New Yorker
Substack
User reviews
The New Yorker
From 8.2K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🗞️ Great content and journalism
- 🔍 Convenient for reading on the go
- 🎨 Sleek and intuitive interface
- 🔊 Useful audio narration feature
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent sign-out issues
- 🔍 Unreliable search functionality
- 📍 Loses reading progress when switching apps
- 💰 Ads for paid subscribers
- 🔌 High battery consumption
Substack
From 565K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Stable and functional app
- 🚀 Intuitive and easy to use
- 👍 Variety of great content
- 👍 Supports independent writers
- 👍 Refreshing alternative to mainstream media
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy
- 🐛 Difficult to manage subscriptions
- 🐛 Inconsistent user experience between app and website
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with data collection
- 💤 Slow performance and loading times
Bugs and requests
The New Yorker
Reported bugs
3 issues- Subscription not recognized despite active status
- Crossword progress not saved
- Embedded audio player issues
Requested features
4 requests- Dark mode option
- Ability to bookmark progress in articles
- Option to categorize/filter articles
- Author profile pages
Substack
Reported bugs
4 issues- 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
5 requests- 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
In-app purchases
The New Yorker
- The New Yorker$5.991 Month
- The New Yorker$8.991 Month
- The New Yorker$9.991 Month
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- The New Yorker1 Month trial$11.991 Month
- The New Yorker7 Days trial$11.991 Month
- The New Yorker$11.991 Month
- The New Yorker$59.991 Year
- The New Yorker$89.991 Year
- The New Yorker1 Month trial$119.991 Year
- The New Yorker7 Days trial$119.991 Year
Substack
- Hung Up (Monthly)$4.991 Month
- The Dworkin Report (Monthly)$4.991 Month
- Monthly$5.991 Month
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- Isolation Journals (Monthly)$5.991 Month
- Ettingermentum (monthly)$5.991 Month
- What To Cook (Monthly)$5.991 Month
- The Message Box (Monthly)$7.991 Month
- House Inhabit (Monthly)$8.991 Month
- Noahpinion (Monthly)$9.991 Month
- Slow Boring (Monthly)$9.991 Month
