# The New Yorker vs Substack

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Substack at 72% 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.

Both are free to download. The New Yorker sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 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.

Substack holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Substack has 550K ratings behind it against 8.1K, 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 72% of Substack's.

The New Yorker ships an update fortnightly, Substack weekly. Both last shipped on October 16, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | The New Yorker | Substack |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (8.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-new-yorker/id1081530898/reviews) | **[4.9 (550K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/substack/id1581650857/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 8.1K | **550K** |
| Positive reviews | 16.4% of reviews | **72.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #7 | **#4** |
| Size | 117 MB | 229 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Advance Magazine Publishers Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/289380416) | [Substack, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1581650859) |

## What reviewers say

### The New Yorker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-new-yorker/id1081530898)

**Currently charting:** #7 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #12 Top Grossing · News, #21 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers, #49 Top Free · News (US App Store)

Access in-depth reporting, cultural commentary, fiction, and humor from global contributors. Read or listen to top stories, solve puzzles, and enjoy cartoons. Save articles for offline access.

**Highlights:** In-depth reporting, Political and cultural commentary, Fiction and poetry, Audio versions of stories, Crossword puzzles, Name Drop quizzes, Cartoons, Offline access

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

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The New Yorker | $5.99 | per month |
| The New Yorker | $8.99 | per month |
| The New Yorker | $9.99 | per month |
| The New Yorker | $11.99 | per month |
| The New Yorker | $11.99 | per month |
| The New Yorker | $11.99 | per month |
| The New Yorker | $29.99 | per year |
| The New Yorker | $59.99 | per year |
| The New Yorker | $89.99 | per year |
| The New Yorker | $119.99 | per year |
| The New Yorker | $119.99 | per year |
| The New Yorker | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🗞️ Great content and journalism
- 🔍 Convenient for reading on the go
- 🎨 Sleek and intuitive interface
- 🔊 Useful audio narration feature

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent sign-out issues
- 🔍 Unreliable search functionality
- 📍 Loses reading progress when switching apps
- 💰 Ads for paid subscribers
- 🔌 High battery consumption

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription not recognized despite active status
- Crossword progress not saved
- Embedded audio player issues

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to bookmark progress in articles
- Option to categorize/filter articles
- Author profile pages


### Substack

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

**Currently charting:** #4 Top Free · News, #15 Top Grossing · News, #151 Top Free (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 The New Yorker free?

The New Yorker 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, The New Yorker or Substack?

Substack is rated higher. The New Yorker averages 3.9 out of 5 from 8.1K ratings, while Substack averages 4.9 from 550K ratings.

### Do The New Yorker or Substack have ads?

The New Yorker shows ads; Substack does not.

### Which is updated more often, The New Yorker or Substack?

The New Yorker ships an update fortnightly, and Substack weekly. Most recently, The New Yorker was updated on October 16, 2026 and Substack on October 16, 2026.

### Which is more popular, The New Yorker or Substack?

The New Yorker currently peaks at #7 in the App Store charts, and Substack at #4. 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.*