# FES NET vs Substack

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: FES NET at none against Substack's 24. FES NET also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 17.0). Substack's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 41 months) and chart position (#4 vs unranked). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Substack sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. FES NET asks for nothing beyond the download.

FES NET ships an update every 41 months, Substack weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FES NET | Substack |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.9 (555K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/substack/id1581650857/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **555K** |
| Positive reviews | — | 72.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 41 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#4** |
| Size | 1 MB | 231 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Foundation for Educational Services, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/926445831) | [Substack, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1581650859) |

## What reviewers say

### FES NET

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fes-net/id1187319071)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Substack

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

**Currently charting:** #4 Top Free · News, #11 Top Grossing · News, #135 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 FES NET free?

FES NET is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Substack free?

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

### Do FES NET or Substack have ads?

Neither FES NET nor Substack shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, FES NET or Substack?

FES NET ships an update every 41 months, and Substack weekly. Most recently, FES NET was updated on October 3, 2026 and Substack on October 20, 2026.

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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.*