# Ground News vs Substack

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Substack at 72% against Ground News's 55%. Substack also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.7) and ratings volume (537K vs 48K). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ground News sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 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 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Substack has 537K ratings behind it against 48K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Ground News's written reviews are positive against 72% of Substack's.

Ground News ships an update every 2 weeks, Substack weekly. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ground News | Substack |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (48K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ground-news/id1324203419/reviews) | **[4.9 (537K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/substack/id1581650857/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 48K | **537K** |
| Positive reviews | 54.9% of reviews | **72.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#4** | #5 |
| Size | 96 MB | 223 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Snapwise Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/922865702) | [Substack, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1581650859) |

## What reviewers say

### Ground News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ground-news/id1324203419)

**Currently charting:** #4 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers, #5 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #8 Top Grossing · News, #12 Top Free · News (US App Store)

This app aggregates news from thousands of sources, highlighting media bias, reliability, and ownership. It aims to help users escape echo chambers and understand different perspectives on any story.

**Highlights:** News aggregation from 50K+ sources, Media bias and reliability analysis, Source ownership transparency, Avoid algorithmic echo chambers, Compare partisan topic coverage, Daily breaking news updates

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ground News Pro Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Ground News Premium Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Ground News Pro Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| Ground News Vantage Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Ground News Premium Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Ground News Premium Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Ground News Premium Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Ground News Premium Yearly | $44.99 | per year |
| Ground News Premium Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Ground News Premium Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Ground News Vantage Yearly | $71.99 | per year |
| Ground News Vantage Yearly | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Unique and useful news service
- 👍 Refreshing to see multiple news sources
- 👍 Factuality checks are helpful
- 👍 Provides a balanced view of news stories
- 👍 Excellent news resource

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Subscription issues (e.g. unable to cancel, auto-renewal)
- 🔍 Too US-centric, lacking international news coverage
- 💸 Excessive ads and paywalls
- 🤔 Bias ratings may not always be accurate
- 🤔 Cluttered user interface

**Reported bugs**

- Notification issues (e.g. not clearing, inaccurate counts)
- Subscription recognition problems across devices
- Compatibility issues on older devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to customize news feed by region/country
- Improved navigation and reading experience
- Sync topics/preferences across devices
- Built-in news reader mode
- Ability to filter out paywalled articles


### Substack

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

**Currently charting:** #5 Top Free · News, #17 Top Grossing · News, #191 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 Ground News free?

Ground News 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, Ground News or Substack?

Substack is rated higher. Ground News averages 4.7 out of 5 from 48K ratings, while Substack averages 4.9 from 537K ratings.

### Do Ground News or Substack have ads?

Neither Ground News nor Substack shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ground News or Substack?

Ground News ships an update every 2 weeks, and Substack weekly. Most recently, Ground News was updated on September 25, 2026 and Substack on September 25, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Ground News or Substack?

Ground News currently peaks at #4 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.*