Substack vs Beacon Signal
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Substack
Discover and connect with creators through videos, writing, and podcasts. Subscribe to support your favorites, enjoy ad-free content, and engage in live discussions. Explore independent ideas across various topics.
- Subscribe to creators
- Ad-free videos and podcasts
- Livestreams and live chats
- Explore independent ideas
- Connect with communities
- Read-aloud articles
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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.
Beacon Signal
This app provides clear, source-linked information on important civic issues, helping users understand their impact and how to get involved. It organizes complex topics into accessible stories, tracks leader stances, and allows participation in community feedback surveys.
- Source-linked proof on issues
- Clear, accessible stories
- Track civic leader stances
- Explore Beacon Scores
- Participate in Pulse surveys
- Community sentiment tracking
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Beacon is a modern civic commons built to help people understand what is happening, why it matters, and where their voice can make a difference. Instead of doomscrolling through fragmented headlines, social media noise, and divisive commentary, Beacon organizes source-linked proof around high-consequence issues into clear, accessible stories. Follow the issues shaping public life. Track where civic leaders stand. Explore Beacon Scores. Participate in Pulse surveys that turn individual feedback into visible community signal. Beacon brings together proof, context, participation, and accountability in one simple experience, helping you stay informed, act with purpose, and see how public sentiment is moving over time. Whether you want to understand a major issue, follow your representatives, share your perspective, or replace outrage with constructive engagement, Beacon gives you a clearer way to participate in public life.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Beacon Signal at none against Substack's 10. Substack's advantage is ratings volume (564K vs 13) and review sentiment (73% vs 50%). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. Substack sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Beacon Signal asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Substack against 4.8 for Beacon Signal. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Substack has 564K ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 73% of Substack's written reviews are positive against 50% of Beacon Signal's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Substack | Beacon Signal |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (564K ratings) — better | 4.8 (13 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 72.7% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 564K — better | 13 |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #3 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 239 MB | 42 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Substack, Inc. | Beacon Signal, Inc. |
Customer experience
Substack
Beacon Signal
Bugs and requests
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
Beacon Signal
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Substack
- Hung Up (Monthly)$4.991 Month
- The Dworkin Report (Monthly)$4.991 Month
- Monthly$5.991 Month
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- 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
Beacon Signal
No in-app purchases







