# Substack vs Beacon Signal

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Substack | Beacon Signal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (564K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/substack/id1581650857/reviews)** | [4.8 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beacon-signal/id6755921212/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **564K** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | **72.7% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#3** | — |
| Size | 239 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Substack, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1581650859) | [Beacon Signal, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1857327196) |

## What reviewers say

### Substack

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

**Currently charting:** #3 Top Free · News, #12 Top Grossing · News, #100 Top Free (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** Subscribe to creators, Ad-free videos and podcasts, Livestreams and live chats, Explore independent ideas, Connect with communities, Read-aloud articles

**Features:** Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hung Up (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| The Dworkin Report (Monthly) | $4.99 | 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 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 |

**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


### Beacon Signal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beacon-signal/id6755921212)

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.

**Highlights:** Source-linked proof on issues, Clear, accessible stories, Track civic leader stances, Explore Beacon Scores, Participate in Pulse surveys, Community sentiment tracking

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Substack free?

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

### Is Beacon Signal free?

Beacon Signal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Substack or Beacon Signal?

Substack is rated higher. Substack averages 4.9 out of 5 from 564K ratings, while Beacon Signal averages 4.8 from 13 ratings.

### Do Substack or Beacon Signal have ads?

Neither Substack nor Beacon Signal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Substack or Beacon Signal?

Substack ships an update weekly, and Beacon Signal weekly. Most recently, Substack was updated on November 4, 2026 and Beacon Signal on October 30, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*