Substack vs Treehorn
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Substack
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 viewing and listening, and participate in live events and chats.
- Support creators
- Ad-free videos and podcasts
- Real-time connection
- Explore independent ideas
- Subscribe to favorites
- Livestreams and group chats
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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.
Treehorn
Wake up to daily AI-generated news and educational shows covering a wide range of topics from politics to science. Enjoy curated content designed to inform and educate.
- AI-powered news service
- Daily lineup of shows
- Covers politics, finance, history, science
- Educational content
- World-class news programming
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Treehorn brings you fresh, short audio shows every morning covering news, politics, history, science, books, and culture. Stay informed, learn something surprising, and get on with your day. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://treehorn.app/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: Substack at 566K against Treehorn's 3. Substack also leads on chart position (#5 vs unranked) and device support (3 vs 1). 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 and Treehorn sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Substack against 5.0 for Treehorn. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Substack has 566K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Substack ships an update every 6 days, Treehorn every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Substack | Treehorn |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (566K ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 72.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 566K — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | #5 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 239 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Substack, Inc. | Brandon Wilson |
Customer experience
Substack
Treehorn
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
Treehorn
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
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- 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
Treehorn
- Treehorn Unlimited - Monthly$4.991 Month
