Comparison

Substack vs Decidel

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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 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
Read full description

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.

About

Decidel

Features
Read full description

Decidel - Smarter Hacker News Client. The Hacker News client that reads between the lines. Decidel brings AI-powered summaries, smart topic filtering, and a beautiful reading experience to your favorite tech community. AI Summaries That Actually Help Tap any story to instantly surface key points, counterarguments, expert insights, and cited sources - without scrolling through hundreds of comments. Long threads, understood in seconds. Your Feed, Your Rules Mute topics you don't care about with AI-powered semantic filtering. Use built-in filters for Crypto, Politics, and more — or build your own. Swipe to bookmark, share, or mark stories as read. Powerful Search & Discovery Browse Top, Best, New, Ask HN, and Show HN. Search all of Hacker News with filters for relevance, recency, and popularity. Save searches for quick access anytime. Threaded Discussions Clean, readable comment threads with sort options — Best, Newest, or Most Controversial. Search within any discussion to find exactly what you need. Beautiful & Customizable Light, Dark, Black (OLED), and Sepia themes with scheduled day/night switching. Adjust font style and size to make reading feel just right. Offline & Exportable Bundle bookmarks for offline reading, then export stories and summaries to Markdown, Notion, or Obsidian — your research, your way. Your AI, Your Keys Connect OpenAI, Google Gemini, Anthropic, or Groq with your own API key. API keys are stored securely in the iOS Keychain and never leave your device. Also Includes Reading history, link previews for GitHub, arXiv & Wikipedia, compact and full display modes, story submission, comment replies, and user profiles. Decidel Pro Go Pro for unlimited AI summaries, custom topic filters, offline reading bundles, saved searches, and advanced export options. Privacy Policy: https://assahbismarkabah.github.io/decidel-support/privacy Terms of Use: https://assahbismarkabah.github.io/decidel-support/terms

Screenshots

Substack4 screens
Decidel4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is chart position: Substack at #4 against Decidel's unranked. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Substack sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Decidel sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard1 real difference · 10 level
Substack versus Decidel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSubstackDecidel
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (550K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews72.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings550K — better—
Update frequencyWeekly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#4 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size229 MB3 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperSubstack, Inc.Assah Bismark

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

Decidel

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

18 purchases

Substack

Subscriptions18
  • Hung Up (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • The Dworkin Report (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • Popular Information (Monthly)$5.991 Month
Show 15 more
  • Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Isolation Journals (Monthly)$5.991 Month
  • Ettingermentum (monthly)$5.991 Month
  • What To Cook (Monthly)$5.991 Month
  • The Present Age (Monthly)$6.991 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
  • Razib Khan (Monthly)$10.991 Month
  • House of Strauss (Monthly)$11.991 Month
  • The Dworkin Report (Annual)$49.991 Year
  • Annual$59.991 Year
  • Isolation Journals (Annual)$59.991 Year
  • Slow Boring (Annual)$99.991 Year
6 purchases

Decidel

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Pro Annual$17.991 Year
One-time4
  • Coffee$0.99
  • Lunch$2.99
  • Dinner$4.99
Show 1 more
  • Feast$9.99

Questions

Is Substack free?
Substack is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Decidel free?
Decidel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Substack or Decidel have ads?
Neither Substack nor Decidel shows ads.

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