# Washington Post vs Substack

The clearest difference is ads: Substack at none against Washington Post's shown. Substack also leads on review sentiment (72% vs 48%) and rating (4.9 vs 4.7). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Washington Post sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 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. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 639K and 550K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of Washington Post's written reviews are positive against 72% of Substack's.

Washington Post ships an update every 9 days, Substack weekly. Both last shipped on October 15, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Washington Post | Substack |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (639K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/washington-post-breaking-news/id352509417/reviews) | **[4.9 (550K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/substack/id1581650857/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **639K** | 550K |
| Positive reviews | 47.9% of reviews | **72.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#3** | #4 |
| Size | 125 MB | 229 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [The Washington Post](https://appshunter.io/developer/352509420) | [Substack, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1581650859) |

## What reviewers say

### Washington Post

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/washington-post-breaking-news/id352509417)

**Currently charting:** #3 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #6 Top Grossing · News, #26 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers, #53 Top Free · News (US App Store)

Access award-winning global reporting and expert coverage from journalists. Stay informed with a 24/7 news feed, curated recommendations, and multimedia content. Enjoy a limited number of free stories or opt for unlimited digital access.

**Highlights:** 24/7 news feed, Morning briefing (The 7), Customizable alerts, Podcasts and audio articles, Curated recommendations (My Post), Multimedia content (graphics, video, AR)

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Core | $7.99 | per month |
| Core | $13.99 | per month |
| Premium | $18.99 | per month |
| Core | $139.99 | per year |
| Premium | $189.99 | per year |
| One-Day Pass | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🗞️ High-quality journalism
- 🌍 Comprehensive global coverage
- 🔍 Excellent investigative reporting
- 🤝 Balanced and objective reporting
- 🇺🇸 Insightful coverage of U.S. politics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Biased or slanted reporting
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔍 Lack of diverse political perspectives
- 🤖 Poor performance of text-to-speech feature
- 🔍 Excessive focus on U.S. politics

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes
- Issues with login and account management
- Inconsistent article formatting
- Unreliable push notifications

**Requested features**

- Improved search functionality
- Ability to customize news feed
- Integration of user comments within the app
- Offline reading mode
- Enhanced accessibility features


### Substack

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

**Currently charting:** #4 Top Free · News, #12 Top Grossing · News, #144 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 Washington Post free?

Washington Post 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, Washington Post or Substack?

Substack is rated higher. Washington Post averages 4.7 out of 5 from 639K ratings, while Substack averages 4.9 from 550K ratings.

### Do Washington Post or Substack have ads?

Washington Post shows ads; Substack does not.

### Which is updated more often, Washington Post or Substack?

Washington Post ships an update every 9 days, and Substack weekly. Most recently, Washington Post was updated on October 15, 2026 and Substack on October 15, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Washington Post or Substack?

Washington Post currently peaks at #3 in the App Store charts, and Substack at #4. 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.*