Comparison

Flipboard vs Substack

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

Head to head
About

Flipboard

Access curated news and trending stories from top publishers and local sources. Personalize your feed by topic or follow creators to build your own digital magazine. Discover inspiration and share articles with a community of curators.

Highlights
  • Curated news from top publishers
  • Personalized topic-based magazines
  • Follow creators and experts
  • Create and share your own magazines
  • Local news and events
  • Beautiful layouts and clean design
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Get the day's headlines, deep dives and trending stories with the award-winning Flipboard app. Curated from world-renowned publishers, local outlets and creators, Flipboard brings you trusted content to jumpstart your day or let you catch-up in the evening. Known for its beautiful layouts and clean designs, download the app and start flipping through the pages of Flipboard. Pick from hundreds of topics and Flipboard creates a beautiful, always-updated news magazine experience. You can always further personalize by following more topics, Magazines or profiles you discover. If you’re looking for inspiration, browse topics by category in the Explore tab. You’ll find everything from business, health, tech, sports, cooking, travel and more. You can even follow local news and events by selecting ‘add local content’ in your Profile settings. If you find articles or videos you want to collect, use the + (plus) button on any story in Flipboard to add it to your own Magazine. Make your Magazine public to share ideas and interesting stories with an ever-growing community curating on Flipboard. USE FLIPBOARD TO: - Keep up on all your interests with the latest stories from leading national publishers including Associate Press, The Washington Post, ESPN, National Geographic, NPR, TIME, The Atlantic, BBC, CBS, NBC and thousands more. - Follow your city for local updates, regional news, weather, commute, sports, and dining. - Curate stories you find informative or inspiring and share with others: Use the + (plus) button on any article to save it to your own Flipboard Magazine. - Follow other experts and enthusiasts who are curating about topics you love. - Turn on notifications and use the Flipboard widget to get stories delivered to you everyday. GET FLIPBOARD IN YOUR INBOX: Enjoy 10 for Today, our flagship newsletter packed with highlights to inform and inspire your day, plus themed roundups in tech, travel, politics and beyond. Human editors handpick every story, focusing on quality publications and creators. Browse the full lineup at flipboard.com/newsletters. KEEP UP WITH FLIPBOARD: For product updates, the latest from our blog, and tips on how to use Flipboard, follow us on Flipboard and other social platforms: https://flipboard.com/@flipboard https://bsky.app/profile/flipboard.com https://www.threads.com/@flipboard https://flipboard.social/@Flipboard https://www.linkedin.com/company/flipboard-inc/ We’d love to hear what you think! Reach out to our support team under Settings > Help & Feedback. For any other technical issues or questions, contact us at http://flip.it/help.

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.

Screenshots

Flipboard4 screens
Substack4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Flipboard at none against Substack's 24. Flipboard also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Substack's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (72% vs 55%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence 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. Flipboard asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Substack holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 329K and 561K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Flipboard's written reviews are positive against 72% of Substack's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Flipboard versus Substack: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFlipboardSubstack
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (329K ratings)4.9 (561K ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.2% of reviews72.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings329K561K — better
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#115#4 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, Apple TV
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size170 MB236 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperFlipboard Inc.Substack, Inc.

Customer experience

Flipboard

All ratings329,249 ratings
Positive93.1%
Neutral3.6%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews2,932 reviews
Positive55.2%
Neutral10.2%
Negative34.6%

Substack

All ratings559,654 ratings
Positive97.6%
Neutral1.2%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews4,910 reviews
Positive72.5%
Neutral6.7%
Negative20.8%

User reviews

Flipboard

From 329K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great news aggregator
  • 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
  • 📰 Diverse content from reliable sources
  • 🗞️ Personalized news feed
  • 💡 Useful for staying informed

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Difficulty finding specific articles
  • 🔋 High data consumption
  • 📢 Excessive advertising
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🤖 Irrelevant content recommendations

Substack

From 561K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Stable and functional app
  • 🚀 Intuitive and easy to use
  • 👍 Variety of great content
  • 👍 Supports independent writers
  • 👍 Refreshing alternative to mainstream media

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and glitchy
  • 🐛 Difficult to manage subscriptions
  • 🐛 Inconsistent user experience between app and website
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns with data collection
  • 💤 Slow performance and loading times

Bugs and requests

Flipboard

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Articles failing to load
  • Inconsistent navigation and UI behavior
  • Syncing and state preservation issues
  • Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Offline reading mode
  • Improved search and filtering options
  • Customizable news feed preferences
  • Reduced advertising or paid subscription option
  • Better performance optimization

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

In-app purchases

None

Flipboard

No 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

Questions

Is Flipboard free?
Flipboard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Substack free?
Substack is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Flipboard or Substack?
Substack is rated higher. Flipboard averages 4.7 out of 5 from 329K ratings, while Substack averages 4.9 from 561K ratings.
Do Flipboard or Substack have ads?
Flipboard shows ads; Substack does not.
Which is updated more often, Flipboard or Substack?
Flipboard ships an update weekly, and Substack weekly. Most recently, Flipboard was updated on October 31, 2026 and Substack on October 31, 2026.
Which is more popular, Flipboard or Substack?
Flipboard currently peaks at #115 in the App Store charts, and Substack at #4. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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