# Flipboard vs Substack

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 (73% vs 55%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Substack sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Flipboard asks for nothing beyond the download.

Substack holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 329K and 562K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Flipboard's written reviews are positive against 73% of Substack's.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Flipboard | Substack |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (329K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flipboard-the-social-magazine/id358801284/reviews) | **[4.9 (562K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/substack/id1581650857/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 329K | **562K** |
| Positive reviews | 55.2% of reviews | **72.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #107 | **#4** |
| Size | 170 MB | 236 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Flipboard Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/358801287) | [Substack, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1581650859) |

## What reviewers say

### Flipboard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flipboard-the-social-magazine/id358801284)

**Currently charting:** #107 Top Free · News (US App Store)

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:** Apple Watch app, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


### Substack

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

**Currently charting:** #4 Top Free · News, #13 Top Grossing · News, #171 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 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 562K 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 #107 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.*