AP News vs Substack
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
AP News
Get breaking world and local news, along with trending headlines. This app offers a personalized news feed, custom alerts, and in-depth content hubs for major events. Access award-winning photos, videos, and articles.
- Breaking news updates
- Local news coverage
- Personalized news feed
- Customized news alerts
- In-depth content hubs
- Award-winning photos and videos
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Stay informed for free with AP News. Follow breaking news and live updates, watch the latest news videos, and get timely reporting on the biggest stories in the U.S. and around the world, plus selected local news from trusted sources. With journalists in nearly 100 countries, AP News delivers award-winning, independent journalism with no paywall. KNOW WHEN IMPORTANT NEWS BREAKS Get breaking news alerts as major stories develop. Customize notifications around the topics you follow to receive updates that matter to you. START YOUR DAY INFORMED Get our weekday Morning Wire push notification, a briefing on important headlines and stories to help you start the day informed. LIVE COVERAGE OF DEVELOPING STORIES Follow major stories as events unfold with live updates from AP journalists. FOLLOW THE NEWS THAT MATTERS TO YOU Personalize AP News around topics you care about, including U.S. and world news, politics, elections, business, the economy, college and professional sports, entertainment and more. GO BEYOND THE HEADLINE Explore curated coverage hubs that bring together reporting, insight and context around major events and developing stories. SEE THE STORY Explore AP's award-winning photojournalism and watch news videos covering events in the U.S. and around the world. Watch live video streams of major news events when available. UPDATES AT A GLANCE See the latest headlines and top photos with topic and photography widgets on your iPhone and iPad's home screen. GET HEADLINES WITH SIRI Use Siri and Apple Shortcuts to get AP headlines on topics you care about. STAY CONNECTED WITH APPLE WATCH AP News supports Apple Watch, helping you stay connected to the news on the go. SPORTS YOUR WAY Stay up to date on college and professional sports news, including major games, teams and athletes. Follow the weekly AP Top 25 polls, and take part in the season - submit your Fan Poll to see how your picks stack up against thousands of other fans and join the debate. JOIN THE AP NEWS COMMUNITY Share your perspective in moderated comments and connect with other readers around stories shaping the world. PLAY, VOTE AND TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE Challenge yourself with quizzes, take part in polls and explore interactive journalism with AP Play. EXPLORE INTERACTIVE NEWS EXPERIENCES Discover interactive graphics, immersive stories and detailed election results. BOOKMARK AND SHARE Save stories and videos to revisit later, and share the news you care about with others. TODAY IN HISTORY Discover major historical events, anniversaries and notable figures connected to each day in history. READ IN ENGLISH / LEER EN ESPAÑOL Access AP journalism and timely headlines in English and Spanish. Acceda al periodismo de AP y a las noticias claves del momento en español y inglés. ACCESSIBILITY AND CUSTOMIZATION Make reading comfortable with all the customizations you need for the experience that works for you. Dark mode? Larger font sizes? Fewer photos? We’ve got it covered. TRUSTED JOURNALISM. NO PAYWALL. For nearly 180 years, The Associated Press has delivered factual, nonpartisan news worldwide. We believe journalism is a public good. AP News gives readers access to reporting from journalists in nearly 100 countries with no paywall.
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.
- Subscribe to creators
- Ad-free video and podcasts
- Live streams and group chats
- Explore independent ideas
- Read aloud articles
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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.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: AP News at none against Substack's 24. Substack's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (72% vs 44%). On price, ratings volume, device support and iOS requirement 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 18 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. AP News asks for nothing beyond the download.
Substack holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 359K and 560K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of AP News's written reviews are positive against 72% of Substack's.
AP News ships an update every 3 weeks, Substack weekly. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.
| Parameter | AP News | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (359K ratings) | 4.9 (560K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 43.9% of reviews | 72.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 359K | 560K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #27 | #4 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 114 MB | 236 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | The Associated Press | Substack, Inc. |
Customer experience
AP News
Substack
User reviews
AP News
From 359K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Unbiased and factual reporting
- 📰 Comprehensive news coverage
- ⚖️ Balanced and objective journalism
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🔍 Difficulty finding specific articles
- 🔄 Resets to top of feed after reading articles
- 🔌 Interrupts background audio playback
Substack
From 560K App Store ratingsWhat 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
AP News
Reported bugs
3 issues- Login issues and inability to reset password
- Topics list not saving user preferences
- Inconsistent behavior when opening from notifications
Requested features
4 requests- Customizable notification settings
- Ability to save article reading progress
- Option to increase text size for readability
- Dark mode for better low-light viewing
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
AP News
No in-app purchases
Substack
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- The Dworkin Report (Monthly)$4.991 Month
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- The Dworkin Report (Annual)$49.991 Year
- Annual$59.991 Year
- Isolation Journals (Annual)$59.991 Year
- Slow Boring (Annual)$99.991 Year









