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 with breaking news, local news and trending world headlines directly from the world's definitive source for news. Available for free on the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, AP News by The Associated Press features a personalized experience containing: * A feed with developing stories from your followed topics. * Customized news alerts tailored to your interests. * Curated content hubs for deeper insights into major world news events and story lines. * Award-winning photos, videos and articles from around the world.
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 537K 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 2 weeks, Substack weekly. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.
| Parameter | AP News | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (359K ratings) | 4.9 (537K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 44.1% of reviews | 72.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 359K | 537K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 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 | #24 | #5 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 110 MB | 223 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 537K 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
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- Isolation Journals (Annual)$59.991 Year
- Slow Boring (Annual)$99.991 Year
