# AP News vs Substack

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | AP News | Substack |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (359K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ap-news/id364677107/reviews) | **[4.9 (537K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/substack/id1581650857/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 359K | **537K** |
| Positive reviews | 44.1% of reviews | **72.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #26 | **#5** |
| Size | 110 MB | 223 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [The Associated Press](https://appshunter.io/developer/284901419) | [Substack, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1581650859) |

## What reviewers say

### AP News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ap-news/id364677107)

**Currently charting:** #26 Top Free · News (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** Breaking news updates, Local news coverage, Personalized news feed, Customized news alerts, In-depth content hubs, Award-winning photos and videos

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Unbiased and factual reporting
- 📰 Comprehensive news coverage
- ⚖️ Balanced and objective journalism

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🔍 Difficulty finding specific articles
- 🔄 Resets to top of feed after reading articles
- 🔌 Interrupts background audio playback

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and inability to reset password
- Topics list not saving user preferences
- Inconsistent behavior when opening from notifications

**Requested features**

- Customizable notification settings
- Ability to save article reading progress
- Option to increase text size for readability
- Dark mode for better low-light viewing


### Substack

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

**Currently charting:** #5 Top Free · News, #17 Top Grossing · News, #189 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 AP News free?

AP News 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, AP News or Substack?

Substack is rated higher. AP News averages 4.6 out of 5 from 359K ratings, while Substack averages 4.9 from 537K ratings.

### Do AP News or Substack have ads?

AP News shows ads; Substack does not.

### Which is updated more often, AP News or Substack?

AP News ships an update every 2 weeks, and Substack weekly. Most recently, AP News was updated on September 25, 2026 and Substack on September 25, 2026.

### Which is more popular, AP News or Substack?

AP News currently peaks at #26 in the App Store charts, and Substack at #5. 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.*