The Atlantic Magazine vs Substack
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Atlantic Magazine
Access in-depth reporting on politics, tech, and culture. Enjoy curated daily selections, narrated articles, and offline reading. Includes a daily crossword puzzle and accessibility features.
- Daily curated story selections
- Narrated articles and podcasts
- Offline reading capability
- Daily crossword puzzle
- Dark Mode reading
- VoiceOver and large text support
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Download The Atlantic’s app for complete coverage of politics, tech, culture, and more. Sharpen your perspective with reporting that examines the world with depth and accuracy. Challenge your assumptions with big ideas and bold arguments from Atlantic journalists. Spark your curiosity with magazine features that go deep into subjects you never considered before. And now, unlock unlimited access to all of our journalism, on any device, with an annual subscription. Atlantic App Features: TODAY: Every day, our editors bring you a selection of Atlantic stories that made them think—and think again. Exclusively on the app. LATEST: Quickly browse our most recently published stories from all sections, and save stories to read later. IN-APP AUDIO HUB: Enjoy narrated articles and podcasts directly from the app—from quick listens to deeper dives. OFFLINE READING: Download stories to read offline, wherever you are and whenever you want. UNLIMITED ACCESS: Read as many Atlantic articles as you’d like, in the app or on the web, with a monthly or annual subscription. BEAUTIFUL DESIGN: Enjoy a clean and quiet reading experience, available in Dark Mode for evening reading. THE ATLANTIC CROSSWORD: Now available in a dedicated section, our daily puzzle gets bigger and more challenging every day. ACCESSIBLE TO ALL READERS: Support for VoiceOver and large text sizes. Terms and conditions: https://www.theatlantic.com/terms-and-conditions/ If you have any questions, please contact The Atlantic’s Customer Care team at support@theatlantic.com or (855) 940-0585.
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 monetization model: Substack at free with in-app purchases against The Atlantic Magazine's subscription. Substack also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (72% vs 57%). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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. The Atlantic Magazine sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month and Substack sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for The Atlantic Magazine against 4.9 for Substack. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 137K and 537K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 57% of The Atlantic Magazine's written reviews are positive against 72% of Substack's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.
| Parameter | The Atlantic Magazine | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (137K ratings) | 4.9 (537K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 56.7% of reviews | 72.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 137K | 537K — better |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | #15 | #5 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 53 MB | 223 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | The Atlantic Monthly Group LLC | Substack, Inc. |
Customer experience
The Atlantic Magazine
Substack
User reviews
The Atlantic Magazine
From 137K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent journalism
- 🌟 High-quality writing
- 👍 Beautiful app design
- 🎨 Elegant dark mode
- 🔊 Useful audio features
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Lack of search functionality
- 🤔 Unintuitive navigation
- 📵 Excessive ads for subscribers
- 💾 Issues with offline access
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
The Atlantic Magazine
Reported bugs
5 issues- Repeated sign-in issues
- Inability to access saved articles
- Blank screens and loading problems
- Incompatibility with certain devices
- Unreliable issue downloading
Requested features
5 requests- Add comprehensive search function
- Improve sync between app and website
- Provide better reading progress tracking
- Allow sharing of articles within the app
- Introduce customizable content feeds
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
The Atlantic Magazine
- The Atlantic Magazine14 Days trial$8.991 Month
- The Atlantic Magazine14 Days trial$89.991 Year
- December 2010 Issue$4.99
- January 2011 Issue$4.99
- The Atlantic March 2011$4.99
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- The Atlantic April 2011$4.99
- The Atlantic May 2011$4.99
- The Atlantic June 20111$4.99
- The Atlantic July/August 2011$4.99
- The Atlantic Civil War Memorial Issue$8.99
Substack
- Hung Up (Monthly)$4.991 Month
- The Dworkin Report (Monthly)$4.991 Month
- Popular Information (Monthly)$5.991 Month
Show 15 moreShow fewer
- 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 The Atlantic Magazine free?
Is Substack free?
Which has better reviews, The Atlantic Magazine or Substack?
Do The Atlantic Magazine or Substack have ads?
Which is updated more often, The Atlantic Magazine or Substack?
Which is more popular, The Atlantic Magazine or Substack?
Other comparisons
