# Reuters vs Substack

The clearest difference is ads: Substack at none against Reuters's shown. Substack also leads on review sentiment (73% vs 41%) and ratings volume (562K vs 9K). Reuters's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Reuters sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.00 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 — 4.8 for Reuters against 4.9 for Substack. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Substack has 562K ratings behind it against 9K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 41% of Reuters's written reviews are positive against 73% of Substack's.

Reuters ships an update every 2 weeks, Substack weekly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reuters | Substack |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reuters-breaking-world-news/id602660809/reviews) | **[4.9 (562K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/substack/id1581650857/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 9K | **562K** |
| Positive reviews | 41.2% of reviews | **72.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #18 | **#5** |
| Size | 89 MB | 236 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Thomson Reuters Enterprise Centre GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1762085817) | [Substack, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1581650859) |

## What reviewers say

### Reuters

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reuters-breaking-world-news/id602660809)

**Currently charting:** #18 Top Grossing · News, #30 Top Free · News (US App Store)

Access global news and market updates with a sleek, personalized experience. Customize your feed, save articles, and receive breaking alerts. Enjoy a rich media library of videos and podcasts.

**Highlights:** Personalized news feed, Breaking markets updates, Customizable push notifications, Rich media library (videos, podcasts), Sleek, intuitive interface, Save articles for later

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reuters Subscription | $4.00 | per month |
| Reuters Subscription | $45.00 | per year |


### Substack

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

**Currently charting:** #5 Top Free · News, #15 Top Grossing · News, #180 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 Reuters free?

Reuters is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Substack free?

Substack is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Reuters or Substack?

Substack is rated higher. Reuters averages 4.8 out of 5 from 9K ratings, while Substack averages 4.9 from 562K ratings.

### Do Reuters or Substack have ads?

Reuters shows ads; Substack does not.

### Which is updated more often, Reuters or Substack?

Reuters ships an update every 2 weeks, and Substack weekly. Most recently, Reuters was updated on November 1, 2026 and Substack on November 1, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Reuters or Substack?

Reuters currently peaks at #18 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.*