Reason vs The Free Press
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Reason
Access accurate and honest news, ideas, videos, and podcasts from a libertarian perspective. Personalize notifications and stream exclusive content, including documentaries and newsletters.
- Libertarian news and ideas
- Exclusive videos and documentaries
- Podcast streaming
- Personalized news notifications
- Newsletter access
- Reason Plus subscription for early magazine access
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The Reason app helps you stay on top of the news and better understand your world without all the tired left-wing or right-wing spin. You won’t find a better source for accurate and honest news, ideas, videos, and podcasts from a libertarian perspective. Turn on notifications and personalize your settings to get alerts about issues you care about. Stream new episodes of Reason podcasts: The Reason Roundtable, The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie, and The Soho Forum Debates. Click to listen to every article and build your own content playlist. Access Reason’s latest vertical videos. Watch Reason’s documentaries, video essays, and comedy videos, including Remy and Andrew Heaton. Browse Reason’s newsletters: Reason Roundup by Liz Wolfe, The Rattler by J.D. Tuccille, Free Media by Robby Soave, and more. Play Reason’s weekly crossword plus special puzzles when magazine issues publish online. Subscribe to Reason Plus for exclusive early access to new issues of Reason magazine on your phone, tablet, or computer. To join, visit reason.com/subscribe on any browser.
The Free Press
Access investigative journalism, provocative commentary, and in-depth analysis. Read articles, listen to podcasts, and watch video investigations. Stay informed with personalized notifications on topics and contributors you care about.
- Investigative stories and commentary
- Listen to articles and podcasts
- Watch video investigations and livestreams
- Browse topics and columnists
- Personalized notifications
- Connect with the community
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We publish investigative stories and provocative commentary about the world as it actually is—with the quality once expected from the legacy press, and the fearlessness of the new. For us, curiosity isn’t a liability. It’s a necessity. Read, watch, and listen to our journalism, and connect with the Free Press community using our app. Features: Read what matters: We publish stories and commentary about the world as it actually is. Listen to the latest: Listen to articles and podcasts including Honestly with Bari Weiss, Breaking History with Eli Lake, and more. Watch smarter: Watch our latest video investigations, livestreams, and more. Go deeper: Browse our topics and columnists, and find out about our next event. Follow the story: Get notifications on the subjects and contributors that matter most to you. Terms of Use: https://substack.com/tos
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Reason at none against The Free Press's 3. Reason also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 83%). The Free Press's advantage is ratings volume (15K vs 398) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price, rating, ads and chart position 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 Free Press sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month. Reason asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Reason against 4.9 for The Free Press. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Free Press has 15K ratings behind it against 398, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Reason's written reviews are positive against 83% of The Free Press's.
Reason ships an update every 3 months, The Free Press monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Reason | The Free Press |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (398 ratings) | 4.9 (15K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 82.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 398 | 15K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #171 | #75 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 32 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Reason | Runaway Media Inc. |
Customer experience
Reason
The Free Press
Bugs and requests
Reason
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
The Free Press
Reported bugs
2 issues- Sign-in not working
- Inability to access paid content despite subscription
Requested features
2 requests- Dark mode option
- Improved sign-in and subscription management
In-app purchases
Reason
No in-app purchases
The Free Press
- Monthly Subscription$11.991 Month
- Annual Subscription$119.991 Year
- Premium Subscription$359.991 Year









