# R2 vs SubStory

The clearest difference is rating: SubStory at 4.8 against R2's 4.0. SubStory also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 6 months). R2's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.4). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SubStory sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. R2 asks for nothing beyond the download.

SubStory holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of R2's written reviews are positive against 60% of SubStory's.

R2 ships an update every 6 months, SubStory weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | R2 | SubStory |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/r2-reddit-browser/id797118758/reviews) | **[4.8 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/substory-scroll-and-feed/id6747969403/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **8** |
| Positive reviews | 57.1% of reviews | **60.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 5 MB | 101 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [James Parrott](https://appshunter.io/developer/473523161) | [Titans of Industry](https://appshunter.io/developer/1776126736) |

## What reviewers say

### R2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/r2-reddit-browser/id797118758)

Experience Reddit with enhanced browsing features. Enjoy large image previews and faster GIF loading through cloud transcoding, optimizing data usage.

**Highlights:** Browse any subreddit, Large image previews, Faster GIF loading, Cloud transcoding for GIFs, Optimized data usage

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### SubStory

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/substory-scroll-and-feed/id6747969403)

Experience Reddit content in a fast, full-screen vertical feed. Swipe through memes, photos, and videos, and download your favorites for offline viewing. Enjoy a streamlined, ad-free browsing experience with optional premium features for enhanced privacy and auto-scrolling.

**Highlights:** Full-screen vertical feed, Offline media downloads, Auto-download media, Pin-code content protection, Auto-scroll for content, Gesture controls

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SubStory Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $8.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is R2 free?

R2 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SubStory free?

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

### Which has better reviews, R2 or SubStory?

SubStory is rated higher. R2 averages 4.0 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while SubStory averages 4.8 from 8 ratings.

### Do R2 or SubStory have ads?

Neither R2 nor SubStory shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, R2 or SubStory?

R2 ships an update every 6 months, and SubStory weekly. Most recently, R2 was updated on November 1, 2026 and SubStory on November 3, 2026.

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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.*