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Best Substack Notes Apps

211+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.6 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated May 2026

Substack is the household name in substack notes, but it's far from the only option. We track 211+ alternatives and competitors on iOS — many free, many higher-rated than you'd expect.

Top Picks for Substack Notes

Substack#1

Substack by Substack Inc.

Videos, writing & podcasts
Editor's Choice
📡 News
4.9😐(717 ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
#4in News
Substack screenshot 1
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Discover and discuss world-class writing, join great discussions, and access all your subscriptions in one place with this app. Engage in subscriber-only chats with your favorite writers like George Saunders, Nate Silver, and more. Explore a variety of topics from news and politics to culture and tech. Join in the conversation!

What We Love

  • 🚀 Stable and functional app
  • 🚀 Intuitive and easy to use
  • 👍 Variety of great content
  • 👍 Supports independent writers

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and glitchy
  • 🐛 Difficult to manage subscriptions
  • 🐛 Inconsistent user experience between app and website
TED Talks: Watch and Learn#2

TED Talks: Watch and Learn by TED Conferences LLC

Inspiring ideas on the go
Strong Contender
📚 Education
4.6😐(10K ratings)
FreeAds
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Get personalized video recommendations based on your interests, browse a vast library of inspiring talks, stream to Apple TV, download for offline viewing, toggle dark/light modes, and more with this innovative app. Stay curious, informed, and inspired - download now!

What We Love

  • 🚀 Great content
  • 👍 Inspiring and thought-provoking
  • 📚 Variety of topics
  • 🎧 Convenient for listening on the go

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and unstable
  • 🔍 Poor search functionality
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
Medium: Read & Write Stories#3

Medium: Read & Write Stories by A Medium Corporation

News, Tech, Business, Design
Worth Considering
📡 News
4.8😊(156K ratings)
FreeAdsIn-App Purchases
#14in News
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Discover a platform where you can explore a wide range of articles, writers, and topics. Dive into thought-provoking content, connect with a community of readers and writers, and share your own stories. Join now to start exploring and engaging with diverse ideas and perspectives.

What We Love

  • 📚 Excellent content and writing quality
  • 🌐 Wide variety of topics and perspectives
  • 🧠 Thought-provoking and informative articles
  • 🤓 Useful for learning and personal growth

Room to Improve

  • 🔒 Paywall limits access to content
  • 📥 Difficulty finding and accessing past articles
  • 🔍 Lack of effective search and filtering options

More Substack Notes apps to explore

4
Flipboard: The Social Magazine
Flipboard: The Social Magazine
Flipboard: The Social Magazine
Stories curated by enthusiasts
Free

Discover and dive deeper into curated stories on various topics with Flipboard. Personalize your feed, create your own magazine, and stay connected with enthusiasts while staying up-to-date with leading publishers. Get Flipboard in your inbox for tailored newsletters or follow their social platforms for updates and tips.

📡 News
(328K)
5
Standard Notes
Standard Notes
Standard Notes
End-to-end encrypted notes
Free

A secure notes app that offers end-to-end encryption for your personal and work notes across all devices. Write, sync, and access your notes with peace of mind.

📊 Productivity
(3.6K)
6
Obsidian - Connected Notes
Obsidian - Connected Notes
Obsidian - Connected Notes
Your second brain on the go
Free

Access your second brain on-the-go with this powerful knowledge base app that organizes plain text Markdown files in a local folder. Enjoy features like customizable toolbar, quick actions, graph view, community plugins, themes, and iCloud vaults.

📊 Productivity
(2.4K)
7
Notes ⁺
Notes ⁺
Notes ⁺
Simple Notebook Journal Diary
Free
📊 Productivity
(3.1K)
8
Ulysses: Writing App
Ulysses: Writing App
Ulysses: Writing App
Write a novel, story, book
Free

A versatile writing application for Mac, iPhone, and iPad, offering a focused writing experience, document management, sync, and export options. Trusted by writers of all kinds and recognized with the Apple Design Award in 2016. Start writing your novel or story today!

📊 Productivity
(2K)
9
NeatNotes : Notes and lists
NeatNotes : Notes and lists
NeatNotes : Notes and lists
notepad, stickies, reminders
Free
$9.99 | 100% OFF

A note-taking app that lets you quickly organize and take notes with various styles, reminders, and photos, and automatically groups similar notes together, with no account needed and seamless iCloud syncing. Try it out and start creating your own note stacks today!

📊 Productivity
(28)
10
Tiny Notes
Tiny Notes
Tiny Notes
Private Notes & Password Vault
Free

This application securely stores sensitive notes and passwords, protecting them with a master password and optional biometric unlocking, and offers features like easy setup, unlimited note storage, and sharing options. Download now to safeguard your private information with a simple and intuitive note-taking app.

🔧 Utilities
(298)
11
Newsletter Reader by Meco
Newsletter Reader by Meco
Newsletter Reader by Meco
An inbox designed for reading
Free

"Transform your newsletter-reading experience with Meco, a dedicated inbox for newsletters. Simplify your inbox clutter by adding existing newsletters to Meco from Gmail or Outlook, or use a personalized Meco email address for a separate newsletter space. Enjoy features like highlighting and tagging to enhance your reading experience."

📰 Magazines & Newspapers
(578)
12
Library Notes
Library Notes
Library Notes
Keep notes about your books
Free

This free iOS app helps book lovers take notes about the books they read and own their data, with features inspired by Commonplace Books. It also includes a review mode that prompts users with quotes, questions, and other material to refresh their memory and make the most of their reading experience.

📚 Books
(4)
13
The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker
News, Culture, Audio, Humor
Free

Access top stories, articles, fiction, and humor from renowned writers globally with The New Yorker app. Enjoy rich storytelling, listen to narrated stories, solve puzzles, and access a vast archive. Download for free, subscribe for unlimited content, and start a 7-day trial today!

📡 News
(7.9K)
14
Simple Notes.
Simple Notes.
Simple Notes.
Simple & easy note taking app.
Free

This simple note-taking app allows users to create, share, and organize text notes with ease, featuring character count, sorting, and widget support. With a straightforward interface, users can create, edit, and delete notes, as well as share them instantly via messaging apps, and provide feedback to help improve the app.

📊 Productivity
(47)
15
Headway - Daily Micro Learning
Headway - Daily Micro Learning
Headway - Daily Micro Learning
Shorts・Book Summaries・Roleplay
Free

Get daily book summaries for quick and easy learning. Upgrade your knowledge daily with concise summaries of popular books in various genres. Start your microlearning journey now!

📚 Education
(116K)
16
Google ニュース
Google ニュース
Google ニュース
Top world & local news stories
Free

Stay informed with the latest news from around the world, personalized to your interests. Get real-time updates on diverse topics and breaking news stories. Download now for free.

📡 News
(2K)
17
Supernotes – Notes & Journal
Supernotes – Notes & Journal
Supernotes – Notes & Journal
Shareable Markdown Cards
Free

A versatile note-taking app designed for organizing thoughts, collaborating with others, and staying productive. Revolutionize your workflow with intuitive features tailored for seamless note creation and sharing. Experience productivity like never before – try it out now!

📊 Productivity
(112)
18
notetime: Timeline Dated Notes
notetime: Timeline Dated Notes
notetime: Timeline Dated Notes
notes with automatic timestamp
Free
📊 Productivity
(7)
19
Deepstash: Smarter Every Day!
Deepstash: Smarter Every Day!
Deepstash: Smarter Every Day!
Bite-sized Knowledge & Books
Free

Deepstash is a knowledge application that delivers bite-sized insights and lessons to help you learn something new every day. Start your journey to smarter living today!

📚 Education
(48K)
20
Academia.edu
Academia.edu
Academia.edu
Accelerating research
Free

Access the world's largest open access library on the go with our mobile app. Discover, read, and save new research, connect with scholars, and stay updated on the latest developments in your field. Join millions of researchers worldwide - start exploring today!

📚 Education
(16K)

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