News & Media · head to head
Apple News vs Substack
Apple News
News & Media
All the news you want. From sources you trust.
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Substack
News & Media
The newsletter platform for writers and publishers
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Apple News apple News+ costs $12.99 per month in USD after the first month, or is included only via the $39.95 per month USD Apple One Premier bundle; Substack substack takes a 10% cut of subscription revenue (writers keep 90%), plus separate credit card processing fees
- They diverge on capability: Apple News covers Curated news feed, Substack covers Newsletter publishing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Apple News and Substack actually diverge.
| Attribute | Apple News | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Ios, Macos | Web, Mobile |
| Founded | 1976 | 2017 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (News & Media).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Apple News
- Curated news feed
- Premium magazines
- Audio stories
- Personalization
- Offline reading
- iCloud
- Apple One bundle
- Siri
Only in Substack
- Newsletter publishing
- Subscriber management
- Paid subscriptions
- Email analytics
- Post scheduling
- Archive creation
- Free/paid tier split
- Comments & discussion
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Apple News
- Daily news readingnot Substack
- Magazine subscriptionnot Substack
- News discoverynot Substack
- Staying informednot Substack
Substack
- Newsletter distributionnot Apple News
- Reader monetizationnot Apple News
- Community buildingnot Apple News
- Subscriber managementnot Apple News
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Apple News
- Apple News+ costs $12.99 per month in USD after the first month, or is included only via the $39.95 per month USD Apple One Premier bundle
Substack
- Substack takes a 10% cut of subscription revenue (writers keep 90%), plus separate credit card processing fees
Pricing, plan by plan
Apple News
Free- Apple NewsFree
- Free news articles
- Personalized feed
- Topic following
- Apple News+$12.99/month
- Premium magazines
- Major newspapers
- Audio stories
Substack
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited newsletters
- Basic design
- Archive access
- Pro$12/month
- Custom domain
- Advanced analytics
- Member chat
Which should you pick?
Choose Apple News if
- You need curated news feed.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Ios, Macos.
- You also want premium magazines.
Choose Substack if
- You need newsletter publishing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile.
- You also want subscriber management.
Questions people ask
- Is Apple News or Substack better?
- Neither clearly leads. Apple News starts at Free and Substack at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Apple News or Substack?
- Apple News starts at Free and Substack at Free.
- Does Apple News or Substack run on more platforms?
- Apple News runs on Ios, Macos. Substack runs on Web, Mobile.
- Can I use Apple News for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Apple News best used for?
- Apple News is most often used for daily news reading, magazine subscription, news discovery, staying informed. Of those, daily news reading and magazine subscription are not what Substack is typically brought in for.
- What can Apple News do that Substack cannot?
- Apple News covers Curated news feed, Premium magazines, Audio stories, Personalization. Substack covers Newsletter publishing, Subscriber management, Paid subscriptions, Email analytics.