News & Media · head to head
Microsoft Start vs Artifact
Microsoft Start
News & Media
Your personalized news feed powered by Microsoft
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Microsoft Start microsoft Start (MSN) is a free, ad-supported consumer news aggregator with no subscription tier or enterprise procurement listing anywhere on its own site (msn.com).; Artifact wound down in early April 2024. Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger closed it, saying the market opportunity was not large enough to keep investing
- They diverge on capability: Microsoft Start covers Personalized news, Artifact covers AI recommendations.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft Start and Artifact actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft Start | Artifact |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android, Windows | Ios, Android |
| Founded | 1975 | 2022 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (free), 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 Microsoft Start
- Personalized news
- Weather updates
- Sports scores
- Finance news
- Microsoft Edge
- Windows 11
- Microsoft Account
- Outlook
Only in Artifact
- AI recommendations
- Article summaries
- Clickbait detection
- Social sharing
- Social sharing
Both cover
- Topic following
- Ios support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Microsoft Start
- Daily newsnot Artifact
- Topic trackingnot Artifact
- Weather updatesnot Artifact
- Quick informationnot Artifact
Artifact
- News consumptionnot Microsoft Start
- Content discoverynot Microsoft Start
- Staying informednot Microsoft Start
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Microsoft Start
- Microsoft Start (MSN) is a free, ad-supported consumer news aggregator with no subscription tier or enterprise procurement listing anywhere on its own site (msn.com).
Artifact
- Wound down in early April 2024. Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger closed it, saying the market opportunity was not large enough to keep investing
- Yahoo acquired the personalisation technology and folded it into Yahoo News, so the app itself is not coming back
- The founders stayed only in an advisory capacity through the transition
Pricing, plan by plan
Microsoft Start
Free- FreeFree
- Personalized news feed
- Topic following
- Cross-device sync
Artifact
Free- FreeFree
- AI-powered recommendations
- Article summaries
- Social features
Which should you pick?
Choose Microsoft Start if
- You need personalized news.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows.
- You also want weather updates.
Choose Artifact if
- You need ai recommendations.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Ios, Android.
- You also want article summaries.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft Start or Artifact better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Start starts at Free and Artifact at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Microsoft Start or Artifact?
- Microsoft Start starts at Free and Artifact at Free.
- Does Microsoft Start or Artifact run on more platforms?
- Microsoft Start runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows. Artifact runs on Ios, Android.
- Can I use Microsoft Start for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Microsoft Start best used for?
- Microsoft Start is most often used for daily news, topic tracking, weather updates, quick information. Of those, daily news and topic tracking are not what Artifact is typically brought in for.
- What can Microsoft Start do that Artifact cannot?
- Microsoft Start covers Personalized news, Weather updates, Sports scores, Finance news. Artifact covers AI recommendations, Article summaries, Clickbait detection, Social sharing. Both handle Topic following, Ios support, Android support.