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Flipboard vs Microsoft Start

Flipboard logo

Flipboard

News

Your personal magazine for news and stories

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Microsoft Start logo

Microsoft Start

News

Your personalized news feed powered by Microsoft

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Flipboard no pricing information is published on the website; Microsoft Start no pricing information available
  • They diverge on capability: Flipboard covers Magazine-style layout, Microsoft Start covers Personalized news.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Flipboard and Microsoft Start actually diverge.

Attributes where Flipboard and Microsoft Start differ
AttributeFlipboardMicrosoft Start
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Windows
Founded20101975

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (News).

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 Flipboard

  • Magazine-style layout
  • Content curation
  • Topic discovery
  • Smart magazines
  • Social sharing
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Only in Microsoft Start

  • Personalized news
  • Topic following
  • Weather updates
  • Sports scores
  • Finance news
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Windows 11
  • Microsoft Account

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Flipboard

  • News consumptionnot Microsoft Start
  • Content discoverynot Microsoft Start
  • Magazine creationnot Microsoft Start
  • Social readingnot Microsoft Start

Microsoft Start

  • Daily newsnot Flipboard
  • Topic trackingnot Flipboard
  • Weather updatesnot Flipboard
  • Quick informationnot Flipboard

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Flipboard

  • No pricing information is published on the website

Microsoft Start

  • No pricing information available
  • Service appears to be consumer-facing rather than commercial product
  • No pricing model published

Pricing, plan by plan

Flipboard

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited reading
    • Personalized feeds
    • Magazine creation

Microsoft Start

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Personalized news feed
    • Topic following
    • Cross-device sync

Which should you pick?

Choose Flipboard if

  • You need magazine-style layout.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want content curation.
Flipboard review

Choose Microsoft Start if

  • You need personalized news.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows.
  • You also want topic following.
Microsoft Start review

Questions people ask

Is Flipboard or Microsoft Start better?
Neither clearly leads. Flipboard starts at Free and Microsoft Start at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Flipboard or Microsoft Start?
Flipboard starts at Free and Microsoft Start at Free.
Does Flipboard or Microsoft Start run on more platforms?
Flipboard runs on Web, Ios, Android. Microsoft Start runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows.
Can I use Flipboard for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Flipboard best used for?
Flipboard is most often used for news consumption, content discovery, magazine creation, social reading. Of those, news consumption and content discovery are not what Microsoft Start is typically brought in for.
What can Flipboard do that Microsoft Start cannot?
Flipboard covers Magazine-style layout, Content curation, Topic discovery, Smart magazines. Microsoft Start covers Personalized news, Topic following, Weather updates, Sports scores. Both handle Web support, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Flipboard: How much does Flipboard cost?

No pricing information is disclosed on Flipboard's website. The service provides options to sign up and log in, but the specific pricing model or whether the service is free or paid is not stated.

Source
Microsoft Start: How much does Microsoft Start (MSN) cost?

Microsoft Start (formerly MSN.com) is a free service with no subscription required. The platform provides news, weather, and personalized content at no cost to users.

Source
Flipboard: Is Flipboard free or paid?

Flipboard's pricing model is not disclosed on their public website. Users can access the platform by signing up or logging in, but costs and features associated with different tiers are not published.

Source
Microsoft Start: Does Microsoft Start offer any paid services or premium features?

Microsoft Start does not publish any paid tiers or premium features. The service is entirely free to access and use without any payment or subscription.

Source
Microsoft Start: Are there ads on Microsoft Start?

Microsoft Start provides personalized news and content free of charge. Any advertising present on the service helps support the free platform offering.

Source
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