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