Substack Downloads & RevenueSubstack · App Store & Google Play
Substack gets 50k+ downloads a day worldwide (AppInsider estimate, November 2026, rounded down to a band).
Substack by Substack, Inc. is on App Store and Google Play. Active Users (MAU & DAU), Downloads, rankings, keywords, revenue, and rating totals.
Full timeline · 85 events
- ✏️Substack added hidden keywords: creatorsiOSwords in the App Store's hidden keyword field (found by probing search)
- 🌟Substack featured by AppleiOStoday · AU, CA, DE, ES, FR, GB, IN, IT, NL, PL, RU, SE, US
- 🌟Substack featured by AppleiOSapps · AU, CA, IN, PL, RU, US
- 🌟Substack featured by AppleiOSapps · AU, CA, IN, PL, RU, US
- ✏️Substack: new iPad screenshotsiOS· US, SE, CA
- ✏️Substack: new screenshotsiOS7 screenshots (was 7) · US, SE, CA
- 📦Substack updated to version 3.23.3iOSBug fixes
- ✏️Substack: new iPad screenshotsiOS· 14 countries
- ✏️Substack: new screenshotsiOS7 screenshots (was 7) · 14 countries
- 🌟Substack featured by AppleiOSapps · AU, CA, IN, PL, RU, US
- 📦Substack updated to version 3.23.1iOSBug fixes
- ✏️Substack: new iPad screenshotsiOS· NL
- ✏️Substack: new screenshotsiOS7 screenshots (was 7) · NL
- 🌟Substack featured by AppleiOSapps · AU, CA, IN, PL, RU, US
- ✏️Substack: new iPad screenshotsiOS· 16 countries
- ✏️Substack: new screenshotsiOS7 screenshots (was 7) · 16 countries
- 🌟Substack featured by AppleiOSapps · AU, CA, IN, PL, RU, US
- 📦Substack updated to version 3.23.0iOSBug fixes and other improvements
- ✏️Substack added hidden keywords: conversationsiOSwords in the App Store's hidden keyword field (found by probing search)
- 🌟Substack featured by AppleiOSapps · AU, CA, IN, PL, RU, US
- 📦Substack updated to version 3.12.0AndroidFixes and improvements.
- 🌟Substack featured by AppleiOSapps · AU, CA, IN, PL, RU, US
- 📈Substack hit #1iOSTop Free · News · IN
- 📈Substack entered the top 10AndroidTop Grossing · News & Magazines · IT
- ✏️Substack added hidden keywords: videosiOSwords in the App Store's hidden keyword field (found by probing search)
- 🌟Substack featured by AppleiOSapps · AU, CA, IN, PL, RU, US
- ✏️Substack added hidden keywords: storyteliOSwords in the App Store's hidden keyword field (found by probing search)
- ✏️Substack added hidden keywords: coverageiOSwords in the App Store's hidden keyword field (found by probing search)
- 📦Substack updated to version 3.22.1iOSBug fixes
- ✏️Substack added hidden keywords: coverage, independentiOSwords in the App Store's hidden keyword field (found by probing search)
- 📦Substack updated to version 3.11.1AndroidNo release notes
- 📈Substack entered the top 10AndroidTop Free · News & Magazines · IN
- 📦Substack updated to version 3.22.0iOSBug fixes and performance improvements.
- 📦Substack updated to version 3.11.0AndroidFixes and improvements.
- ✏️Substack added hidden keywords: coverage, independentiOSwords in the App Store's hidden keyword field (found by probing search)
- 🎉Substack in-app event: Election Night on SubstackiOSSPECIAL EVENT · until 7 Nov
- 📈Substack entered the top 10AndroidTop Grossing · News & Magazines · TR
- 📈Substack entered the top 10AndroidTop Grossing · News & Magazines · NL
- 📈Substack entered the top 10 in 4 chartsAndroidTop Grossing · News & Magazines · AE · Top Grossing · News & Magazines · MX · Top Grossing · News & Magazines · SA · Top Grossing · News & Magazines · VN
- 📈Substack entered the top 10 in 3 chartsAndroidTop Grossing · News & Magazines · ID · Top Grossing · News & Magazines · IN · Top Grossing · News & Magazines · TH
- 📈Substack entered the top 10iOSTop Grossing · News · US
- 📦Substack updated to version 3.10.1AndroidNo release notes
- 📦Substack updated to version 3.21.0iOSBug fixes and performance improvements.
- 📈Substack entered the top 10AndroidTop Grossing · News & Magazines · US
- ✏️Substack added hidden keywords: subscribersiOSwords in the App Store's hidden keyword field (found by probing search)
- ✏️Substack: keywords changediOS· CA
- 📈Substack entered the top 10AndroidTop Free · News & Magazines · TH
- 📈Substack entered the top 100 in 7 chartsAndroidTop Grossing · News & Magazines · AE · Top Grossing · News & Magazines · ID · Top Grossing · News & Magazines · MX · Top Grossing · News & Magazines · NL · +3 more
- 📈Substack entered the top 100 in 3 chartsAndroidTop Grossing · News & Magazines · IN · Top Grossing · News & Magazines · TR · Top Grossing · News & Magazines · VN
- 📈Substack entered the top 10iOSTop Grossing · News · IN
- 📦Substack updated to version 3.9.0AndroidFixes and improvements.
- 📈Substack entered the top 10 in 2 chartsAndroidTop Free · News & Magazines · NL · Top Free · News & Magazines · SE
- 📈Substack charting in a new country in 2 chartsAndroidNetherlands · Sweden
- 📦Substack updated to version 3.20.0iOSBug fixes and performance improvements.
- 📦Substack: now updating weeklyiOS4 updates in 30 days, after a quiet two months
- 📈Substack entered the top 10 in 5 chartsAndroidTop Free · News & Magazines · ES · Top Free · News & Magazines · MX · Top Free · News & Magazines · TR · Top Free · News & Magazines · TW · +1 more
- 📈Substack charting in a new country in 6 chartsAndroidSpain · Mexico · Thailand · Turkey · +2 more
- 📈Substack entered the top 100AndroidTop Free · News & Magazines · TH
- ✏️Substack added hidden keywords: journalistsiOSwords in the App Store's hidden keyword field (found by probing search)
- 📦Substack: now updating weeklyAndroid4 updates in 30 days, after a quiet two months
- 📈Substack hit #1iOSTop Free · News · IT
- 📦Substack updated to version 3.19.0iOSBug fixes and performance improvements.
- 📈Substack entered the top 10iOSTop Grossing · News · DE
- 📦Substack updated to version 3.8.0AndroidFixes and improvements.
- ✏️Substack added hidden keywords: subscribing, readingiOSwords in the App Store's hidden keyword field (found by probing search)
- ✏️Substack added hidden keywords: biggestiOSwords in the App Store's hidden keyword field (found by probing search)
- 🌟Substack featured by AppleiOSapps · AU, IN, US
- 🌟Substack featured by AppleiOSapps · AU, IN, US
- 📦Substack updated to version 3.18.0iOSBug fixes and other improvements
- 📦Substack updated to version 3.7.2AndroidFixes and improvements.
- 🌟Substack featured by AppleiOSapps · AU, IN, US
- ✏️Substack added hidden keywords: actual, subscribingiOSwords in the App Store's hidden keyword field (found by probing search)
- 🌟Substack featured by AppleiOSapps · AU, IN, US
- 🌟Substack featured by AppleiOSapps · AU, IN, US
- 📦Substack updated to version 3.7.1AndroidNo release notes
- 📈Substack entered the top 10AndroidTop Free · News & Magazines · DE
- 🌟Substack featured by AppleiOSapps · AU, IN, US
- 🆕Substack first spotted by AppInsiderAndroidIndonesia
- 📈Substack new best rank in the overall chart: #158AndroidTop Free · All Apps · ID
- 🆕Substack first spotted by AppInsideriOS#10 in Top Free · News · Japan
- 🌟Substack featured by AppleiOSapps · AU, IN, US
- 📦Substack version 3.17.0iOSNo release notes
- 📦Substack version 3.6.0AndroidNo release notes
- 🆕Substack released on Google PlayAndroid
- 🆕Substack released on the App StoreiOS
Collected from the stores by AppInsider since we first spotted the app. Dates are when we saw each change.
News GrossingSubstack at a glance
AI summary written from our chart and store data, 2026-11-08. It can be wrong: check the numbers above.
Substack is a creator-focused media platform that enables users to subscribe to newsletters, podcasts, and video content from independent writers and artists. The app holds top-three positions in News categories across major markets including Canada, the UK, Germany, and Australia, indicating strong global traction for its subscription-based model.
Similar apps: Medium, Patreon, Spotify
App Store
App details
App privacy Measured
Substack’s App Store privacy label declares 0 data categories used to track you across other companies’ apps and websites, 5 linked to your identity and 1 collected anonymously.
As declared by the developer on the App Store — Apple requires every app to publish this label. We track changes over time.
Google Play
App details
Tech stack
Trackers and permissions of build v3.10.1, from the εxodus privacy report (CC BY-SA).
Substack downloads & installs
Both stores, worldwide. Bands are open; exact numbers are free with an account.
| Store | Downloads / day | Lifetime installs |
|---|---|---|
| App Store | 50k+ | 50M+ |
| Google Play | 10k+ | 10M+ Measured |
| Total | 50k+ Confidence | 50M+ Confidence |
How this is calculated
Where Substack's downloads come from Modelled
Last 30 days: organic search, browsing the store, features and paid ads.
Active users
All platforms, worldwide. Free with an account.
Retention · share of new users still active
Time spent · per daily user
How this is calculated
In-app revenue
Worldwide, what users spend before Apple and Google take their fee.
| Store | Per day | Per month | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| App Store | |||
| Google Play | |||
| Total | Confidence | 100% |
Business model: Subscription-led
How Substack makes money: subscriptions, one-off purchases and ads.
Top in-app purchases · App Store US, most popular first
| 1 | What To Cook (Monthly) subscription | |
| 2 | Noahpinion (Monthly) subscription | |
| 3 | Hung Up (Monthly) subscription | |
| 4 | Slow Boring (Monthly) subscription | |
| 5 | The Dworkin Report (Monthly) subscription | |
| 6 | House Inhabit (Monthly) subscription | |
| 7 | Isolation Journals (Monthly) subscription | |
| 8 | The Message Box (Monthly) subscription | |
| 9 | Monthly subscription | |
| 10 | Meidas+ (Monthly) subscription |
Hidden keywords
Substack shows up in App Store search (US) for 3 words that appear nowhere in its name, subtitle or developer name, so they are almost certainly in its private keyword field, and it ranks in the top 10 for at least one of them.
Where it ranks now
Both stores, across every country we track.
| Store | Best rank | Charting in | US Top Free | US Top Grossing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| App Store | #2 News Grossing | 17 of 30 countries | #4 | #14 |
| Google Play | #2 News & Magazines Free | 23 of 23 countries | #5 | #4 |
Full chart lists: App Store · Google Play.
Review momentum
ⓘ How we measure thisNew ratings by country (12)
| Country | New ratings a week | Share | Last 2 weeks vs the 2 before |
|---|---|---|---|
 United States | 4,336 | 62% | steady |
| United Kingdom | 526 | 7% | ▼ -6% |
| Canada | 349 | 5% | steady |
 Indonesia | 297 | 4% | ▼ -38% |
 India | 284 | 4% | ▲ +8% |
 Brazil | 260 | 4% | ▲ +22% |
 Philippines | 251 | 4% | – |
 Australia | 198 | 3% | steady |
 Italy | 167 | 2% | steady |
 France | 135 | 2% | steady |
 Germany | 124 | 2% | ▼ -5% |
 Saudi Arabia | 103 | 1% | steady |
App Store ratings in the countries we track, 4-week average.
Review momentum (0-100) blends how fast the app collects ratings compared with other apps in its category (60%), whether that pace is speeding up (25%) and what recent raters give it (15%; recent stars well below lifetime pull it down). Ratings counts are read daily. A jump usually means a launch, a feature, ads or a new review prompt.
Ratings
Both stores. Store data, measured.
| Store | Rating | Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| App Store | 4.9 ★ | 566k |
| Google Play | 4.8 ★ | 348k 12k written reviews |
| Both stores | 4.9 ★ weighted by ratings | 914k |
What users say about Substack
From the 200 most recent App Store reviews in the US.
Users highly value Substack for independent journalism and writer autonomy, often praising the content quality over mainstream media. However, significant dissatisfaction exists regarding app stability, aggressive notification spam, and mandatory phone number verification for basic features.
Mostly positive (84% of recent reviews give 4–5 stars). People like it for being fun, and its features and content. The main complaints are about price and subscriptions, and login and account problems.
What people like
- Fun: “5 star enjoying Substack review”
- Features & content: “Great platform for thoughtful content”
- Price & subscription: “I had thousands of subscribers before”
- Design: “Ui is sleek which is nice”
Common complaints
- Price & subscription: “This is getting ridiculous with everyone charging for content”
- Login & account: “Because I guess he got banned since August of this year”
- Features & content: “Fraudulent billing from content providers”
- Crashes & bugs: “Bug caused paid newsletters to stop delivering”
About Substack
- Support the creators you love: Subscribe for free or upgrade to view original work and connect directly with your favorite writers, artists, and podcasters.
- Enjoy ad-free videos and podcasts: Access short-form clips, video episodes, and read-aloud articles without interruptions.
- Connect in real time: Join livestreams and live group chats, where top creators bring their biggest supporters into their world.
- Explore independent ideas: Discover bold opinions and engaging views across food, sports, politics, fashion, comedy, finance, and more.
How it works:
1. Download the Substack app.
2. Claim your handle.
3. Explore the feed to enjoy notes, videos, and clips from creators.
4. Subscribe to your favorites for free, tune into their livestreams and join private group chats.
Substack App Store
Substack gets 50k+ downloads a day worldwide (AppInsider estimate, November 2026, rounded down to a band).
Substack is #4 in News Free in United States and charting in 17 of 30 countries we track.
Updated 8 Nov 2026 · rankings refresh through the day
24 Sep 2026 News FreeSubstack at a glance
AI summary written from our chart and store data, 2026-11-08. It can be wrong: check the numbers above.
Substack is a creator-focused media platform that enables users to subscribe to newsletters, podcasts, and video content from independent writers and artists. The app holds top-three positions in News categories across major markets including Canada, the UK, Germany, and Australia, indicating strong global traction for its subscription-based model.
Similar apps: Medium, Patreon, Spotify
Substack on the App Store
App details
App privacy Measured
Substack’s App Store privacy label declares 0 data categories used to track you across other companies’ apps and websites, 5 linked to your identity and 1 collected anonymously.
As declared by the developer on the App Store — Apple requires every app to publish this label. We track changes over time.
Substack downloads
Worldwide, per day, and installs to date. The band is open; the exact number is free with an account.
How this is calculated
Where Substack's downloads come from Modelled
Last 30 days: organic search, browsing the store, features and paid ads.
Active users
All platforms, worldwide. Free with an account.
Retention · share of new users still active
Time spent · per daily user
How this is calculated
In-app revenue
Worldwide, what users spend in Substack before Apple and Google take their fee.
How this is calculated
Business model: Subscription-led
How Substack makes money: subscriptions, one-off purchases and ads.
Top in-app purchases · App Store US, most popular first
| 1 | What To Cook (Monthly) subscription | |
| 2 | Noahpinion (Monthly) subscription | |
| 3 | Hung Up (Monthly) subscription | |
| 4 | Slow Boring (Monthly) subscription | |
| 5 | The Dworkin Report (Monthly) subscription | |
| 6 | House Inhabit (Monthly) subscription | |
| 7 | Isolation Journals (Monthly) subscription | |
| 8 | The Message Box (Monthly) subscription | |
| 9 | Monthly subscription | |
| 10 | Meidas+ (Monthly) subscription |
Hidden keywords
Substack shows up in App Store search (US) for 3 words that appear nowhere in its name, subtitle or developer name, so they are almost certainly in its private keyword field, and it ranks in the top 10 for at least one of them.
Where it ranks now
Every top chart it appears in across 30 countries.
| Country | Charts | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| United States | NewsFree | #4 |
| United Kingdom | NewsGrossingNewsFree | #3 |
| Germany | NewsFree | #3 |
| Canada | NewsGrossing | #2 |
| Brazil | NewsGrossing | #2 |
| United States | NewsGrossing | #14 |
| France | NewsFree | #3 |
| Australia | NewsGrossingNewsFree | #3 |
| Canada | NewsFree | #3 |
| India | NewsFree | #3 |
| Indonesia | NewsFree | #2 |
| Japan | NewsGrossing | #14 |
| Brazil | NewsFree | #4 |
| Japan | NewsFree | #15 |
| Italy | NewsFree | #4 |
| Germany | NewsGrossing | #11 |
| Italy | NewsGrossing | #5 |
 South Korea | NewsFree | #9 |
| Saudi Arabia | NewsFree | #4 |
| France | NewsGrossing | #13 |
 Russia | NewsFree | #7 |
| United States | All AppsFree | #154 |
 United Arab Emirates | NewsFree | #4 |
| India | NewsGrossing | #25 |
| United Kingdom | All AppsFree | #179 |
| Canada | All AppsFree | #128 |
| Australia | All AppsFree | #141 |
| United Arab Emirates | NewsGrossing | #95 |
 Sweden | All AppsFree | #195 |
 South Africa | All AppsFree | #193 |
Apps near Substack on the chart
News Free, around #4.
Ratings
App Store, worldwide.
Review momentum
ⓘ How we measure thisNew ratings by country (12)
| Country | New ratings a week | Share | Last 2 weeks vs the 2 before |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 4,336 | 62% | steady |
| United Kingdom | 526 | 7% | ▼ -6% |
| Canada | 349 | 5% | steady |
| Indonesia | 297 | 4% | ▼ -38% |
| India | 284 | 4% | ▲ +8% |
| Brazil | 260 | 4% | ▲ +22% |
| Philippines | 251 | 4% | – |
| Australia | 198 | 3% | steady |
| Italy | 167 | 2% | steady |
| France | 135 | 2% | steady |
| Germany | 124 | 2% | ▼ -5% |
| Saudi Arabia | 103 | 1% | steady |
App Store ratings in the countries we track, 4-week average.
Review momentum (0-100) blends how fast the app collects ratings compared with other apps in its category (60%), whether that pace is speeding up (25%) and what recent raters give it (15%; recent stars well below lifetime pull it down). Ratings counts are read daily. A jump usually means a launch, a feature, ads or a new review prompt.
What users say about Substack
From the 200 most recent App Store reviews in the US.
Users highly value Substack for independent journalism and writer autonomy, often praising the content quality over mainstream media. However, significant dissatisfaction exists regarding app stability, aggressive notification spam, and mandatory phone number verification for basic features.
Mostly positive (84% of recent reviews give 4–5 stars). People like it for being fun, and its features and content. The main complaints are about price and subscriptions, and login and account problems.
What people like
- Fun: “5 star enjoying Substack review”
- Features & content: “Great platform for thoughtful content”
- Price & subscription: “I had thousands of subscribers before”
- Design: “Ui is sleek which is nice”
Common complaints
- Price & subscription: “This is getting ridiculous with everyone charging for content”
- Login & account: “Because I guess he got banned since August of this year”
- Features & content: “Fraudulent billing from content providers”
- Crashes & bugs: “Bug caused paid newsletters to stop delivering”
About Substack
- Support the creators you love: Subscribe for free or upgrade to view original work and connect directly with your favorite writers, artists, and podcasters.
- Enjoy ad-free videos and podcasts: Access short-form clips, video episodes, and read-aloud articles without interruptions.
- Connect in real time: Join livestreams and live group chats, where top creators bring their biggest supporters into their world.
- Explore independent ideas: Discover bold opinions and engaging views across food, sports, politics, fashion, comedy, finance, and more.
How it works:
1. Download the Substack app.
2. Claim your handle.
3. Explore the feed to enjoy notes, videos, and clips from creators.
4. Subscribe to your favorites for free, tune into their livestreams and join private group chats.
Latest updates
Store changes
What Substack changed on its store page: name, icon, screenshots, price, size, languages, requirements.
Substack Android
Substack gets 50k+ downloads a day worldwide (AppInsider estimate, November 2026, rounded down to a band).
Substack is #4 in News & Magazines Grossing on Google Play in United States and charting in 23 of 23 countries we track.
Updated 8 Nov 2026 · rankings refresh through the day
News & Magazines GrossingSubstack at a glance
AI summary written from our chart and store data, 2026-11-08. It can be wrong: check the numbers above.
Substack is a free media platform for readers to subscribe to independent writers, artists, and podcasters, offering ad-free content, livestreams, and community chats. The app holds strong top-5 positions in the News & Magazines category across major markets including the UAE, Brazil, Canada, UK, Indonesia, Italy, Thailand, Australia, Spain, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, and Sweden.
Similar apps: Medium, Patreon, Apple News
Substack on Google Play
App details
Tech stack
Trackers and permissions of build v3.10.1, from the εxodus privacy report (CC BY-SA).
Substack downloads
Worldwide, per day, and installs to date. The band is open; the exact number is free with an account.
How this is calculated
Where Substack's downloads come from Modelled
Last 30 days: organic search, browsing the store, features and paid ads.
Active users
All platforms, worldwide. Free with an account.
Retention · share of new users still active
Time spent · per daily user
How this is calculated
In-app revenue
Worldwide, what users spend in Substack before Apple and Google take their fee.
How this is calculated
Business model: Subscription-led
How Substack makes money: subscriptions, one-off purchases and ads.
Top in-app purchases · App Store US, most popular first
| 1 | What To Cook (Monthly) subscription | |
| 2 | Noahpinion (Monthly) subscription | |
| 3 | Hung Up (Monthly) subscription | |
| 4 | Slow Boring (Monthly) subscription | |
| 5 | The Dworkin Report (Monthly) subscription | |
| 6 | House Inhabit (Monthly) subscription | |
| 7 | Isolation Journals (Monthly) subscription | |
| 8 | The Message Box (Monthly) subscription | |
| 9 | Monthly subscription | |
| 10 | Meidas+ (Monthly) subscription |
Where it ranks on Google Play
Every top 200 chart it appears in across 23 countries.
Spain
Thailand
Mexico
Taiwan
Turkey
VietnamApps near Substack on the chart
News & Magazines Grossing, around #4.
Ratings
Google Play, worldwide.
Review momentum
ⓘ How we measure thisReview momentum (0-100) blends how fast the app collects ratings compared with other apps in its category (60%), whether that pace is speeding up (25%) and what recent raters give it (15%; recent stars well below lifetime pull it down). Ratings counts are read daily. A jump usually means a launch, a feature, ads or a new review prompt.
What users say about Substack
From the 200 most recent Google Play reviews in the US.
Users generally praise Substack for its high-quality writing and educational value, often viewing it as a superior alternative to social media. However, significant complaints arise regarding aggressive email notifications, technical bugs in the mobile app, and restrictive payment or account suspension policies.
Mostly positive (93% of recent reviews give 4–5 stars). People like it for its design, and being fun. The main complaints are about price and subscriptions, and login and account problems.
What people like
- Design: “beautiful and deep - as all the poems of 'the Mystic' and balm to my soul”
- Fun: “So far so good, enjoying it”
- Useful: “It is very enlightening app and very useful”
- Features & content: “can you add more payment options to monitize”
Common complaints
- Price & subscription: “need to subscribe to read it”
- Login & account: “> no, need to verify my phone number > cmon”
- Connection & sync: “your listening history does not sync across devices”
About Substack
+ Support the creators you love: Subscribe for free or upgrade to view original work and connect directly with your favorite writers, artists, and podcasters.
+ Enjoy ad-free videos and podcasts: Access short-form clips, video episodes, and read-aloud articles without interruptions.
+ Connect in real time: Join livestreams and live group chats, where top creators bring their biggest supporters into their world.
+ Explore independent ideas: Discover bold opinions and engaging views across food, sports, politics, fashion, comedy, finance, and more.
How it works:
1. Download the Substack app.
2. Claim your handle.
3. Explore the feed to enjoy notes, videos, and clips from creators.
4. Subscribe to your favorites for free, tune into their livestreams and join private group chats.
What's new in 3.12.0
Similar apps
Apps people compare with Substack: the same core purpose or gameplay, checked one by one.
