Apple News+ Subscription: What You Get, What It Costs and Free Alternatives
Apple News+ is worth it if you read magazines and want The Wall Street Journal and other paywalled newspapers in one app on Apple devices: $12.99 a month in the US, shareable with your family. It is not worth it if you mainly want daily headlines, which free apps cover, or if you use Android, where Apple News does not exist. For short news videos from vetted newsrooms, Aplomb is a free alternative.
Disclosure: we make Aplomb, one of the apps on this page. We apply the same criteria to it as to every other app, we don't rank it first by default, and we never give it a score. Read our editorial policy.
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What an Apple News+ Subscription Includes
Apple News is free and preinstalled on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Apple News+ is its paid tier. According to Apple, it adds:
- More than 500 publications: magazines, newspapers and digital publishers. Apple names The Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, the Houston Chronicle and the San Francisco Chronicle, and The Athletic and Sports Illustrated for sports.
- Puzzles: daily mini and full-size crosswords, with an archive of past games.
- Audio stories: narrated versions of selected articles, in the iPhone app and as a podcast.
- Offline reading: full magazine issues you can download.
- Family Sharing: one subscription for you and up to five other family members.
How Much Apple News+ Costs
| Option | Price (US) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apple News | Free | Preinstalled on Apple devices; free stories from many publishers |
| Apple News+ | $12.99 a month | One month free for new subscribers; three months free with an eligible new iPhone, iPad or Mac |
| Apple One Premier | $39.95 a month | Apple News+ bundled with other Apple services |
Is Apple News+ Worth It?
It is good value if you already read several magazines or want access to The Wall Street Journal and other paywalled papers in one place, and everyone in your household uses Apple devices. Family Sharing makes the monthly price easier to justify.
It is less useful if you mainly follow daily headlines, which free apps cover well, or if anyone in your home uses Android. Apple News also does not label the political lean or reliability of its publishers, so if bias matters to you, look at apps built around it, compared in the best unbiased news apps.
Free Apple News Alternatives, on iPhone and Android
- Google News: a free aggregator on iPhone, Android and the web, with Full Coverage of each story. Google News compared.
- Ground News: free to use, with bias ratings from three independent raters and paid plans on top. Ground News review.
- AllSides: free left, center and right headlines side by side.
- Aplomb: a free vertical feed of short videos from vetted newsrooms, coming to iPhone and Android. It is not a magazine reader and has no paywalled articles; the day's main stories come with a short AI summary drawn from the newsrooms' own articles.
The full list is in the best free news apps.
Want the news as short videos instead? Aplomb is free, coming to iPhone and Android.
More News App Comparisons
Apple News+ FAQ
How much is an Apple News+ subscription?
In the US, Apple News+ costs $12.99 a month after a one-month free trial for new subscribers. It is also part of Apple One Premier, which bundles Apple News+ with other Apple services for $39.95 a month.
What is Apple News Plus?
The paid tier of the Apple News app. It adds more than 500 magazines, newspapers and digital publishers, including The Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times, plus daily crosswords, narrated audio stories and offline magazine issues.
Can I share Apple News+ with my family?
Yes. Apple News+ includes Family Sharing, so you can share it with up to five other family members.
Is there an Apple News alternative for Android?
Apple News is only on Apple devices. On Android, Google News is the closest free aggregator, and Ground News, SmartNews and AllSides add bias information. Aplomb is coming to iPhone and Android. See the best news apps for Android.
Does Apple News show the bias of its sources?
No. Apple News does not label the political lean or reliability of its publishers. Apps such as Ground News and AllSides do; see the best unbiased news apps.
