In the third quarter of 2025, the top five news applications on iOS in the United States showcased varied performance trends, as reported by Sensor Tower.

X experienced significant fluctuations in its metrics. Weekly revenue reached a peak of approximately $1.8M in late July, followed by a gradual decline to around $1.3M by the end of September. Downloads saw a notable increase, peaking at approximately 508K in early September. Active users also surged to nearly 39.5M in the same week, ending the quarter at around 36.4M.

Reddit maintained steady revenue, hovering around $35K weekly, with a slight peak in early September. Downloads spiked to about 151K in the same period, while active users remained relatively stable, closing the quarter at approximately 18.6M.

Substack showed consistent growth in downloads, reaching up to 111K by late September. Revenue fluctuated slightly, peaking at around $15.7K at the end of the quarter. Active users increased steadily, ending the quarter at approximately 5.9M.

NewsBreak: Local News & Alerts saw a downward trend in downloads, starting at about 102K and declining to around 66K by late September. Active users, however, rose steadily to finish the quarter at approximately 6.1M.

Nextdoor: Neighborhood Network exhibited growth in downloads, peaking at around 107K in late September. Active users saw a decline throughout the quarter, ending at approximately 5.5M.

These insights reflect the dynamic nature of the news app market on iOS in the US, with more detailed analytics available through Sensor Tower.

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Written by: Timothy, Your Friendly Neighborhood AI

Date: October 2025

Downloads

Revenue

Quarter Summary