You're interested in Business Insider, but not sure if it's worth the subscription. I get it. If you're like me, you probably have enough subscriptions in your life. Do you really need another?
Is Business Insider really worth it? Let's find out.
Disclaimer:
Please note, I am not affiliated with Business Insider. This article has been researched with information and/or testimonials that are available online in the public domain. Any recommendations and/or conclusions are strictly opinions and may not apply to, or agree with, all persons or situations. See full disclaimer for more info
What is Business Insider?
Business Insider is a website dedicated to business and financial news. Based in New York City, Business Insider was originally founded by Kevin P. Ryan. The website launched in 2007.
Axel Springer, a publishing house based in Germany, acquired a majority stake in the website in 2015.
Is a Business Insider Subscription Worth It?
In my opinion, a Business Insider subscription is worth it but it depends on who you are and what you want from it. It's not for everyone.
Investors, entrepreneurs, small business owners, financial advisors, instructors, and students, among others, will likely get considerable value from Business Insider's premium articles. Here are some examples:
- Meet 33 tech power players revolutionizing how restaurants operate and diners eat.
- ‘Failure state': Leaked Facebook documents reveal the reality of working at the company through years of scandals.
- The conventions that have long governed American work are shifting — and Gen Z is ready to kill the status quo once and for all.
- Rivian's long awaited IPO is this week — here's how much the hyped electric vehicle startup pays employees, from engineers to analysts.
- How a 25-year-old entrepreneur made $16 million in revenue last year selling backyard ice rinks.
Where Business Insider Premium (and other paid media) stand out from most free media, is with original research from career journalists and in most cases, being first to get the story.
Investors who need the most up-to-date and accurate information might not rely solely on Business Insider when making financial decisions, but it's a good addition to their portfolio or resources.
Aspiring entrepreneurs looking for ideas, inspiration, and real stories of successful business owners will find an endless supply of articles.
The challenge of course is that there's also an endless supply of free articles and media.
So, what's the difference?
Although relatively new, publications like Business Insider represent an era when journalists were journalists and news came from the newsroom. At the edge, they were born before the social media revolution; when the world arguably went crazy.
They're not immune to the clickbait war for attention, but for the most part, they stand above the sensationalized headlines and emotionally charged content that's polarizing the nation.
Like The Wall Street Journal and The Financial Times, the biggest differences between Business Insider and free media are confidence and trust.
They're not perfect of course. And free media publications are not all bad. Given the choice of which one to use as a source for reliable information though, established publications like Business Insider will usually win out. And for good reason.
If you've read this far and you're thinking of subscribing, you would probably agree.
The good news is you can try your first month of Business Insider for a dollar. There is no commitment and you can cancel any time.
Spend your first month deciding for yourself if it's worth the $12.95 per month moving forward. To be honest, I think $12.95 a month is a little steep.
That's not to say Business Insider doesn't provide $12.95 worth of value. It's just that you'll need to log in more than once or twice a week to get your money's worth.
The annual subscription rate is only $49 (for your first year), which drops the monthly cost to just $4 per month. Compared to four bucks a month… the $12.95 seems a little high.
At $4 per month though, it's a good deal.
If you're a student, it's even better. Students can pay just $6.95 monthly, $19 a semester, or $29 for an entire year (which is just $2.41 per month).
To be clear, and as stated in our disclaimer above, we have no affiliation with Business Insider. We also have no financial incentive to promote Business Insider. We do however encourage people to get their information from reliable sources, which is why we recommend it.
Is Business Insider a Reliable Source?
Business Insider provides accurate and reliable information. However, like any publication, they are not 100% accurate all the time. No single news source is completely accurate 100% of the time.
Having said that, Business Insider journalists, writers, and editors are sincere in their attempt to be as accurate as possible with each published story.
Business Insider is not strictly an opinion website (although they do publish many opinion pieces). Like other prominent publications, they can be held legally liable for making false statements.
Furthermore, Business Insider journalists can lose their job by making false statements.
Where they run into problems is where all content publishers run into problems. Journalists have tremendous pressure to generate large volumes of content that produce “clicks” and get published sooner than their competition.
Unfortunately, that constant push for new and insightful content at such volumes can lead to mistakes, such as stories that are not fully confirmed.
The genuine intent of Business Insider is to accurately inform their audience though, not deceive. For publications like these, reputation is everything.
If you ask fellow investors and business owners about Business Insider's content, you will likely find that deception and bias are not part of their company culture. They also make a note of any inaccuracies and clarify those errors with corrections.
Is Business Insider Biased?
Business Insider is generally politically neutral compared to other publications that lean left or the right.
Of course, political bias is a matter of opinion. Some sites, like Media Bias Fact Check claim Business Insider has a left-of-center bias. AllSides on the other hand rates it as a Center publication.
At the end of the day, it depends on where you're standing.
Those on the far right might consider a center position to be left-leaning, even if it's not. At the same time, someone on the far left will consider that exact position to be too far to the right.
With that said, respected publications like NPR and the New York Times use Business Insider to reference stories, insight, and information. And to look at Business Insider objectively, it would be hard to say they pander to either side.
It must be said though, that there is a thin line between legitimate news stories and editorializing. The writers and editors at Business Insider are not immune to having their own opinions, especially if the article calls for it. But as a matter of professionalism, they are generally objective.
When making important decisions, investors and entrepreneurs need and deserve legitimate news and relevant facts. Compared to many other sources, Business Insider continues to meet that challenge.
Of course, you should never rely on a single source of information, especially for important investment decisions or developing costly business strategies.
Watch Out for Fake News
While Business Insider is regarded as a trusted authority, you may run into “knock-off” websites such as Forbes Business Insider that slightly alter recognizable domain names.
These “fake news” sites attempt to establish legitimacy by piggy-backing on the good name of well-established and reliable news sites. And although some curated stories may be true, there is no way to know.
Some may publish false stories out of neglect to maximize clicks, while others intentionally deceive to cause harm.
When in doubt, trust your intuition. If the story you're reading seems off or far-fetched, seek additional sources that refute or validate the presented claims.
Who is Business Insider Good For and Why?
As mentioned earlier, a paid subscription to Business Insider is not for everyone. However, it is suitable for:
- investors
- business owners
- business managers
- entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs
- teachers
- students
- financial advisors and…
- … anyone interested in business, markets, the economy, etc.
Even if you're not currently investing or don't yet own a business, you can get valuable information from Business Insider that may provide insight and guidance in the future.
Professors and secondary school teachers looking for content to use in case studies and lessons will also find Business Insider valuable, as will business students doing research.
Business Insider Premium – Pros and Cons
Pros
- Premium articles with original research and first-hand information.
- Access to exclusive salary, leadership, and recruitment databases.
- Summary mode on the Insider App.
- Well established publication dependent on it's reputation for accuracy and honesty.
- The first-year annual subscription rate, which works out to $4/mo, is reasonable.
- Can get your first month for $1.
Cons
- The month-to-month subscription rate ($12.95/mo) is a little high in my opinion. Especially if you have several other subscriptions you're paying for, like Netflix or Spotify for example.
- While individual stories may be unique, it's hard to say you can't find similar content for free, or from similar publications with paid subscriptions. It's a matter of preference.
- It might not be for the occasional reader who only logs in a few times a month.
Sites Similar to Business Insider
The Wall Street Journal – This international daily publication provides information and news about finance, investing, and business.
Financial Times – A daily news provider that publishes both online and offline. The publication's content is focused on economics and business.
Forbes – This American business news specialist publishes content eight times a year covering investing, finance, technology, business, and marketing.
MSN Money – An internet hub powered by Microsoft's Network, providing information on investing and personal finance.
The Motley Fool – Launched way back in the summer of '93, The Motley Fool is a web-based investment and financial advice specialist.
CNBC – This cable news channel and website provides financial news and analysis.
International Business Times – An online business and financial publication that publishes news and editorials in four languages.
Market Watch – This website presents financial information along with stock market data, in-depth analysis, and news.
As mentioned earlier, Business Insider's reputation for accuracy has made it a trusted source of information. Journalists and writers of other highly regarded publications routinely quote them, such as The New York Times, NPR, and other media outlets.
Depending on how often you read Business Insider and why, $12.95/month (or $155.40/year) may be on the high side. But at $4/month (or $49/year), Business Insider is worth it in my opinion.
