You’re conflating separate issues.

Controversy #1: some apps are allowed to be in the store and not have in app subscriptions but aren’t allowed to say how you subscribe - Netflix and Spotify come under the “reader apps” exemption and Hey didn’t.

Controversy #2: Epic isn’t allowed to have in app purchases that bypass the App Store.

Non Controversy #1: there is no rule against having different prices in an outside of the store. This has nothing to do with “reader apps”.

All of the loss of fake internet points doesn’t make a provable fact incorrect.

Go to App Store and look at NYT price. Then go to the website, the price is different.

I know you can have different prices. The problem is that the WordPress app was for all WP blogs, including self-hosted. Apple blocked them unless they add an IAP for .com services, but that's not really required.

Spotify can stay in the AppStore, presumably without having to offer an IAP, whereas apparently WordPress cannot, including for self-hosted blogs?

That's what I am getting at here.