# Heartfeed RSS Reader — RSS for the connoisseur

> Efficient, private RSS feed reader with iCloud sync and no account required. (iPhone/iPad app by Ozymandias.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heartfeed-rss-reader/id1078754321 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Ozymandias](https://appshunter.io/developer/286776954)
- Category: News, Utilities
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 90 App Store ratings · 90 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 17+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 14 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2016-02-04
- Data updated: 2026-08-19
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heartfeed-rss-reader/id1078754321/reviews.md

## What is Heartfeed RSS Reader?

Do you want to read your news using RSS/Atom/JSON feeds in the most efficient, no-nonsense way, and with no requirement to setup an app-specific user account or relying on a server? If you do, Heartfeed might be the app for you.

Features:

- A compact grid view for your feeds, making it easy to check all of them at once
- When reading news in the internal browser, full support of your configured content blockers, saved passwords, etc.
- Automatic synching of subscribed feeds and read status between iOS devices (requires an iCloud account)
- Quick pick list: Easily select which news items from different feeds you want to read
- Background refresh of feeds: Some feeds refresh often and you then risk missing news in case the app is not used frequently. Background refresh, together with caching of the last 50 news items in each feed, prevents this from happening
- Bookmarks, including reading them from either inside Heartfeed or from any iOS or macOS browser (requires an iCloud account)
- Night mode theme
- Subscribing to feeds from the current Heartfeed top list, from files, or directly from the web
- Full support for split views and multi-tasking on iPads
- No tracking of usage or personal data; optionally, you can anonymously share which feeds you subscribe to for improving the builtin top list of recommended feeds

The app is 100% free and without ads. If you want to tip me somethings as thanks for the app, you can do so within the settings.

I hope you'll enjoy using Heartfeed!

## Key features

- Compact grid view for feeds
- Internal browser with content blocker support
- Automatic iCloud sync for feeds and read status
- Quick pick list for selecting news items
- Background feed refresh and caching
- Bookmark management with iCloud sync
- Night mode theme

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited feeds | $2.99 | one-time |
| Tipping the developer | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tipping the developer | $2.99 | one-time |
| Maximum tip to the developer | $24.99 | one-time |
| Even more tip to the developer | $9.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of Heartfeed RSS Reader?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 🎯 Perfect Pulse replacement with grid/tile layout
- 👍 Simple, intuitive, and streamlined interface
- ⚡ Fast and efficient news consumption
- 🔄 Reliable syncing across devices
- 📱 Clean, uncluttered design without bloat
- 🎨 Excellent visual presentation with thumbnails
- 👨‍💻 Responsive and attentive developer
- 🆓 No ads in the application
- 📰 Multiple feeds visible at once for quick overview
- 🔧 Easy feed management and organization
- 🌙 Dark mode support
- 📥 OPML import functionality

**Cons**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes on opening and usage
- 💰 Paywall for unlimited feeds ($2.99)
- 🔍 No search functionality across feeds
- 📸 Limited thumbnail/image display options
- 🌍 No multi-language or RTL script support
- 🔗 No integration with other accounts (Feedly, etc.)
- 📂 OPML import loses feed grouping
- 📖 No offline reading capability
- ⌚ No Apple Watch support
- 🎨 Reader mode has bright screen in dark mode
- ✏️ Limited feed management options

**Commonly reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch
- Crashes after adding feeds
- Multiple crashes during normal usage
- App fails to start after recent updates
- iCloud syncing issues (requires troubleshooting)
- Bright reader screen conflicts with dark mode setting

**Most requested features**

- Search functionality with highlighting across feeds
- Individual mark-as-read buttons per feed
- Thumbnail images in grid view
- Apple Watch app support
- Offline reading capability
- Multi-language support including RTL scripts
- Integration with Feedly and other accounts
- Preserve feed groups on OPML import
- Dark mode for reader screen
- Feed discovery page with popular feeds index
- Ability to save/bookmark articles
- Variable font sizes in grid view
- Apple News+ integration

## Recent user reviews (10 of 90)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heartfeed-rss-reader/id1078754321/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Great Reader!

*2026-06-06, version 5.2.1*

Heartfeed deserves much more attention, with such a straightforward UI and reliable performance. I’ve used it daily for oh-so-many years. A native Mac version would be fantastic.

### 5/5 — Best RSS reader

*2026-02-06, version 5.2.1*

Love this RSS reader. Simple and effective for getting all your news. One of my most used apps!

### 5/5 — Love it

*2025-12-19, version 5.2.1*

Been using this app for years. Works great and nothing else is quite like it!

### 4/5 — Best RSS reader - could you please add Search?

*2024-06-05*

Excellent RSS feed reader. Small font allows to have an overview of the news at a glance
 
Unless I missed it, there is now way to search across all those feeds. Would it be possible to add a text search feature? E.g. if you search "Japan" then that word gets highlighted in yellow in all visible feeds? That would unlock so much value and save scrolling time. 

Thank you!

**Developer response:** I’ve been thinking about adding search functionality, but I need to come up with a good user interface for it (and then add the necessary code of course 🙂). No promises, but it is already on my list for things to think about. Thanks for the review, and glad you enjoy the app!

### 5/5 — Incredible RSS app

*2024-03-20, version 5.2*

Been using this app for years and years and it’s absolutely perfect. Makes following a bunch of feeds super easy. In this growing age of apps accumulating more and more bloat this app is so refreshingly streamlined and gets the job done without any bloat or fluff.

### 5/5 — • iCllid synching!

*2022-07-18, version 5.1*

This RSS reader supports iCllid synching! Yes!!!

If you’re having problems, make sure iCllid synching is turned on, and that your iCllid synching configuration is correct. If iCllid synching isn’t showing up or isn’t working for you, try restarting your device(s) and re-connecting before contacting the developer.

### 1/5 — App broken by last update

*2022-06-09, version 5.0.1*

The app crashes every time upon opening. I have reinstalled it and as soon as I have added a feed it started crashing again.

### 2/5 — Crashes a LOT!

*2022-01-25, version 4.2.6*

I would like to like this app but it crashes every time I use it. I never get through my feeds without it crashing…usually several times. (I am running the latest OS.)

### 5/5 — Fastest way to know everything

*2021-10-14, version 4.2.6*

Side scroll is where it’s at. I know as soon as I open the app if there are new articles and only from the sites I chose. Love it so much!

### 5/5 — Solid News Reader

*2021-07-22, version 4.2.6*

For fans of the Old Pulse RSS reader that allows us to view several feeds at just a glance, this is the perfect replacement. App is clean, pretty and functional and is well maintained. It's absolutely worth it!

## Frequently asked questions about Heartfeed RSS Reader

### What is Heartfeed RSS Reader?

Heartfeed RSS Reader is an application designed for efficiently reading news from RSS, Atom, and JSON feeds. It prioritizes a no-nonsense approach, allowing users to consume content without needing to set up app-specific accounts or rely on external servers.

### What are the key features of Heartfeed RSS Reader?

Key features include a compact grid view for easy feed checking, an internal browser that supports content blockers and saved passwords, automatic iCloud syncing of subscribed feeds and read status across iOS devices, and background feed refreshing with caching to prevent missed news.

### Is Heartfeed RSS Reader free to use?

Yes, the app is 100% free and does not display any advertisements. While the app is free, users have the option to provide a tip within the settings as a form of thanks for the developer's work.

### What devices is Heartfeed RSS Reader compatible with?

The app is designed for iOS devices and offers features like automatic iCloud syncing for feeds and read status, and full support for split views and multi-tasking on iPads. Bookmarks can also be read from any iOS or macOS browser when using iCloud.

### How does Heartfeed RSS Reader handle privacy?

The app emphasizes privacy by not tracking user usage or personal data. Optionally, users can anonymously share their subscribed feeds to help improve the built-in top list of recommended feeds, but this is not required for functionality.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 5.2.1 — 2024-08-20

- Fixed some graphical ugliness
- Updated help pages for new monetisation added in 5.2

### 5.2 — 2024-03-19

- Now completely free for everyone, and of course still without ads. If you want to tip me something of the app, you can now do so in the settings.
- Improved feedback while refreshing news.
- A couple of small bug fixes.

### 5.1.4 — 2023-09-22

- Implemented workaround for crashes when certain feeds sends malformed data

### 5.1.3 — 2023-08-18

- Final fix for issues on iOS 12

### 5.1.2 — 2023-08-12

- Fixed an issue on iOS12

## Apps similar to Heartfeed RSS Reader

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Cupfeed : News & RSS reader](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cupfeed-news-and-rss-reader/id1608040212) | 4.0 (5) | Free | News |
| [FlowReader - RSS Feed Reader](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flowreader-rss-feed-reader/id1472631257) | 4.0 (4) | Free | News |
| [Next Level News](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/next-level-news/id1616555900) | 5.0 (3) | Free | News |
| [xFeed RSS Reader](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xfeed-rss-reader/id313206921) | 3.3 (12) | Free | News |
| [Feedit](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/feedit/id6444137580) | 3.7 (3) | Free | News |
| [RSS News Ticker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rss-news-ticker/id1548190121) | 4.6 (11) | Free | News |

## More apps by Ozymandias

- [CSV Touch](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/csv-touch/id286776951)
- [CSV Lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/csv-lite/id294650744)

All apps by Ozymandias: https://appshunter.io/developer/286776954

## Related topics

[rss follower](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/rss-follower) · [ozymandias](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ozymandias)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-19.*