# Open Source & Software News vs TheFW

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: TheFW at none against Open Source & Software News's 3. Open Source & Software News's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Open Source & Software News sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. TheFW asks for nothing beyond the download.

Open Source & Software News ships an update every 4 weeks, TheFW every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Open Source & Software News | TheFW |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (29 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/open-source-and-software-news/id1002989668/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **29** | — |
| Positive reviews | 95.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 102 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Loyal Foundry, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1620612434) | [Townsquare Media, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/433762450) |

## What reviewers say

### Open Source & Software News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/open-source-and-software-news/id1002989668)

Stay updated with the latest news on open source software, programming languages, and development frameworks. Aggregates content from numerous sources into a single, prioritized feed. Offers customizable notifications and community features.

**Highlights:** Aggregated news from top software sources, Customizable push notifications, Topic management and blocking, Save articles for later reading, Community features: polls, comments, badges, Collapsed mode for fast reading

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Remove advertising | $0.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $5.99 | per year |


### TheFW

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thefw/id1203039107)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Open Source & Software News free?

Open Source & Software News is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is TheFW free?

TheFW is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Open Source & Software News or TheFW have ads?

Both Open Source & Software News and TheFW show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Open Source & Software News or TheFW?

Open Source & Software News ships an update every 4 weeks, and TheFW every 3 months. Most recently, Open Source & Software News was updated on October 29, 2026 and TheFW on October 26, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*