# theSkimm vs Stream

theSkimm and Stream both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 86% of Stream's written reviews are positive against 41% of theSkimm's. theSkimm's advantage is ratings volume (13K vs 21) and chart position (#183 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. theSkimm sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Stream sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

theSkimm holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: theSkimm has 13K ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 41% of theSkimm's written reviews are positive against 86% of Stream's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

theSkimm ships an update every 2 months, Stream every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | theSkimm | Stream |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/theskimm/id1034995058/reviews)** | [4.6 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stream-a-feed-reader/id1377383950/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 21 |
| Positive reviews | 40.7% of reviews | **85.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#183** | — |
| Size | 33 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [theSkimm](https://appshunter.io/developer/1034995057) | [Rob Fahrni](https://appshunter.io/developer/321211293) |

## What reviewers say

### theSkimm

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/theskimm/id1034995058)

**Currently charting:** #183 Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

Stay informed with daily news summaries, in-depth articles on career, health, and finance, and engaging podcasts. Discover personalized recommendations and integrate events into your calendar to live smarter.

**Highlights:** Daily news summaries, In-depth articles, Podcasts, Personalized calendar integration, Curated recommendations, Career, health, and finance topics

**Features:** Siri integration, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| theSkimm Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| theSkimm Yearly | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 📰 Concise and informative news
- 🗓️ Helpful calendar integration
- 🎧 Useful audio content
- 👍 Easy to stay informed
- 🤗 Entertaining and engaging

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤑 Paid subscription required
- 🗣️ Perceived political bias
- 🔗 Accidental link clicks while scrolling
- 🚫 Limited content for non-US users

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes and freezes
- Issues with 'Do Not Sell My Information' feature

**Requested features**

- Offline content access
- More international news coverage
- Customizable news preferences
- Ability to remove ads for paid subscribers


### Stream

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stream-a-feed-reader/id1377383950)

Consolidate all your news feeds into a single, unified timeline. Offers a clean interface, easy import of existing lists, and support for open reading standards for a fresh user experience.

**Highlights:** Unified feed timeline, Simple user interface, Import existing lists, Supports open reading standards

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Enormous Tip | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is theSkimm free?

theSkimm is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Stream free?

Stream is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, theSkimm or Stream?

theSkimm is rated higher. theSkimm averages 4.8 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Stream averages 4.6 from 21 ratings.

### Do theSkimm or Stream have ads?

Neither theSkimm nor Stream shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, theSkimm or Stream?

theSkimm ships an update every 2 months, and Stream every 3 months. Most recently, theSkimm was updated on October 22, 2026 and Stream on October 8, 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.*