Comparison

Heartfeed RSS Reader vs NewsAtomic

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Heartfeed RSS Reader

This app offers an efficient, no-nonsense way to read news from RSS, Atom, and JSON feeds without requiring account setup or server reliance. It features a compact grid view, background feed refreshing, and seamless syncing across iOS devices via iCloud.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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!

About

NewsAtomic

Features
Read full description

NewsAtomic is developed and maintained by Zelacom Electronic Publishing, with great local content provided by area newspapers, magazines and a variety of local writers and reporters. Zelacom is an internet development company with over two decades of experience and a unique perspective of where media, technology and business meet. Based in the Mid-Hudson Valley in Ellenville, NY, Zelacom creates custom web, software & application solutions for businesses across the street and across the country. Our partners and staff have varied backgrounds and experience in health care, insurance, real estate, publishing, local government, fine art, retail — even animal husbandry — all of which contributes to the diverse sensibility we bring to our work. Our first contributing publication is the Shawangunk Journal — the "home town" weekly newspaper for the communities of New York's Shawangunk Ridge. Locally owned and locally produced by dozens of area writers, the Shawangunk Journal is read and loved by thousands of loyal readers every week.

Screenshots

Heartfeed RSS Reader4 screens
NewsAtomic3 screens

Verdict

The call

Heartfeed RSS Reader and NewsAtomic are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Heartfeed RSS Reader sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and NewsAtomic sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Heartfeed RSS Reader ships an update every 2 months, NewsAtomic monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Heartfeed RSS Reader versus NewsAtomic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHeartfeed RSS ReaderNewsAtomic
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (90 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews89.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings90 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB21 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperOzymandiasZelacom Electronic Publishing, LLC

Bugs and requests

Heartfeed RSS Reader

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • 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)
Show 1 more
  • Bright reader screen conflicts with dark mode setting

Requested features

13 requests
  • 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
Show 8 more
  • 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

NewsAtomic

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Heartfeed RSS Reader

One-time5
  • Tipping the developer$0.99
  • Unlimited feeds$2.99
  • Tipping the developer$2.99
Show 2 more
  • Even more tip to the developer$9.99
  • Maximum tip to the developer$24.99
3 purchases

NewsAtomic

One-time3
  • Credit 4.99$4.99
  • Credit 9.99$9.99
  • Credit 24.99$24.99

Questions

Is Heartfeed RSS Reader free?
Heartfeed RSS Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NewsAtomic free?
NewsAtomic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Heartfeed RSS Reader or NewsAtomic have ads?
Neither Heartfeed RSS Reader nor NewsAtomic shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Heartfeed RSS Reader or NewsAtomic?
Heartfeed RSS Reader ships an update every 2 months, and NewsAtomic monthly. Most recently, Heartfeed RSS Reader was updated on September 30, 2026 and NewsAtomic on September 14, 2026.

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