Comparison

NetNewsWire vs Pocket News Reader

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

Head to head
About

NetNewsWire

This app aggregates articles from your favorite blogs and news sites, offering a faster and more organized way to consume content. It provides control over your news feed, eliminating the need to visit multiple websites or rely on social media algorithms. Enjoy a streamlined reading experience with customizable features and syncing capabilities.

Highlights
  • Direct feed downloading
  • iCloud and third-party syncing
  • Customizable article themes
  • Reader view
  • Starred articles
  • Smart feeds
  • Home screen widgets
Currently charting
Read full description

It’s like podcasts, but for reading. NetNewsWire is a free and open source RSS reader. It shows you articles from your favorite blogs and news sites and keeps track of what you’ve read. It’s fast, stable, and accessible. If you’ve been going from site to site in your browser looking for new articles to read — or counting on the unreliable algorithms of corporate social media — let NetNewsWire bring you the news you want. It’s easy and fun. And it puts you, not billionaires, in control of your news. Features: * Direct feed downloading * Syncing via iCloud, Feedbin, Feedly, BazQux, Inoreader, NewsBlur, The Old Reader, and FreshRSS * Multiple accounts * Custom article themes * Reader view * Share sheet * Starred articles * All Unread and Today smart feeds * Folders * Importing and exporting OPML feed lists * Background refreshing * Searching * Hiding read articles * Timeline customization * Keyboard shortcuts * Context menus * Home screen widgets for today, unread, and starred articles * Share extension

About

Pocket News Reader

Features
Read full description

Technically, this application is a RSS and Atom feed aggregator. If that does not ring a bell, don't worry. Pocket News allows you, in a single place, to track additions and changes in your favourite websites. Special feature: autodiscovery Using the integrated web browser, navigate to your site (usually on the main page, or a page that references feeds) and let Pocket News find the links for you. Happy reading!

Screenshots

NetNewsWire4 screens
Pocket News Reader1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Pocket News Reader at every 2 weeks against NetNewsWire's monthly. Pocket News Reader also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). NetNewsWire's advantage is chart position (#119 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NetNewsWire ships an update monthly, Pocket News Reader every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
NetNewsWire versus Pocket News Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNetNewsWirePocket News Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (887 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews83.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings887 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
Best chart rank#119 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB5 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperBrent SimmonsRichard Guzik

In-app purchases

None

NetNewsWire

No in-app purchases

None

Pocket News Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NetNewsWire free?
NetNewsWire is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pocket News Reader free?
Pocket News Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do NetNewsWire or Pocket News Reader have ads?
Neither NetNewsWire nor Pocket News Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NetNewsWire or Pocket News Reader?
NetNewsWire ships an update monthly, and Pocket News Reader every 2 weeks. Most recently, NetNewsWire was updated on October 18, 2026 and Pocket News Reader on October 2, 2026.

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