NetNewsWire vs Pocket News Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Direct feed downloading
- iCloud and third-party syncing
- Customizable article themes
- Reader view
- Starred articles
- Smart feeds
- Home screen widgets
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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
Pocket News Reader
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
| Parameter | NetNewsWire | Pocket News Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (887 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 83.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 887 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | #119 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 27 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Brent Simmons | Richard Guzik |
In-app purchases
NetNewsWire
No in-app purchases
Pocket News Reader
No in-app purchases









