Comparison

NetNewsWire vs Previously On AI

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

Previously On AI

Stay informed about rapid AI advancements with a daily briefing that synthesizes key developments, their significance, and future implications. Explore detailed insights into AI labs, platforms, and research, and save important takeaways for future reference.

Highlights
  • Daily AI development briefing
  • AI lab tracking
  • Trend and source analysis
  • Save key insights
  • Source-linked coverage
  • Digest notifications
Features
Read full description

AI moves fast. Previously On AI helps you keep up without the overwhelm. Get a focused daily briefing that turns scattered headlines into a clear story: what happened, why it matters, and what to watch next. Explore the app your way: • Recap: A fast narrative of the day’s most important AI developments • Labs: Track signals across leading AI labs, platforms, research, and media • Digest: Dive into trends, sources, and story-level detail • Saved: Build your own library of key takeaways Built for people who want clarity, context, and speed: • Source-linked coverage • Lab-by-lab visibility • Save and revisit key insights • Optional digest notifications

Screenshots

NetNewsWire4 screens
Previously On AI4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: NetNewsWire at 887 against Previously On AI's 1. NetNewsWire also leads on chart position (#122 vs unranked). Previously On AI's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Previously On AI holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NetNewsWire has 887 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NetNewsWire ships an update monthly, Previously On AI every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
NetNewsWire versus Previously On AI: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNetNewsWirePreviously On AI
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (887 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews83.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings887 — better1
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#122 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB1 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperBrent SimmonsVia Labs

Customer experience

NetNewsWire

All ratings887 ratings
Positive93.7%
Neutral2.4%
Negative3.9%
Written reviews329 reviews
Positive83.9%
Neutral7.9%
Negative8.2%

Previously On AI

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

NetNewsWire

No in-app purchases

None

Previously On AI

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NetNewsWire free?
NetNewsWire is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Previously On AI free?
Previously On AI is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, NetNewsWire or Previously On AI?
Previously On AI is rated higher. NetNewsWire averages 4.7 out of 5 from 887 ratings, while Previously On AI averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do NetNewsWire or Previously On AI have ads?
Neither NetNewsWire nor Previously On AI shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NetNewsWire or Previously On AI?
NetNewsWire ships an update monthly, and Previously On AI every 5 weeks. Most recently, NetNewsWire was updated on October 18, 2026 and Previously On AI on September 30, 2026.

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