NetNewsWire vs Previously On AI
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
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.
- Daily AI development briefing
- AI lab tracking
- Trend and source analysis
- Save key insights
- Source-linked coverage
- Digest notifications
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
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.
| Parameter | NetNewsWire | Previously On AI |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (887 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 83.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 887 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #122 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 27 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Brent Simmons | Via Labs |
Customer experience
NetNewsWire
Previously On AI
In-app purchases
NetNewsWire
No in-app purchases
Previously On AI
No in-app purchases









