Comparison

NetNewsWire vs lista

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

lista

Features
Read full description

lista is an RSS reader for Mac and iPhone that keeps reading simple. Instead of giving you complex folders or unread counts, it brings all your feeds together into a single, clean list. Browse your feeds, save posts, and get trending ones. Simple, like a social media app. No unread counts, no folders, no sign-ins, no subscriptions. Just great content. Why lista is different • No unread backlog: Scroll through new articles the same way you browse a social feed. Read what interests you, skip what doesn't, and walk away without feeling guilty about unread badges. • One simple list: No folders to build or separate feeds to click through. Every post you follow shows up in one chronological timeline. • One-button saving: The interface stays minimal. Tap a single button to save an article for later, and nothing more. • Complete privacy: No account creation or personal details required. Your data stays on your device and syncs securely across your Mac and iPhone using your personal iCloud storage. • Trending articles: Discover interesting posts saved by the wider community. The trending section highlights popular articles anonymously, without profiles or social tracking. • Offline access & easy setup: Saved articles and recent posts remain stored on your device for offline reading. Add websites using a URL, the Safari share extension, or an OPML import file.

Screenshots

NetNewsWire4 screens
lista4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NetNewsWire at none against lista's 3. NetNewsWire also leads on chart position (#106 vs unranked). lista's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. lista sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. NetNewsWire asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NetNewsWire ships an update monthly, lista every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
NetNewsWire versus lista: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNetNewsWirelista
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (889 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews83.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings889 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
Best chart rank#106 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB18 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperBrent SimmonsFRWRD7 LLC

In-app purchases

None

NetNewsWire

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

lista

One-time3
  • Coffee Cup Tip$1.99
  • Boba Tea Tip$4.99
  • Sandwich Tip$9.99

Questions

Is NetNewsWire free?
NetNewsWire is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is lista free?
lista is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do NetNewsWire or lista have ads?
Neither NetNewsWire nor lista shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NetNewsWire or lista?
NetNewsWire ships an update monthly, and lista every 3 days. Most recently, NetNewsWire was updated on October 26, 2026 and lista on October 12, 2026.

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