Comparison

Harbor vs RSS

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

Head to head
About

Harbor

This app aggregates content from various sources into a unified timeline. It allows users to customize their reading experience with a unique feed rating system and discover new content through a curated directory. An optional subscription unlocks advanced features for power users.

Highlights
  • Unified timeline aggregation
  • Customizable feed rating system
  • Curated feed directory
  • Add feeds by URL
  • Ad-free and algorithm-free experience
  • Optional premium subscription
Features
Read full description

Harbor is the modern feed reader you didn’t know you needed. Follow the people, blogs, and feeds you care about, with no ads and no algorithms. It’s a feed reader you can browse casually, with the ability to aggregate from hundreds of sources without feeling too overwhelming. Harbor keeps its unified timeline manageable with a unique feed rating system. When you subscribe to a feed, you can tell Harbor you’re a “casual reader” or a “completionist” for that feed. Harbor then tries to ensure that you won’t miss a post from that blog you love that only posts once a month, while still allowing you to subscribe to feeds that post dozens of times per day. New to RSS, or newly returning to RSS? Harbor’s built-in and finely curated feed directory is the best way to find new blogs, newsletters, and websites to follow. Of course, you can always add new websites and blogs by their URL. Harbor Premium is an optional paid subscription for power users who subscribe to more than five feeds. Terms of Use: https://harbor.page/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://harbor.page/privacy-policy/

About

RSS

Consolidate your favorite websites into a single, streamlined feed reader. Enjoy fast navigation, automatic feed detection, and offline translation for articles. Keep your reading organized with folders and sync your progress across devices.

Highlights
  • Automatic feed detection
  • Organize feeds with folders
  • Fast article navigation
  • Background refresh & push notifications
  • Bookmark articles
  • iCloud sync across devices
  • Offline auto-translation
Read full description

RSS - Article Reader is a clean, fast feed reader that brings all your favorite websites together in one place. Designed to feel right at home on your iPhone. A clean interface, smooth performance, and a reading experience built for speed. • Wide Format Support Supports every version of RSS, Atom, and JSON Feed. Just paste a website URL and feeds are detected automatically. • Organize with Folders Group your feeds into folders to keep your subscriptions tidy and easy to navigate. • Read Through Articles Fast Navigate between articles and mark as read with a single tap. Every button is placed for effortless reading flow. • Never Miss an Update Background refresh and push notifications keep you informed when your favorite sites publish new content. • Bookmark Articles Save articles to read later and revisit them anytime. • Sync Across Devices iCloud keeps your subscriptions, read status, and bookmarks in sync. Switch phones without missing a beat. • Easy Migration Switch from another reader with OPML import and export. • Auto-translate foreign articles Translate articles with one tap from the detail view. The feature is powered by Apple's translation engine and works offline too.

Screenshots

Harbor4 screens
RSS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Harbor at 4.1 against RSS's 3.0. Harbor also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 2 weeks) and ratings volume (9 vs 1). RSS's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price and ads 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. Harbor sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. RSS asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Harbor holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Harbor has 9 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Harbor's written reviews are positive against 50% of RSS's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Harbor ships an update daily, RSS every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Harbor versus RSS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHarborRSS
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (9 ratings) — better3.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews60.0% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings9 — better1
Update frequencyDaily — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB13 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperPixel Foundry, LLCClimb App

Customer experience

Harbor

All ratings9 ratings
Positive77.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative22.2%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative40.0%

RSS

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Harbor

Subscriptions2
  • Harbor Premium Monthly7 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Harbor Premium Yearly7 Days trial$9.991 Year
None

RSS

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Harbor free?
Harbor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is RSS free?
RSS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Harbor or RSS?
Harbor is rated higher. Harbor averages 4.1 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while RSS averages 3.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Harbor or RSS have ads?
Neither Harbor nor RSS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Harbor or RSS?
Harbor ships an update daily, and RSS every 2 weeks. Most recently, Harbor was updated on September 30, 2026 and RSS on September 24, 2026.

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