Comparison

Fluent Reader Lite vs Radio Starlight

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

Head to head
About

Fluent Reader Lite

A simple, open-source RSS client that supports various self-hosted and commercial services. It offers features like dark mode, content filtering, and article organization. Optimized for multitasking on iPad.

Highlights
  • Supports Fever, Google Reader, Inoreader, and Feedbin APIs
  • Dark mode for UI and reading
  • Configure content loading (full or webpage)
  • Dedicated subscriptions tab with article titles
  • Search and filter local articles
  • Organize subscriptions with groups
  • Two-pane view and multitasking on iPad
Features
Read full description

Fluent Reader Lite is a simplistic, cross-platform, and open-source RSS client. The following self-hosted and commercial RSS services are supported. * Fever API (TT-RSS Fever plugin, FreshRSS, Miniflux, etc.) * Google Reader API (Bazqux Reader, The Old Reader, etc.) * Inoreader * Feedbin (official or self-hosted) Other key features include: * Dark mode for UI and reading. * Configure sources to load full content or webpage by default. * A dedicated subscriptions tab organized by latest updates with article titles. * Search for local articles or filter by read status. * Organize subscriptions with groups. * Support for two-pane view and multitasking on iPad. The following features from the desktop app are *NOT* present: * Local RSS support and source / group management. * Importing or exporting OPML files, full application data backup & restoration. * Regular expression rules that mark articles as they arrive. * Fetch articles in the background and send push notifications. * Keyboard shortcuts.

About

Radio Starlight

Read full description

Turn Fresh Content Into a Show That Sounds Like Yours Radio Starlight turns feeds, APIs, public web pages, weather, and music into AI-powered radio shows and podcasts. Build a reusable format once, then generate new broadcasts from fresh source material while keeping the structure, voices, and sound unmistakably yours. Start quickly with a Basic Program. For full creative control, use Pro to design a Custom Program segment by segment, from the opening and news desk to deep dives, music breaks, and the outro. Give each segment its own sources, prompts, personalities, and generative models, then reuse the format whenever new content arrives. BUILD A FORMAT THAT STAYS YOURS - Generate Basic Programs in a few taps. - Arrange detailed Custom Programs and guide every segment with its own sources and prompts. - Create on-air personalities and choose their voices. - Pair shows with Sound Sets for background music and stingers. - Create cover art and avatars for a consistent identity. CONNECT THE CONTENT YOU FOLLOW - Read RSS, Atom, and JSON feeds. - Connect API content and public web pages. - Include Apple Weather and Apple Music playlists when authorized. - Choose cloud models or supported Apple on-device models for text and images. - Store API credentials securely in Keychain. STAY CURRENT WITHOUT STARTING OVER - Create scripts and narrated broadcasts from your latest source material. - Let Generate and Live sessions you start continue after you leave the app when iOS allows background processing. - Find recent articles from your programs' feeds on Home. - Browse featured catalogs when starting a new library. - Keep Broadcast History manageable with optional automatic cleanup. SHARE ON YOUR TERMS Import programs, personalities, Sound Sets, and source definitions from portable catalogs. You can also export your own programs and generated assets through the open Starlight Catalog Service format, using static JSON and media that can be hosted anywhere. Publishing is optional and separate from everyday creation and playback. START FREE, GO PRO WHEN READY - Basic is free for creating and playing Basic Programs. - Start a free 7-day Pro Trial to explore Custom Program creation and editing. The trial does not renew, and there is no automatic charge. - Unlock Pro Lifetime with a one-time in-app purchase. - Existing Pro access remains recognized. - Restore purchases on devices using the same Apple ID. YOUR TOOLS, YOUR CHOICES You do not need a Radio Starlight account. Third-party services remain under your control; some cloud models, content providers, or Apple Music features may require separate credentials, subscriptions, or fees. BEFORE YOU START Some features require internet access, compatible Apple hardware and OS versions, location permission for weather, or Apple Music authorization and an active subscription. AI-generated content can include errors or outdated information. Review content and verify sources before publishing or broadcasting. Build the format once. Radio Starlight helps every new broadcast stay fresh without losing the identity that makes it yours. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Fluent Reader Lite4 screens
Radio Starlight3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Fluent Reader Lite at none against Radio Starlight's 2. Fluent Reader Lite also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Radio Starlight sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Fluent Reader Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Fluent Reader Lite ships an update every 6 months, Radio Starlight every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Fluent Reader Lite versus Radio Starlight: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFluent Reader LiteRadio Starlight
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (10 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews47.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings10 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 5 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB374 MB
Age rating+1717+
DeveloperHaoyuan LiuRei Kitajima

In-app purchases

None

Fluent Reader Lite

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Radio Starlight

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Plan1 Month trial$4.991 Month
  • Annual Plan1 Month trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Fluent Reader Lite free?
Fluent Reader Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Radio Starlight free?
Radio Starlight is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Fluent Reader Lite or Radio Starlight have ads?
Neither Fluent Reader Lite nor Radio Starlight shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Fluent Reader Lite or Radio Starlight?
Fluent Reader Lite ships an update every 6 months, and Radio Starlight every 5 months. Most recently, Fluent Reader Lite was updated on October 2, 2026 and Radio Starlight on September 29, 2026.

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