Smashviews vs GistForge
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Smashviews
Get unbiased news delivered instantly from sources you choose. This app prioritizes user control over content, avoiding algorithmic filtering and data exploitation. Stay informed with real-time updates and easily search or save articles for later.
- User-selected news sources
- No algorithmic content filtering
- Real-time news delivery
- Article search functionality
- Save articles for later
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A simple app with a simple purpose: deliver you news without any external or unwanted oversight. We built smashviews because it is painfully difficult to find a news app that operates as smooth as the big guys, but doesn't use you for your data every time you click--all the while running algorithms in the background that decide which articles you see and don't see. Simply put, we don't believe that an algorithm should be deciding this for you, which is why we deliver the news to you unadulterated. You chose the sources and you chose what's important to read or not read. News gets delivered by the minute, as soon as it gets published. Review the feed at the end of the day, or keep track of breaking news as it happens. Missed an article or want to check other sources? Use our search page. See an event break in real time but can't read it in the moment? Save it to your profile and come back later. Download smashviews today! You won't be disappointed. P.S. smashviews is brand new and we will be continuously adding functionality. Features soon to come include more sources, more categories, local sources, custom categories, and a widget. If you have any suggestions or requests, for app functionality or specific local sources, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at support@smashnews.org
GistForge
This app offers AI-generated summaries of Hacker News articles, presented in a full-screen, TikTok-style feed. It provides TL;DRs, reasons to care, and key facts for each story, with options to read the original article or join discussions. It's designed for tech professionals and non-native English speakers seeking concise tech news.
- AI-summarized tech news briefs
- TikTok-style scrolling feed
- Bilingual content (English/Simplified Chinese)
- HN-native categories
- Tap to read original articles/discussions
- Dark mode
- No account required
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GistForge scrolls like TikTok but reads like Hacker News. Each full-screen card is a 5-second decision — is this tech story worth your full attention? Our AI writes a tight TL;DR, the reasons to care, and the three facts that matter. Tap through to read the original article or join the Hacker News discussion. WHO IT'S FOR - Engineers, designers, and founders who skim 50+ HN posts a week - Non-native English readers who want bilingual tech news - Anyone tired of ad-heavy RSS readers WHAT'S INSIDE - 5 HN-native categories: Best, Top, Show, Ask, New - Adjustable time range: today to past year - Bilingual content: every story rewritten in English and Simplified Chinese - AI-summarized briefs: TL;DR, Why care, Key facts - Tap-to-source: read the original article or HN discussion - Dark mode by default - Works without an account PRIVACY FIRST - No accounts, no ad tracking, no advertising identifiers - Crash reports (Sentry) and 5 anonymous interaction events only - No personal data leaves your device beyond what's needed to fetch the next page of stories - Full privacy policy at app.quantumforgex.com/privacy GistForge is built by an indie developer. No VC, no growth team, just a focused tool for tech readers. Terms of Use (EULA): https://app.quantumforgex.com/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://app.quantumforgex.com/privacy/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Smashviews at none against GistForge's 2. Smashviews also leads on ratings volume (5 vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence 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
Both are free to download. GistForge sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Smashviews asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Smashviews against 5.0 for GistForge. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Smashviews has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Smashviews ships an update every 4 days, GistForge weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Smashviews | GistForge |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (5 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Weekly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 43 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Evan Hedding | 增林 洪 |
In-app purchases
Smashviews
No in-app purchases
GistForge
- GistForge Pro$1.991 Month
- GistForge Pro$14.991 Year









