Comparison

The Progress vs SOURCE! News Reader

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

Head to head
About

The Progress

Access in-depth local journalism, breaking news, and engaging multimedia content. Customize your reading experience with features like offline access, adjustable text size, and night mode. Enjoy a streamlined interface for news, sports, and community events.

Highlights
  • In-depth journalism
  • Breaking news alerts
  • Streamlined multimedia experience
  • Offline reading
  • Customizable text size and night mode
  • eNewspaper access
Features
Read full description

From critically acclaimed storytelling to powerful photography to engaging videos — The Progress-Index app delivers the local news that matters most to your community. APP FEATURES: • Access all of our in-depth journalism, including things to do around town, sports coverage from high school to the pros, and much more. • Enjoy a streamlined, fast-loading experience that makes it easy to view the stories, photos, and videos that matter to you. • Get breaking news, sports scores, and weather alerts with real-time notifications tailored to your interests. • Customize your experience by saving your favorite stories, adjusting text size, using night mode, or reading offline. • eNewspaper: Just like our print edition but accessible on your mobile devices. And access to USA TODAY and 200+ local eNewspapers. MORE INFORMATION: • Privacy Policy: https://cm.progress-index.com/privacy/ • Terms of Service: https://cm.progress-index.com/terms/ • Help Center: https://help.progress-index.com • Subscriptions are charged to your account at confirmation of purchase and automatically renew each month or year, unless turned off in your account settings at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage your subscriptions and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to your Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription, where applicable. See "Subscription Support" in the app's Settings for more details and customer service contact information.

About

SOURCE! News Reader

Features
Read full description

Take Back Your Mind. SOURCE! is where you check the news before you open social media. No algorithm decides what lands in front of you, no billionaire-owned feed reorders your reality to chase engagement, and no outrage loop dictates your morning. Just handpicked RSS Packs of vetted, independent journalism—and the sources you choose—delivered in the exact order they were published. Before you step into the noise, get the full picture on your terms. WHY SOURCE! FIRST? Zero Algorithms: Every story comes straight from an RSS feed in real-time. Nothing is boosted because it's controversial; nothing is hidden to keep you scrolling. Curated Packs: RSS Packs are starter packs for your news feed. Jumpstart your reading with collections like Headlines: Best in the World, or build your own custom Packs around topics and local outlets. Context Without the Outrage: Use Buzz to see what journalists and creators are discussing on Bluesky without the like/repost counts or outrage bait. Complete Control: Add your own custom RSS feeds, save stories for later, or export your Packs anywhere as open RSS feeds—because your feed belongs to you, not a platform. Check the news first. Own your mind.

Screenshots

The Progress4 screens
SOURCE! News Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SOURCE! News Reader at none against The Progress's 4. SOURCE! News Reader also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On price 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. The Progress sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. SOURCE! News Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
The Progress versus SOURCE! News Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe ProgressSOURCE! News Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (7 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings7 — better—
Update frequencyMonthly—
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size184 MB2 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperUSA TODAY Co., Inc.Jason Sattler

In-app purchases

4 purchases

The Progress

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly Digital Rate1 Month trial$9.991 Month
  • Monthly Digital Rate1 Month trial$14.991 Month
  • Monthly Digital Subscription1 Month trial$16.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • Annual Digital Subscription1 Year trial$69.991 Year
None

SOURCE! News Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is The Progress free?
The Progress is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SOURCE! News Reader free?
SOURCE! News Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do The Progress or SOURCE! News Reader have ads?
The Progress shows ads; SOURCE! News Reader does not.

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