Comparison

TidBITS News vs NetNewsWire

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

Head to head
About

TidBITS News

Access the latest news and product updates for Mac and iOS devices from a long-standing internet publication. Read full articles with graphics and embedded videos, and follow links to external resources. Content is downloaded for offline reading.

Highlights
  • Headline and summary display
  • Pull-to-refresh functionality
  • Full article reading with graphics and video
  • Adjustable font sizes
  • In-app web browsing
  • Offline content access
Read full description

Stay up to date with the latest news and products in the Mac and iOS worlds with TidBITS (tidbits.com), the oldest Internet-only publication on the planet! The award-winning publication was founded in 1990 by Adam Engst, regularly voted one of the most influential figures in the Macintosh industry. Displays headlines and summaries for the most recent TidBITS stories. At the top of the headline screen, pull to refresh the list. Tap to read the full text of any recent TidBITS article, complete with graphics and embedded movies. Choose among font sizes for reading articles. Follow links to referenced Web sites and other Internet resources in Safari. All headlines and articles are downloaded to your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch so you can catch up on TidBITS while on the subway or on an iPad/iPod touch that's out of range of a Wi-Fi network.

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

Screenshots

TidBITS News2 screens
NetNewsWire4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: NetNewsWire at 4.7 against TidBITS News's 3.8. NetNewsWire also leads on ratings volume (882 vs 6) and update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

NetNewsWire holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NetNewsWire has 882 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of TidBITS News's written reviews are positive against 85% of NetNewsWire's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TidBITS News ships an update every 4 months, NetNewsWire monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
TidBITS News versus NetNewsWire: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTidBITS NewsNetNewsWire
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (6 ratings)4.7 (882 ratings) — better
Positive reviews64.3% of reviews84.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6882 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank—#145 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB27 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperMatt NeuburgBrent Simmons

Customer experience

TidBITS News

All ratings6 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews42 reviews
Positive64.3%
Neutral2.4%
Negative33.3%

NetNewsWire

All ratings882 ratings
Positive93.8%
Neutral2.3%
Negative4.0%
Written reviews321 reviews
Positive84.7%
Neutral7.5%
Negative7.8%

In-app purchases

None

TidBITS News

No in-app purchases

None

NetNewsWire

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TidBITS News free?
TidBITS News is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is NetNewsWire free?
NetNewsWire is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, TidBITS News or NetNewsWire?
NetNewsWire is rated higher. TidBITS News averages 3.8 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while NetNewsWire averages 4.7 from 882 ratings.
Do TidBITS News or NetNewsWire have ads?
Neither TidBITS News nor NetNewsWire shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TidBITS News or NetNewsWire?
TidBITS News ships an update every 4 months, and NetNewsWire monthly. Most recently, TidBITS News was updated on September 18, 2026 and NetNewsWire on September 23, 2026.

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