Comparison

TidBITS News vs Sylfeed

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
Features
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

Sylfeed

A streamlined RSS reader designed for efficient article consumption with minimal finger movement. Offers features like iCloud and Feedly sync, image preloading, and advanced filtering by keyword or tag. Supports offline reading and integration with popular services like Pocket and Evernote.

Highlights
  • iCloud and Feedly sync
  • Image and webpage preloading
  • Article filtering by unread, starred, keyword
  • Tagging support
  • Offline reading and actions
  • Integration with Pocket, Evernote, Buffer
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Sylfeed is a RSS Reader. This app is designed to be able to perform all operations with less finger movement. Therefore, you can read the article comfortably. also this app has unique features such as tagging or keyword search. §Features - Sync with iCloud (Stand-alone) - Sync with Feedly - Image preloading - Multi accounts support - Landscape mode support - Filtering articles unread, starred, and keyword - Tagging support - Offline support (reading, starring, tagging, more actions) - Read Later - Webpage Preloading - Multiple Post - Instant Post §Unread button - Unread button shows number of unread articles - Unread button has several roles by situation In list view - Tap to show the earliest unread article - Long press to mark all as read - Slide left to mark as read - Slide right to read now (or read later) - Slide up to undo In article view - Tap to next, Double tap to previous - Long press to scroll (and slide to accelerate) §External Services - Twitter - Buffer - HatenaBookmark - Evernote - Instapaper - Pocket

Screenshots

TidBITS News2 screens
Sylfeed4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: TidBITS News at Free against Sylfeed's $2.99. Sylfeed's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 3.4) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 4 months). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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

TidBITS News is free to download; Sylfeed costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sylfeed holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of TidBITS News's written reviews are positive against 70% of Sylfeed's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TidBITS News ships an update every 4 months, Sylfeed every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
TidBITS News versus Sylfeed: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTidBITS NewsSylfeed
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating3.4 (7 ratings)4.7 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.8% of reviews70.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#43 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.018.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB6 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperMatt NeuburgGACHANET

Customer experience

TidBITS News

All ratings7 ratings
Positive57.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative42.9%
Written reviews43 reviews
Positive62.8%
Neutral2.3%
Negative34.9%

Sylfeed

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews70 reviews
Positive70.0%
Neutral7.1%
Negative22.9%

In-app purchases

None

TidBITS News

No in-app purchases

None

Sylfeed

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TidBITS News free?
TidBITS News is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sylfeed free?
Sylfeed costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, TidBITS News or Sylfeed?
Sylfeed is rated higher. TidBITS News averages 3.4 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Sylfeed averages 4.7 from 3 ratings.
Do TidBITS News or Sylfeed have ads?
Neither TidBITS News nor Sylfeed shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TidBITS News or Sylfeed?
TidBITS News ships an update every 4 months, and Sylfeed every 5 weeks. Most recently, TidBITS News was updated on November 1, 2026 and Sylfeed on November 1, 2026.

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