Comparison

TidBITS News vs iDev News

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

iDev News

Stay informed about Swift development with aggregated news articles from various online sources. This app offers a curated selection of content, allowing you to bookmark favorites for a personalized learning experience.

Highlights
  • Aggregated development news
  • Curated article selection
  • Bookmark favorite articles
  • Stay updated on Swift
  • Streamlined learning experience
Read full description

iDev News is the fastest way for iOS developers to stay on top of Swift, SwiftUI, and Apple development news — without the tab overload. Instead of jumping between blogs, websites, and bookmarks, discover the best iOS development articles from across the web — all in one place. What's inside: - Curated articles from top Swift & iOS sources - Bookmark favorites to your personal reading list - Stay current on SwiftUI updates, Swift releases, and new Apple frameworks - A clean, distraction-free reading experience built for developers Whether you're a beginner learning Swift or a seasoned developer tracking Apple's latest technologies, iDev News keeps you informed and growing. Download iDev News and make it part of your daily dev routine.

Screenshots

TidBITS News2 screens
iDev News4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: iDev News at 5.0 against TidBITS News's 3.8. iDev News also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume, 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

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

iDev News holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 4 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TidBITS News ships an update every 4 months, iDev News every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and July 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
TidBITS News versus iDev News: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTidBITS NewsiDev News
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (6 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews64.3% of reviews
Number of ratings6 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMatt NeuburgCarlos King

Customer experience

TidBITS News

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

iDev News

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

TidBITS News

No in-app purchases

None

iDev News

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TidBITS News free?
TidBITS News is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is iDev News free?
iDev News is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, TidBITS News or iDev News?
iDev News is rated higher. TidBITS News averages 3.8 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while iDev News averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do TidBITS News or iDev News have ads?
Neither TidBITS News nor iDev News shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TidBITS News or iDev News?
TidBITS News ships an update every 4 months, and iDev News every 7 months. Most recently, TidBITS News was updated on September 18, 2026 and iDev News on July 22, 2026.

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