# Sylfeed vs Byline 5

The clearest difference is price: Byline 5 at Free against Sylfeed's $2.99. Byline 5 also leads on ratings volume (73 vs 3) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 18.2). Sylfeed's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and review sentiment (70% vs 41%). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Byline 5 is free to download; Sylfeed costs $2.99 up front. Byline 5 sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Sylfeed asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sylfeed holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Byline 5 has 73 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Sylfeed's written reviews are positive against 41% of Byline 5's.

Sylfeed ships an update every 5 weeks, Byline 5 every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sylfeed | Byline 5 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sylfeed/id403879490/reviews)** | [4.3 (73 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/byline-5/id946110496/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **73** |
| Positive reviews | **70.0% of reviews** | 40.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#43** | — |
| Size | 6 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.2 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [GACHANET](https://appshunter.io/developer/403879493) | [Phantom Fish](https://appshunter.io/developer/284946776) |

## What reviewers say

### Sylfeed

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sylfeed/id403879490)

**Currently charting:** #43 Top Paid · News (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Byline 5

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/byline-5/id946110496)

Access your favorite news sources and blogs, even without an internet connection. Subscribe to thousands of RSS feeds and stay updated with automatic syncing across all your devices. Enjoy a streamlined reading experience with offline access and quick navigation.

**Highlights:** Offline reading with cached content, Syncs across devices and web, Quick article navigation, Background app refresh for syncing, Discover new feeds and search articles

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Byline Premium | $2.99 | one-time |
| Byline Premium | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great offline reader
- ✨ Sleek new design
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Good for subway/plane reading

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Freezes frequently
- 🐛 Ads in paid version
- 🐛 Unable to sign in via Google
- 🐛 Swipe sensitivity issues
- 🐛 Offline caching broken

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes after opening articles
- App attempts to paste from clipboard on opening
- Paid version still shows ads
- Unable to sign in via Google account
- Google login error: 'This browser or app may not be secure'

**Requested features**

- Add progress indicator for downloads
- Add dark mode
- Add widgets
- Improve swipe sensitivity
- Allow reordering of feeds


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sylfeed free?

Sylfeed costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Byline 5 free?

Byline 5 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Sylfeed or Byline 5?

Sylfeed is rated higher. Sylfeed averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Byline 5 averages 4.3 from 73 ratings.

### Do Sylfeed or Byline 5 have ads?

Neither Sylfeed nor Byline 5 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sylfeed or Byline 5?

Sylfeed ships an update every 5 weeks, and Byline 5 every 5 months. Most recently, Sylfeed was updated on October 20, 2026 and Byline 5 on October 22, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*