RSS Mobile vs NetNewsWire
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
RSS Mobile
This app allows you to read news from various channels directly on your device without relying on external web services. It downloads and stores feed updates locally for offline reading and supports easy migration with OPML file import/export.
- RSS, Atom, and JSON feed support
- Offline feed storage
- OPML import/export for migration
- Simplified linked webpage view
- Feed grouping
- Post flagging and hiding
- Safari browser subscription
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RSS Mobile is a standalone app for reading news channels that does not depend on any third-party web services. It downloads feed updates and stores them on your device for further reading. OPML-file import/export are supported, so you may perform migration easily. RSS Mobile is free and does not contain ads. Features: - RSS, Atom and JSON feeds support - Import / Export of OPML-files - Stores loaded posts locally - Simplified view of linked webpage in Reader - Grouping of feeds - Flagging and hiding of posts - Subscription from Safari browser - Dynamic Type - Pointer and Keyboard support for iPad - VoiceOver Any questions? Feel free to contact us: rssmobileapp@gmail.com
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.
- Direct feed downloading
- iCloud and third-party syncing
- Customizable article themes
- Reader view
- Starred articles
- Smart feeds
- Home screen widgets
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: NetNewsWire at monthly against RSS Mobile's every 3 months. NetNewsWire also leads on ratings volume (882 vs 54) and chart position (#146 vs unranked). On price, rating, review sentiment 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for RSS Mobile against 4.7 for NetNewsWire. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NetNewsWire has 882 ratings behind it against 54, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 82% of RSS Mobile's written reviews are positive against 85% of NetNewsWire's.
RSS Mobile ships an update every 3 months, NetNewsWire monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | RSS Mobile | NetNewsWire |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (54 ratings) | 4.7 (882 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 81.7% of reviews | 84.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 54 | 882 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | #146 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 27 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Elias Panfilow | Brent Simmons |
Customer experience
RSS Mobile
NetNewsWire
In-app purchases
RSS Mobile
No in-app purchases
NetNewsWire
No in-app purchases
