# Heavy Headlines vs NetNewsWire

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NetNewsWire at none against Heavy Headlines's 4. NetNewsWire also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Heavy Headlines sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. NetNewsWire asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Heavy Headlines against 4.7 for NetNewsWire. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1K and 882 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 92% of Heavy Headlines's written reviews are positive against 85% of NetNewsWire's.

Heavy Headlines ships an update every 5 months, NetNewsWire monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 1, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Heavy Headlines | NetNewsWire |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heavy-headlines/id623879550/reviews)** | [4.7 (882 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/netnewswire-rss-reader/id1480640210/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1K** | 882 |
| Positive reviews | **92.3% of reviews** | 84.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#145** |
| Size | 25 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Nativity Mobile, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/623879553) | [Brent Simmons](https://appshunter.io/developer/1480640209) |

## What reviewers say

### Heavy Headlines

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heavy-headlines/id623879550)

Stay updated with all things metal. This app aggregates news, new album releases, and concert listings from top sources. It personalizes your feed based on your favorite bands and offers ticket purchasing directly within the app.

**Highlights:** Aggregates metal news from top sources, Personalized feed based on favorite bands, Explore new album releases, Find and purchase concert tickets, Automatic background news refresh, Customizable themes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Flip the Horns | $0.99 | one-time |
| Head Bang | $2.99 | one-time |
| Odin's Blessings | $4.99 | one-time |
| Blood Sacrifice | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Convenient one-stop shop for metal news
- 🚀 Efficient and user-friendly app
- 📰 Wide range of articles and news coverage
- 🤘 Great for keeping up with the metal scene

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and freezes
- 💰 Intrusive and excessive ads
- 🔄 Outdated content and lack of updates

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Incompatibility with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Customizable news feed
- Better ad management


### NetNewsWire

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/netnewswire-rss-reader/id1480640210)

**Currently charting:** #145 Top Free · News (US App Store)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Heavy Headlines free?

Heavy Headlines is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is NetNewsWire free?

NetNewsWire is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Heavy Headlines or NetNewsWire?

Heavy Headlines is rated higher. Heavy Headlines averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while NetNewsWire averages 4.7 from 882 ratings.

### Do Heavy Headlines or NetNewsWire have ads?

Heavy Headlines shows ads; NetNewsWire does not.

### Which is updated more often, Heavy Headlines or NetNewsWire?

Heavy Headlines ships an update every 5 months, and NetNewsWire monthly. Most recently, Heavy Headlines was updated on September 1, 2026 and NetNewsWire on September 23, 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.*