Comparison

Surfboard vs Glanced

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Surfboard

This app acts as a personalized news aggregator, allowing users to easily organize and curate content from various online sources into a single, streamlined feed. It offers a customizable reading experience with features like dark/light mode adaptation and respects system text size settings for accessibility.

Highlights
  • Effortless URL management
  • Customizable content curation by topics
  • Streamlined single feed
  • SwiftUI interface
  • SwiftData for reliable data handling
  • System setting adaptation (dark/light mode)
  • Accessibility-focused design
Currently charting
Read full description

Surfboard - RSS Reader is not just an app; it's your personalized news concierge. Designed for the savvy, on-the-go individual, Surfboard transforms how you interact with the online world of news, blogs, and stories. Effortless Organization: Easily add and manage URLs with our Feeds feature. No more jumping between sites - get all your favorite content in one streamlined feed. Customized Content Curation: Our Topics feature allows you to categorize your feeds, ensuring you only see what interests you. Tailor your news experience to your personal tastes and preferences. State-of-the-Art Technology: Enjoy a smooth, responsive interface crafted with SwiftUI. Experience quick, reliable data handling thanks to SwiftData - all leading to a more enjoyable reading experience. A Reading Experience Tailored to You: Surfboard automatically adapts to your preferred system settings. Whether you're a fan of dark mode or prefer light mode, the app adjusts to your choice, ensuring a comfortable reading environment. Accessibility-First Design: We recognize the importance of accessibility. That's why Surfboard respects your device's text size settings, making it easier for everyone, including users with visual impairments, to read and enjoy content. Why Choose Surfboard? In a world overloaded with information, Surfboard is your personal filter, bringing you directly to what matters most. It's not just about staying updated; it's about staying informed in the most convenient, personalized way possible. With Surfboard, you control the waves of information. Dive into a world where content meets convenience. Welcome to Surfboard - RSS Reader. Your news, refined and defined by you.

About

Glanced

Read full description

Stay on top of everything you care about, without the noise. Glanced brings your news, blogs, newsletters, and podcasts together in one clean, fast reader. Follow it all in a single place. At a Glance Glanced groups articles covering the same story into clusters, so the day's top news and every angle surface together. Catch up on what's happening without scrolling through duplicates. AI Summaries Get the key points of any article in seconds. Concise, accurate summaries help you decide what's worth your time before you commit to the full story. All Your Feeds, One Place Subscribe to RSS and Atom feeds, follow your favorite blogs, and bring everything together. Feeds refresh automatically, and you can import your existing subscriptions from any other reader with OPML. Podcasts Browse shows, queue episodes, and listen with speed controls and skip. A mini player keeps audio playing while you read, and your progress syncs across devices. Newsletters Turn email newsletters into articles. Send them to your unique Glanced address and read them alongside your feeds. No more inbox clutter. Smart Organization - Nested folders to group feeds your way - Tag articles to build a system that works for you - Save articles to a dedicated reading list - Saved searches to track the topics that matter - Auto-archive old, unread articles on a schedule you choose Discover Find your next favorite source in a built-in catalog of podcasts and outlets, or follow any site by its URL. Similar Articles Glanced surfaces related coverage from across all your feeds, so you never miss an important perspective on a story. Full Articles Read the complete article, not just the preview. Glanced pulls the full text so you get the whole story, whenever the publisher allows. Powerful Search Full-text search across titles, article content, and your own notes. Find anything in seconds. Notes Add your thoughts to any article. Your notes are fully searchable, so you can find them whenever you need them. Your Reading, Your Way Pick from grid, list, or magazine layouts. Tune font size and line spacing, and switch between light, dark, and system themes. Swipe between articles, power through with keyboard shortcuts, and share to your favorite apps. No Ads, No Clutter Built for readers, not advertisers. A clean, distraction-free experience that puts your content first. Everywhere You Read Your feeds, newsletters, and podcasts stay in sync. Pick up right where you left off.

Screenshots

Surfboard3 screens
Glanced4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Glanced at Free against Surfboard's $4.99. Glanced also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Surfboard's advantage is chart position (#121 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

Glanced is free to download; Surfboard costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Surfboard ships an update fortnightly, Glanced every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Surfboard versus Glanced: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSurfboardGlanced
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
Best chart rank#121 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIan LeonAmol Garhwal

In-app purchases

None

Surfboard

No in-app purchases

None

Glanced

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Surfboard free?
Surfboard costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Glanced free?
Glanced is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Surfboard or Glanced have ads?
Neither Surfboard nor Glanced shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Surfboard or Glanced?
Surfboard ships an update fortnightly, and Glanced every 9 days. Most recently, Surfboard was updated on November 4, 2026 and Glanced on October 28, 2026.

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