Comparison

Surfboard vs Newsful

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

Newsful

Features
Read full description

Newsful is a fast, focused RSS reader that turns your favorite blogs, news sites, and publications into one calm, distraction-free feed. No ads, no algorithms, no tracking, just the stories you chose to follow, delivered the moment they go live. Pull articles from any RSS, Atom, or JSON feed, organize them into groups, and read with a polished reader view that strips away clutter and pulls in the full text from sites that only publish summaries. Star what matters, save what you want to revisit, and search across everything you've ever subscribed to. Your library syncs seamlessly across iPhone and iPad through iCloud, so the article you started this morning is waiting where you left it tonight. KEY FEATURES – Subscribe to any RSS, Atom, or JSON feed – Full-text extraction for feeds that only publish summaries – Beautiful, readable article view with adjustable font size and dark mode – Organize feeds into custom groups with emoji icons – Smart feeds: Today, All Unread, Starred, Read Later – OPML import and export to bring your subscriptions with you – Powerful search across titles and summaries – Swipe actions to mark read, star, save for later, or delete – Pull-to-refresh and automatic background updates – iCloud sync across all your devices – Share to any app or open in Safari with one tap – Light, fast, and built natively for iOS PREMIUM Newsful is free to try with up to 5 feeds. Unlock Newsful Premium with a one-time purchase to add unlimited feeds and enable full-text extraction for every article. PRIVACY Newsful does not track you, does not sell your data, and does not require an account. Your subscriptions and reading history stay on your device and in your private iCloud. Have feedback or a feature request? Get in touch at contact@randusoft.ro

Screenshots

Surfboard3 screens
Newsful4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Newsful at Free against Surfboard's $4.99. Surfboard's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). On 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

Newsful is free to download; Surfboard costs $4.99 up front. Newsful sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Surfboard asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Surfboard ships an update fortnightly, Newsful every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Surfboard versus Newsful: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSurfboardNewsful
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
Best chart rank#122 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB19 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperIan LeonRanduSoft SRL

In-app purchases

None

Surfboard

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Newsful

One-time1
  • Premium Membership$9.99

Questions

Is Surfboard free?
Surfboard costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Newsful free?
Newsful is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Surfboard or Newsful have ads?
Neither Surfboard nor Newsful shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Surfboard or Newsful?
Surfboard ships an update fortnightly, and Newsful every 3 months. Most recently, Surfboard was updated on November 8, 2026 and Newsful on November 5, 2026.

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