# Riverside vs Circles Reader

The clearest difference is ads: Riverside at none against Circles Reader's shown. Circles Reader's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Riverside ships an update every 3 months, Circles Reader fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on August 25, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Riverside | Circles Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/riverside-rss-reader/id6475339412/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2** | — |
| Positive reviews | 14.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 7 MB | 58 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Maiku Yamaguchi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1500208615) | [Circles Incorporated](https://appshunter.io/developer/1748502655) |

## What reviewers say

### Riverside

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/riverside-rss-reader/id6475339412)

A streamlined RSS reader for effortless news and blog consumption. Enjoy a clutter-free reading experience with home screen widgets and timely notifications for new content.

**Highlights:** Clean interface, Home screen widgets, Lock screen widgets, Background updates, Timely notifications

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Circles Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circles-reader-rss-reader/id6503230954)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Riverside free?

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

### Is Circles Reader free?

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

### Do Riverside or Circles Reader have ads?

Circles Reader shows ads; Riverside does not.

### Which is updated more often, Riverside or Circles Reader?

Riverside ships an update every 3 months, and Circles Reader fortnightly. Most recently, Riverside was updated on August 25, 2026 and Circles Reader on September 20, 2026.

---

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