# Hydra vs RSS

The clearest difference is price: Hydra at Free against RSS's $4.99. Hydra also leads on ratings volume (797 vs 2) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). RSS's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 74%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and chart position there is nothing between them.

Hydra is free to download; RSS costs $4.99 up front. Hydra sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and RSS sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Hydra holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hydra has 797 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 74% of Hydra's written reviews are positive against 100% of RSS's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Hydra ships an update every 3 weeks, RSS weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hydra | RSS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (797 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hydra-read-upvote-comment/id6478089063/reviews)** | [4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rss-filter-news-feed-reader/id6738026699/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **797** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 74.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #170 | **#157** |
| Size | 75 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dimitrie Milinovich](https://appshunter.io/developer/1637204263) | [Volker Koch](https://appshunter.io/developer/907882770) |

## What reviewers say

### Hydra

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hydra-read-upvote-comment/id6478089063)

**Currently charting:** #170 Top Free · News (US App Store)

Experience subreddits with a fast, fluid, and native iOS client. Enjoy seamless browsing, an immersive media viewer, and customizable themes. It's designed for both casual users and power Redditors.

**Highlights:** Lightning-fast loading, Multireddit support, Favorite subreddits, Native iOS design, Image and video viewer, Multiple account support, Quick access gestures

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hydra Pro | $2.99 | per month |
| Nice Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Amazing Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Incredible Tip | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Massive potential
- 👍 Closest thing to Apollo
- 👍 Best option for 2025
- 👍 Better in almost every way
- 👍 Superior Reddit Client++

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Sketchy security

**Reported bugs**

- Expect some bumps

**Requested features**

- Customizing the gestures and hiding the username on the tab bar
- Content blocking, comment images, startup feed, and others


### RSS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rss-filter-news-feed-reader/id6738026699)

**Currently charting:** #157 Top Paid · News (US App Store)

This news reader allows you to control your content with advanced filtering options. Blacklist, whitelist, or graylist terms to ensure you see what matters without wasting time. Enjoy a clutter-free experience with no ads or data sharing.

**Highlights:** Advanced filtering (blacklist, whitelist, graylist), Content control, Clutter-free reading, No ads, account, or data sharing, iCloud syncing, One-time in-app purchase for unlimited filters

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| One-Time Unlock | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hydra free?

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

### Is RSS free?

RSS costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Hydra or RSS?

Hydra is rated higher. Hydra averages 4.8 out of 5 from 797 ratings, while RSS averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Hydra or RSS have ads?

Neither Hydra nor RSS shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hydra or RSS?

Hydra ships an update every 3 weeks, and RSS weekly. Most recently, Hydra was updated on October 24, 2026 and RSS on October 18, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Hydra or RSS?

Hydra currently peaks at #170 in the App Store charts, and RSS at #157. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*