# Circles Reader vs 4th Estate

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Circles Reader at none against 4th Estate's 1. Circles Reader also leads on iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.2). 4th Estate's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 4th Estate sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $49.99 per year. Circles Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

Circles Reader ships an update fortnightly, 4th Estate weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Circles Reader | 4th Estate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Size | 58 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 26.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Circles Incorporated](https://appshunter.io/developer/1748502655) | [Parag Patel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1874007970) |

## What reviewers say

### Circles Reader

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

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### 4th Estate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/4th-estate/id6758970736)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fourth Estate Premium | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Circles Reader free?

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

### Is 4th Estate free?

4th Estate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Circles Reader or 4th Estate have ads?

Circles Reader shows ads; 4th Estate does not.

### Which is updated more often, Circles Reader or 4th Estate?

Circles Reader ships an update fortnightly, and 4th Estate weekly. Most recently, Circles Reader was updated on September 20, 2026 and 4th Estate on September 16, 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.*