Comparison

Particle vs SmartRSS

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

Head to head
About

Particle

Stay informed with news tailored to your interests, presented from multiple viewpoints. Get concise summaries, discover related podcasts, and listen to your personalized news feed. Follow specific topics, people, or publishers for instant updates.

Highlights
  • Multi-perspective news stories
  • Customizable summaries
  • Podcast clips integrated into articles
  • Listen to news feed
  • Follow topics, people, and publishers
  • Interactive Q&A for stories
  • Daily news digests
Features
Read full description

PERSONALIZED NEWS Keep up with the topics that matter most to you. NOT JUST ARTICLES... MULTI-PERSPECTIVE STORIES Particle brings you news from many sources and shows multiple perspectives in one place. See the different sides of a story with "Opposite Sides", and understand how a story is being covered with Particle's political spectrum chart. SUMMARIZED, YOUR WAY Read the news in summarized bullet points that tell you what you need to know. Choose from different summary styles, like "Explain Like I'm 5", "The 5Ws", or even a different language to help you understand the story in the best way for you. DISCOVER RELEVANT PODCASTS Particle listens to podcasts to identify key moments, clip them, and place them right inside the stories you're already reading. LISTEN TO THE NEWS Hit "Play" to listen to your personalized feed of news—perfect for your commute or being hands-free! FOLLOW ANYTHING Follow people, places, and things to always get news about them right in your feed. Follow journalists and publishers to always see content from them, too. Want it even faster? When something you follow is making news, you can choose to get notified right away. INTERACTIVE Need to learn more? Ask a question about any story, and Particle will answer it for you. Browse questions to learn from what others have asked. DAILY DIGESTS Get push notifications for your top news every day. UPGRADE YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH PARTICLE+ Become a premium subscriber for access to even more customization. Premium subscribers get: Custom Summaries, Voice Choice, Private Questions, access to the entire crossword archive, and a variety of App Icons. Terms of use: https://particle.news/terms

About

SmartRSS

This app offers an intelligent RSS reading experience with AI-powered article summaries and text-to-speech functionality. It synchronizes across multiple platforms and services, providing a clean, customizable interface for modern content consumption.

Highlights
  • AI-powered article summaries
  • Natural text-to-speech audio
  • Cross-platform synchronization
  • Adaptive Material You Design
  • Intelligent feed organization
  • Offline reading support
  • OPML import/export
Features
Read full description

SmartRSS takes RSS reading beyond the ordinary. Bring all your favorite content into one place, from RSS feeds and blogs to podcasts, YouTube, Reddit, Substack, Mastodon, Bluesky, and more. Discover 80,000+ built-in sources and use AI to summarize, translate, and understand articles faster, while text-to-speech turns your reading list into high-quality audio. With powerful customization, offline reading, and seamless sync across popular RSS services, SmartRSS adapts to the way you read. Outstanding Features: • AI Customization: Generate smart summaries and translations with tailored prompts • Vast Content Library - 80,000+ built-in RSS subscription sources covering blogs, podcasts, Medium, Mastodon, Bluesky, Substack, YouTube, Reddit and more • Text to Speech - Convert articles into high-quality audio, with support for playback queue and background playback • Universal Sync - Works seamlessly with Miniflux, FreshRSS, Feedly, Folo, Feedbin, NewsBlur, Bazqux, Inoreader, Gobbler and Google Reader compatible services • Adaptive Design - Material You Design interface that supports multiple font and theme color settings • Intelligent Organization - Group feeds logically, star important articles, track reading progress • Offline Ready - Continue reading even without internet connection • Easy Migration - OPML import/export for seamless setup from other apps • Bionic Reading: Integrate for faster, more efficient text navigation. Comprehensive Sync Support: • Local Privacy Mode - Complete data control with device-only storage • Cloud Sync Support - Support Miniflux, FreshRSS, Feedly, Folo, Feedbin, NewsBlur, Bazqux, Inoreader and Google Reader API synchronization Smart Reading Experience: • AI Article Analysis - Understand content quickly with intelligent summaries • Full-Text Extraction - Get complete articles from truncated feeds • Gesture Navigation - Intuitive swipe actions and interactions • Reading Customization - Personalize fonts, sizes, and spacing Privacy & Security: • Local data storage with optional cloud sync • You control where your data lives Why Choose SmartRSS: • BYOK AI Integration: Enjoy premium AI features at a fraction of the cost—averaging less than $0.10 per week. • Minimalist Reading: A clean, native, and distraction-free environment designed for deep focus. • High Performance: Lightning-fast responsiveness with fluid, smooth animations. • Continuous Innovation: Frequent updates bringing you the latest features and optimizations. The ultimate tool for news enthusiasts, tech bloggers, and researchers to stay ahead of the curve and curate their favorite content in one place. Subscription Information: • This app offers optional premium subscriptions to unlock advanced features. • Monthly Subscription – $1.29 per month (auto-renewable) • Yearly Subscription – $11.99 per year (auto-renewable) • Lifetime Purchase – $19.99 (one-time payment) Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription anytime in your App Store account settings after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://vinsonguo.github.io/smartrss_privacy_policy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Particle4 screens
SmartRSS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Particle at 1.2K against SmartRSS's 17. Particle also leads on chart position (#69 vs unranked). SmartRSS's advantage is review sentiment (91% vs 80%) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, update cadence and 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

Both are free to download. Particle sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and SmartRSS sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.29 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Particle against 4.6 for SmartRSS. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Particle has 1.2K ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Particle's written reviews are positive against 91% of SmartRSS's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Particle ships an update every 9 days, SmartRSS every 6 days. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Particle versus SmartRSS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterParticleSmartRSS
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1.2K ratings) — better4.6 (17 ratings)
Positive reviews80.3% of reviews90.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.2K — better17
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
Best chart rank#69 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size395 MB83 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperMina Labs, Inc.铫 刘

Customer experience

Particle

All ratings1,239 ratings
Positive94.3%
Neutral1.7%
Negative4.0%
Written reviews436 reviews
Positive80.3%
Neutral6.2%
Negative13.5%

SmartRSS

All ratings17 ratings
Positive94.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive90.9%
Neutral4.5%
Negative4.5%

Bugs and requests

Particle

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App crashes when updating story mix
  • Outdated articles appearing at the top of feeds

Requested features

3 requests
  • Improved categorization and organization of news
  • Expanded international news coverage
  • Option to completely filter out unwanted political content

SmartRSS

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Particle

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Yearly$29.991 Year
3 purchases

SmartRSS

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$1.291 Month
  • Premium Yearly$11.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium Lifetime$19.99

Questions

Is Particle free?
Particle is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SmartRSS free?
SmartRSS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Particle or SmartRSS?
Particle is rated higher. Particle averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while SmartRSS averages 4.6 from 17 ratings.
Do Particle or SmartRSS have ads?
Neither Particle nor SmartRSS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Particle or SmartRSS?
Particle ships an update every 9 days, and SmartRSS every 6 days. Most recently, Particle was updated on October 30, 2026 and SmartRSS on October 30, 2026.

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