Comparison

Curate News vs SmartRSS

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

Head to head
About

Curate News

Tailor your news consumption by defining your interests. Receive daily, summarized news briefs focused on what matters most to you, with no irrelevant content or excessive notifications. Listen to news summaries as podcasts and translate them into your preferred language.

Highlights
  • Personalized news feeds
  • Daily news podcast briefs
  • News translation
  • Customizable interests
  • Minimal notifications
Features
Read full description

Curate News helps you keep up with the stories that matter to you without wading through a generic feed. Build a personalized daily briefing around your interests, then catch up fast with concise summaries that are easy to scan whenever you have a spare minute. When you would rather listen than read, switch into audio and keep moving. Curate News also gives you room to explore beyond your main feed with Discover, topic drill-downs, and related stories when you want broader coverage. Inside the app you can: • shape your feed around your interests • read concise story briefings before opening the original source • listen to your news briefing in audio • explore topics and discovery surfaces beyond your main feed • manage preferences, language, legal, and account settings from Profile Curate News is designed to help you stay informed with less noise and more control.

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

Curate News4 screens
SmartRSS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Curate News at 5.0 against SmartRSS's 4.6. SmartRSS's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 weeks) and ratings volume (17 vs 3). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Curate News sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 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

Curate News holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SmartRSS has 17 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Curate News ships an update every 3 weeks, SmartRSS every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Curate News versus SmartRSS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCurate NewsSmartRSS
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better4.6 (17 ratings)
Positive reviews—90.9% of reviews
Number of ratings317 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS15.115.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB83 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperEsey铫 刘

Customer experience

Curate News

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

SmartRSS

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

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Curate News

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Annual$41.991 Year
3 purchases

SmartRSS

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

Questions

Is Curate News free?
Curate News 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, Curate News or SmartRSS?
Curate News is rated higher. Curate News averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while SmartRSS averages 4.6 from 17 ratings.
Do Curate News or SmartRSS have ads?
Neither Curate News nor SmartRSS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Curate News or SmartRSS?
Curate News ships an update every 3 weeks, and SmartRSS every 6 days. Most recently, Curate News was updated on October 6, 2026 and SmartRSS on October 28, 2026.

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