Comparison

FeedTube vs Heaps Reader

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

Head to head
About

FeedTube

This app aggregates YouTube channel feeds into a single, ad-free viewing experience. It allows users to follow channels, customize playback, and manage content without needing a YouTube account. All data is stored locally for enhanced privacy.

Highlights
  • YouTube channel RSS feed aggregation
  • Ad-free video playback
  • Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode
  • Background playback
  • No account required
  • Local data storage
  • Content filtering (Videos, Shorts, Live)
Read full description

FeedTube is a handy YouTube channel feed (RSS) viewer. It’s very simple to use: Go to the Search tab, look for the channels you usually follow, and tap the Follow button. That’s it! It includes cool features like: • Change video quality. • Change audio track (if available). • Full screen. • Picture-in-Picture (PiP). • AirPlay. • Play in the background. • No ads while playing videos. • HQ thumbnails. • Recover all videos from channel [experimental]. • Customize share. • Bookmarks. • Import/Export. …and more! It stays in sync with any changes, such as updates to thumbnails, channel avatars, view counters, etc. NO ACCOUNT REQUIRED!!! (We live in an era where almost every app requires an account. Keeping track of usernames and passwords can be a hassle, and sometimes it’s just annoying to sign up just to use an app.) All data is saved using the power of SwiftData and remains completely private on your device. No servers in the middle. Everything stays on your device. All your feeds are visible in the Home tab. You can filter content by: • All • Only Videos • Only Shorts • Only Live Plus, with a simple toggle switch in the top-right corner (“Unwatched”), you can hide what you’ve already watched, keeping only the content you still need to see. If you tap on a video’s title, you can view its details and enjoy a more comfortable video player. All the channels you follow are listed in the Follow tab, where you can also see all the videos retrieved from the feed, along with some basic channel info and if you touch channel avatar you can read a description of channel. -- Subscription Details -- • Monthly and annual subscriptions are available. • Payment will be charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. • Your subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is disabled at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. • Automatic renewals will be charged at the same price you were originally charged for the subscription. • Subscriptions can be managed or cancelled by going to Account Settings on the App Store after purchase. • Lifetime Premium is also available as a one-time purchase with no recurring charges. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://fabiodev.altervista.org/app/FeedTube/privacy-policy/

About

Heaps Reader

Organize and consume RSS feeds and podcasts with a unique swipe-based interface. Enjoy distraction-free reading, article summaries, and offline podcast playback. Seamlessly manage subscriptions and discover content.

Highlights
  • Swipe-based article triage
  • Reader mode for distraction-free reading
  • Article summaries with Apple Intelligence
  • Podcast player with offline downloads
  • Organize feeds into colorful collections
  • iCloud sync across devices
Features
Read full description

Heaps is an RSS and podcast reader for iPhone built around one idea: getting through your feeds should feel good. Organize your subscriptions into colorful collections called Heaps. Pick from 40 colors and custom icons to make each one yours. Then swipe through articles like a deck of cards — left to skip, right to save, up to mark as read. Or simply tap to read now. A progress bar shows how far you've got to go, haptic feedback keeps every gesture satisfying, and an undo stack means you'll never accidentally lose something. When you tap into an article, you choose how to read it. Reader mode strips away ads and trackers while giving you a clean, formatted experience. Browser mode loads the full site and keeps you logged in to paywalled publishers, so you don't re-enter credentials every visit. If you're short on time, article summaries powered by Apple Intelligence give you the gist in seconds. Podcasts live alongside your feeds, too!. Search, subscribe, adjust playback speed, queue up episodes, and download for offline listening — all without leaving the app. Oh, and Ben the Sheep lives in the app too! He's always there to show you around and cheer you on. Key features: Swipe-based card interface for fast article triage Reader mode for clean, distraction-free articles Browser mode with persistent logins for paywalled sites Article summaries powered by Apple Intelligence Podcast player with speed controls and offline downloads Save articles and clips to a personal library Mute words to hide topics you don't care about iCloud sync across devices with no accounts needed Background refresh so new articles are ready when you open the app Import and export via OPML Subscribe to RSS, Atom, and JSON feeds. Follow your favorite blogs, newspapers, and indie publishers. Keep your podcasts in the same place. Heaps makes all of it feel like one smooth workflow.

Screenshots

FeedTube4 screens
Heaps Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Heaps Reader at free against FeedTube's paid. Heaps Reader also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 9 days). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Heaps Reader holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 3 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FeedTube ships an update every 9 days, Heaps Reader every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
FeedTube versus Heaps Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFeedTubeHeaps Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (2 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings23 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS26.026.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB28 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperFabio BrunengoZachary Brown

Customer experience

FeedTube

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Heaps Reader

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

In-app purchases

None

FeedTube

No in-app purchases

None

Heaps Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FeedTube free?
FeedTube is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Heaps Reader free?
Heaps Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, FeedTube or Heaps Reader?
Heaps Reader is rated higher. FeedTube averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Heaps Reader averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do FeedTube or Heaps Reader have ads?
Neither FeedTube nor Heaps Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FeedTube or Heaps Reader?
FeedTube ships an update every 9 days, and Heaps Reader every 2 days. Most recently, FeedTube was updated on October 9, 2026 and Heaps Reader on September 22, 2026.

Other comparisons