Comparison

RSS Reader vs Amethyst

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

Head to head
About

RSS Reader

Features
Read full description

Zers is a simple and powerful RSS reader that helps you stay up to date without distractions. Follow your favorite feeds, read articles in a clean format, and focus on the content that mattersβ€”without ads, banners, or clutter. Instead of manually saving links, Zers automatically brings new articles from your RSS feeds and turns them into a calm, readable experience you can enjoy anytime. Key Features: - RSS Feed Reader: Add your favorite RSS feeds and get new articles delivered automatically. - Background Refresh & Notifications: Stay informed with background updates and notifications when new articles are available. - Folders & Organization: Organize feeds into folders to keep everything structured and easy to find. - Clean Reading View: Articles are displayed in a distraction-free layout for comfortable reading. - Customize Your Reading Experience: Adjust font style and size to match your preferences. - Offline Reading: Articles are saved on your device so you can read them without an internet connection. - Search Within Articles: Quickly search through article content to find what you need. - Text Highlight & Notes: Highlight important sections and add optional notes for later reference. - Listen to Articles: Let Zers read articles aloud using natural-sounding voices. - Dark Mode Support: Read comfortably at night or in low-light environments. - Home Screen Widgets: Keep track of unread articles and reading progress at a glance. - iCloud Sync: Your feeds and articles stay in sync across all your devices. - Shortcuts Integration: Use Siri Shortcuts to build powerful reading workflows. Zers lets you experience all features for free, with up to 3 RSS feeds. If you follow more sources, upgrading unlocks unlimited feeds while keeping the same simple and private experience. Zers is built for readers who want to stay informed without noise. Follow your feeds, read offline, and enjoy a calm way to keep up with the web. Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Amethyst

A streamlined RSS reader designed for Apple devices, offering customizable feed organization, real-time notifications, and article bookmarking. It supports RSS, Atom, and JSON feeds, syncing seamlessly across your Apple ecosystem.

Highlights
  • RSS, Atom, JSON feed support
  • Feed grouping and sorting
  • Real-time push notifications
  • Article bookmarking
  • iCloud sync across Apple devices
  • OPML import/export
Features
Read full description

Amethyst is the ultimate RSS reader for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro. Built by a writer, for writers. It support RSS, Atom, and JSON feeds. It offers in depth customization, group sorting, real time push notifications, recaps, and much more. It feels right at home on your Apple device, being optimized for larger screen layouts - and truly makes RSS feel painless. Your feeds sync across iCloud, providing a unified experience across all of your Apple devices. Stay organized - Group feeds into folders and reorder them however you like - Mark your key sources as favorites - Bookmark articles to read later - Unread indicators quickly show you whats new - "Here's what you missed" summary when you're away for a little while - Keep up with your reading stats on your profile Real-time push notifications - Get notified the moment your favorite publications post new articles - Dial in your notifications per feed, so you only see what's most important - Never miss key stories, even when the app is in the background - Set certain feeds as Time Sensitive, so they always show up despite your Focus mode - Free users get up to 4 notification sources, Plus users gain unlimited Deep integration - View articles on your Apple Watch through complication or notifications, beam it to your iPhone to read later - Home and Lock Screen widgets to keep up with the news without checking the app - Mac keyboard shortcuts for easy navigation without lifting a finger - Share sheet extension to bookmark articles or add new sources, straight from Safari Discover new sources - Browse curated feeds organized by topic for added variety - Preview any source before adding it to your library - Import and export your feed collection with OPML, making it easy to switch in or out Amethyst Plus - Customize your folder icons, theme color, and app icon - Follow writers, so you can keep up with your favorite sources - Unlimited real time push notifications, instead of just 4 Thanks for using Amethyst! Feel free to share any feedback with me at feedback@amethyst.news. Subscription Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

RSS Reader4 screens
Amethyst4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: RSS Reader at every 2 weeks against Amethyst's monthly. Amethyst's advantage is device support (5 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. RSS Reader sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.00 per month and Amethyst sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RSS Reader ships an update every 2 weeks, Amethyst monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 6 level
RSS Reader versus Amethyst: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRSS ReaderAmethyst
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviewsβ€”0.0% of reviews
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks β€” betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetizationβ€”Free
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro β€” better
Requires iOS18.017.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size44 MB52 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperFoxfortMobileMBRKHRDT LLC

In-app purchases

7 purchases

RSS Reader

Subscriptions5
  • Zers Premium Monthly$2.001 Month
  • Zers Premium Weekly$2.007 Days
  • Zers Premium Weekly 2$3.997 Days
Show 2 more
  • Zers Premium Yearly$8.001 Year
  • Zers Premium Yearly 2$12.001 Year
One-time2
  • Zers Premium Lifetime$12.00
  • Zers Premium Lifetime 2$20.00
3 purchases

Amethyst

Subscriptions2
  • Amethyst Plus - Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Amethyst Plus - Annual14 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Amethyst Plus - Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is RSS Reader free?
RSS Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Amethyst free?
Amethyst is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do RSS Reader or Amethyst have ads?
Neither RSS Reader nor Amethyst shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RSS Reader or Amethyst?
RSS Reader ships an update every 2 weeks, and Amethyst monthly. Most recently, RSS Reader was updated on September 20, 2026 and Amethyst on September 14, 2026.

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