# Amethyst vs Skim Reader

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Skim Reader at none against Amethyst's 3. Amethyst's advantage is device support (5 vs 2) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Amethyst sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Skim Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Amethyst | Skim Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 63 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [MBRKHRDT LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1492913322) | [Lucas Young](https://appshunter.io/developer/303586609) |

## What reviewers say

### Amethyst

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/amethyst-rss-and-news-reader/id6758023629)

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:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Amethyst Plus - Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Amethyst Plus - Annual | $29.99 | per year |
| Amethyst Plus - Lifetime | $49.99 | one-time |


### Skim Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skim-reader/id6758281041)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Amethyst free?

Amethyst is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Skim Reader free?

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

### Do Amethyst or Skim Reader have ads?

Neither Amethyst nor Skim Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Amethyst or Skim Reader?

Amethyst ships an update monthly, and Skim Reader monthly. Most recently, Amethyst was updated on October 26, 2026 and Skim Reader on October 25, 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.*