# Amethyst vs RSS Reader

The clearest difference is update cadence: RSS Reader at every 9 days 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.

Both are free to download. Amethyst sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and RSS Reader sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Amethyst ships an update monthly, RSS Reader every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 14, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Amethyst | RSS Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 52 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [MBRKHRDT LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1492913322) | [Alice-Georgiana TURCANU](https://appshunter.io/developer/1834220789) |

## 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 | $19.99 | per year |
| Amethyst Plus - Lifetime | $49.99 | one-time |


### RSS Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rss-reader-smart-feeds/id6770129432)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Weekly Pass | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Monthly Pass | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium Annual Pass | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Amethyst free?

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

### Is RSS Reader free?

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

### Do Amethyst or RSS Reader have ads?

Neither Amethyst nor RSS Reader shows ads.

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

Amethyst ships an update monthly, and RSS Reader every 9 days. Most recently, Amethyst was updated on September 14, 2026 and RSS Reader on September 22, 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.*