Comparison

Current vs Ember Feed

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

Head to head
About

Current

This app offers a peaceful way to consume RSS feeds without the pressure of unread counts or overdue articles. It prioritizes a calm, unhurried reading experience with beautiful typography and intuitive navigation. Sync with various providers or use local feeds for a personalized content stream.

Highlights
  • No unread counts or badges
  • Calm and unhurried design
  • Beautiful article presentation
  • Support for multiple sync providers
  • Full-text article extraction
  • Universal app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Current is an RSS reader built on a simple idea: your feed should never make you feel behind. There are no unread counts. No red badges. No number climbing while you sleep, silently tallying everything you haven't read. Current shows you what's new right now, and that's it. Nothing is owed. Nothing is overdue. You open it when you want to read, and whatever's there is what's there. The design is intentional. Every screen, every interaction, every animation was built to feel calm and unhurried. Articles are presented beautifully with clean typography and generous whitespace. Navigation is fluid and intuitive. The app gets out of the way and lets you focus on what matters: the writing. Current supports multiple sync providers so you can bring your existing subscriptions: - Feedbin - Inoreader - MiniFlux - FreshRSS - The Old Reader - NewsBlur - Local RSS (on-device, no account needed) Features: - Universal app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac - Beautiful article reader with smart formatting - Full-text article extraction - Light and dark themes - Background refresh - OPML import and export - Share extension - Keyboard shortcuts on iPad and Mac - iCloud sync for local feeds Current is a one-time purchase. No subscription. No ads. No tracking. Just an app you buy once and own forever. Built by an indie developer who wanted to love RSS again.

About

Ember Feed

A beautiful and calm RSS reader for macOS, iPhone, and iPad. It offers a focused reading experience without algorithms, allowing users to organize feeds, save articles, and sync progress across devices. Enjoy offline reading and customizable themes for a personalized news environment.

Highlights
  • Focus on content, no algorithms
  • Customizable themes and fonts
  • iCloud sync across devices
  • Organize feeds into folders
  • Save articles for later
  • Offline reading support
  • Import/export OPML subscriptions
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

A calm, beautiful home for your feeds. Ember Feed is a modern RSS reader for macOS designed for people who want focus, clarity, and control over their news. No algorithms. No noise. Just the content you choose — presented beautifully. Designed to Feel Good Reading should feel calm. Ember Feed features soft pastel gradient themes, light and dark mode, and a curated selection of 20 beautiful fonts so you can create a reading space that feels uniquely yours. Seamless iCloud Sync Your feeds and reading progress stay in sync across your devices with iCloud. Start reading on your Mac and continue right where you left off. Stay Organized • Organize feeds into folders • Personalize folders with custom emoji icons • Mark articles as read or unread • Save articles for later Your feed structure is fully yours — simple, flexible, and intuitive. Import and Export with Ease Already using another RSS reader? Import your subscriptions instantly with OPML. You can also export anytime — your data always belongs to you. Offline-Ready Articles are cached for offline reading, so your feeds are available even without an internet connection.

Screenshots

Current4 screens
Ember Feed4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Ember Feed at 5.0 against Current's 4.4. Ember Feed also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 68%) and price ($5.99 vs $9.99). Current's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (112 vs 1). On update cadence, ads, monetization model and device support 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

Current costs $9.99 and Ember Feed $5.99 up front. Ember Feed sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Current asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ember Feed holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Current has 112 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Current's written reviews are positive against 100% of Ember Feed's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Current ships an update every 3 days, Ember Feed every 4 days. Both last shipped on November 5, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Current versus Ember Feed: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCurrentEmber Feed
Price$9.99$5.99 — better
Rating4.4 (112 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews68.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings112 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 4 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#16 — better#114
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS18.0 — better26.1
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB72 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJupiter Interactive Group LLCLawrence Gimenez

Customer experience

Current

All ratings111 ratings
Positive85.6%
Neutral5.4%
Negative9.0%
Written reviews100 reviews
Positive68.0%
Neutral15.0%
Negative17.0%

Ember Feed

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Current

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Ember Feed

One-time3
  • A Little Spark$0.99
  • Keep the Glow$2.99
  • Fuel the Fire$4.99

Questions

Is Current free?
Current costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ember Feed free?
Ember Feed costs $5.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Current or Ember Feed?
Ember Feed is rated higher. Current averages 4.4 out of 5 from 112 ratings, while Ember Feed averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Current or Ember Feed have ads?
Neither Current nor Ember Feed shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Current or Ember Feed?
Current ships an update every 3 days, and Ember Feed every 4 days. Most recently, Current was updated on November 5, 2026 and Ember Feed on November 5, 2026.
Which is more popular, Current or Ember Feed?
Current currently peaks at #16 in the App Store charts, and Ember Feed at #114. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

Other comparisons