Comparison

Current vs RuntimeWire

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

RuntimeWire

Stay informed about the latest in startups, AI, and technology with this news app. It offers curated articles, video coverage, and audio narration for a focused reading experience.

Highlights
  • Curated startup and AI news
  • Original investigations
  • Video coverage with captions
  • Article narration and audio recap
  • Save stories for later
  • Adjustable text size
Features
Read full description

RuntimeWire is an independent technology publication covering the companies, founders, and products shaping what comes next. Get timely startup and AI news, original investigations, funding and earnings coverage, product launches, and analysis—all in a fast, focused reading experience. Stay informed • Catch up with Today’s essential stories • Browse Top, Latest, Investigations, AI, and Startups • Follow earnings announcements and upcoming reports • Discover the stories other readers are following Watch and listen • Watch RuntimeWire video coverage with synchronized captions • Listen to article narration and the Daily Recap • Build an audio queue for continuous listening • Keep closed captions enabled across sessions Make it yours • Save stories for later • Synchronize saved stories when signed in • Adjust text size for comfortable reading • Choose your preferred highlight color • Search from the Today and Audio sections RuntimeWire is built for readers who want a clear view of the startup and AI landscape—without the noise.

Screenshots

Current4 screens
RuntimeWire4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: RuntimeWire at Free against Current's $9.99. RuntimeWire also leads on iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). Current's advantage is rating (4.4 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (112 vs 2). On ads, in-app purchases 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

RuntimeWire is free to download; Current costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Current holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Current has 112 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Current versus RuntimeWire: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCurrentRuntimeWire
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating4.4 (112 ratings) — better3.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews68.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings112 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#28 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB73 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJupiter Interactive Group LLCRuntimeWire, Inc.

In-app purchases

None

Current

No in-app purchases

None

RuntimeWire

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Current free?
Current costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is RuntimeWire free?
RuntimeWire is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Current or RuntimeWire?
Current is rated higher. Current averages 4.4 out of 5 from 112 ratings, while RuntimeWire averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Current or RuntimeWire have ads?
Neither Current nor RuntimeWire shows ads.

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