Comparison

The Stack vs SwiftWire

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

Head to head
About

The Stack

This news app delivers today's headlines in a swipeable card format, allowing users to quickly get informed and move on. It focuses on delivering essential stories without endless scrolling or clutter, offering a fast, clean, and respectful news consumption experience.

Highlights
  • Swipeable card stack for headlines
  • Tap-to-flip for story briefings
  • Save stories to Library
  • 7-day auto-expiry for freshness
  • Covers Tech, Science, Business, World
  • Daily digest notifications
  • Dark mode
Features
Read full description

News shouldn't take 30 minutes. It should take 3. THE STACK turns today’s headlines into a swipeable card deck — so you can stay informed fast and move on. Open. Swipe. Done. No endless scrolling. No rabbit holes. Just the stories that matter. WHY IT’S DIFFERENT Most news apps never end. This one does. Finish your stack and get on with your day. Fast. Focused. Satisfying. HOW IT WORKS — Open the app and your stack is ready — Swipe left to skip, right to save — Tap to flip for a quick briefing — Open the full story from the original source — Saved stories stay in your Library for 7 days Simple. CLEAN. RESPECTFUL. ATTRIBUTED. We show headlines and summaries only and always link to the original publisher. No rewriting. No paywalls. No clutter. FEATURES — Swipeable card stack — Tap-to-flip briefings — Save stories to your Library — 7-day auto-expiry keeps things fresh — Tech, Science, Business, World & more — Daily digest notifications — Dark mode for comfortable reading — No ads. Free to use PRIVACY Your reading stays private. Optional sign-in only syncs across devices. We never sell your data. Built by an independent developer who just wanted a faster, calmer way to read the news.

About

SwiftWire

Features
Read full description

SwiftWire is a clean, no-nonsense RSS reader. No ads, no subscriptions, just your feeds. iCloud syncing keeps your RSS feeds up to date across all your devices, so you can read what matters wherever you are on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Customize your feeds, stay organized, and catch up on news, blogs, and articles effortlessly.

Screenshots

The Stack4 screens
SwiftWire3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: The Stack at Free against SwiftWire's $3.99. The Stack also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 weeks). SwiftWire's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On ads and iOS requirement 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

The Stack is free to download; SwiftWire costs $3.99 up front. SwiftWire sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. The Stack asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Stack ships an update every 2 days, SwiftWire every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 27, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
The Stack versus SwiftWire: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe StackSwiftWire
PriceFree — better$3.99
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.617.6
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHashsecure Technologies LLCDustin Olsen

In-app purchases

None

The Stack

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

SwiftWire

One-time3
  • Small Tip$0.99
  • SwiftWire Medium Tip$3.99
  • SwiftWire Large Tip$9.99

Questions

Is The Stack free?
The Stack is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SwiftWire free?
SwiftWire costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Do The Stack or SwiftWire have ads?
Neither The Stack nor SwiftWire shows ads.
Which is updated more often, The Stack or SwiftWire?
The Stack ships an update every 2 days, and SwiftWire every 2 weeks. Most recently, The Stack was updated on August 27, 2026 and SwiftWire on September 8, 2026.

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