Comparison

Tessera News vs Kanso RSS

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

Head to head
About

Tessera News

Consolidate all your news, videos, and podcasts into a single, elegant feed. Extract full article text, set custom alerts, and enjoy offline reading. Follow any source, including blogs, YouTube, and Reddit.

Highlights
  • Full text article extraction
  • Home screen widgets
  • Customizable notifications
  • Offline reading mode
  • Support for any source (blogs, YouTube, Reddit, podcasts)
  • Integrated podcast player
  • OPML import and cross-device sync
Features
Read full description

Stop jumping between dozens of apps! Tessera is the all-in-one RSS feed reader that brings news, videos, and podcasts into one beautifully designed space. • READ FULL TEXT: Say goodbye to cut-off articles. Tessera extracts full text with images, videos, and Reddit/YouTube embeds. • WIDGETS (NEW): Bring your timeline to your home screen! Add beautiful widgets for headlines, weather, and sports. • NOTIFICATIONS (NEW): Never miss an update. Set custom alerts for your favorite feeds and breaking news. • OFFLINE MODE: Download articles with a tap and read anywhere without internet. • ADD ANY SOURCE: Follow news sites, blogs, YouTube, Reddit, and podcasts. • PODCAST PLAYER: Listen in the background while scrolling. • OPML & SYNC: Import feeds instantly. Sync progress across your iOS devices and the web. • SOCIAL: React, vote, and comment with the community. Take back control of your content. Download Tessera today!

About

Kanso RSS

Features
Read full description

WHY "KANSO" Kanso (簡素) is a Japanese idea of simplicity fewer ornaments, more breathing room. This app applies that to news: not a noisy timeline, but a calm shelf where typography, paper-like surfaces, and gentle spacing keep the focus on what you choose to read. WHAT YOU GET • Add RSS and Atom feeds, organised on shelves you name. • Today: what’s new across everything—filter by unread, all, or saved. • Saved articles with optional folders so “read later” stays tidy. • A reader built for long-form reading, with thumbnails you can tune. • Sign in to sync feeds, saved items, and settings across your devices (when enabled). KANSO PLUS (OPTIONAL) • Unlimited feeds (free tier includes up to 12 feeds). • Handwriting / ink on more articles (free tier includes up to 5 ink articles). • Quiet Focus: a calmer reader chrome when you want fewer distractions. • Page watch: when a site has no RSS, follow it as a lightweight link feed from the page (background refresh about weekly; timing isn’t guaranteed). If you want RSS without the rush, Kanso is the quiet corner for your reading list. Privacy Policy: https://tompaape.nl/kanso-rss-privacy Terms of Use (Apple Standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Tessera News4 screens
Kanso RSS3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Tessera News at every 5 days against Kanso RSS's every 11 days. Tessera News also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 27.0). On price, 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

Both are free to download. Tessera News sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Kanso RSS sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tessera News ships an update every 5 days, Kanso RSS every 11 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Tessera News versus Kanso RSS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTessera NewsKanso RSS
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 11 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better27.0
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB18 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperThe Moonshot LabTom Paape

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Tessera News

One-time4
  • Tessera Silver$3.00
  • Tessera Gold$9.00
  • Tessera Black$17.00
Show 1 more
  • Tessera Black$24.90
3 purchases

Kanso RSS

Subscriptions2
  • Kanso Plus (Monthly)$2.991 Month
  • anso Plus (Yearly)$17.991 Year
One-time1
  • Kanso Plus Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is Tessera News free?
Tessera News is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Kanso RSS free?
Kanso RSS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Tessera News or Kanso RSS have ads?
Neither Tessera News nor Kanso RSS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tessera News or Kanso RSS?
Tessera News ships an update every 5 days, and Kanso RSS every 11 days. Most recently, Tessera News was updated on October 31, 2026 and Kanso RSS on October 31, 2026.

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