Comparison

Kanso RSS vs RSS Reader

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

Head to head
About

Kanso RSS

Features
Read full description

WHY "KANSO" Kanso (η°‘η΄ ) 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 β€’ Add RSS and Atom feeds, organised on shelves you name. β€’ Today: what’s new across everythingβ€”filter by unread, all, or saved. β€’ Saved articles with optional folders so β€œread later” stays tidy. β€’ A reader built for long-form reading, with thumbnails you can tune. β€’ Sign in to sync feeds, saved items, and settings across your devices (when enabled). KANSO PLUS (OPTIONAL) β€’ Unlimited feeds (free tier includes up to 12 feeds). β€’ Handwriting / ink on more articles (free tier includes up to 5 ink articles). β€’ Quiet Focus: a calmer reader chrome when you want fewer distractions. β€’ 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/

About

RSS Reader

Features
Read full description

One calm feed reader for every RSS and Atom source you care about. Paste a link and Tidings pulls in the blogs, news sites and podcasts you follow, so the whole open web lands in a single, quiet timeline instead of scattered across a dozen apps and inboxes. No algorithm decides what you see. You choose the sources, group them into your own categories, and read them in order β€” full articles, picture posts and podcast episodes side by side, in a distraction-free reader that strips away the clutter of the original page and respects Dark Mode. WHAT YOU GET - Follow any RSS or Atom feed just by pasting its URL β€” blogs, magazines, newsrooms and creators - One timeline that merges articles, picture posts and podcast episodes from every source you follow - A clean reader view with proper typography, images and links β€” no clutter, no popups - A built-in podcast player with variable speed (0.8x to 2x), skip, scrub and lock-screen controls - Star posts to save them for later, plus Unread and Starred smart lists so nothing slips past - Fetched posts stay readable offline, and a three-pane iPad layout with swipe-to-star and swipe-to-read PERFECT FOR - News readers who want headlines from their own trusted sites, not an algorithm's feed - Podcast listeners who'd rather subscribe by feed than hunt through a directory - Writers and researchers tracking blogs and publications in one place - Anyone escaping social scrolling who wants to choose their own sources WHY NOT JUST USE A BROWSER? Bookmarks go stale and you have to check every site by hand. Here each source refreshes on its own, unread counts tell you what's new, and articles and episodes sit side by side in one timeline you actually finish. PRIVACY Your feeds, categories and starred posts stay on your device. No account to create, no ads, no reading history sold, no tracking of what you open. FULL ACCESS Tidings unlocks with a single membership that opens unlimited feeds, the full reader, offline reading and the podcast player. Choose the plan that fits: a Weekly or Yearly auto-renewing subscription, or a one-time Lifetime purchase. Payment is charged to your Apple ID; subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the period ends, and you can manage or cancel anytime in App Store settings. Add your first feed today and bring the whole open web into one calm place. Terms of Use (EULA): https://web-levi.web.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://web-levi.web.app/privacy-policy Questions? tphuc.work@gmail.com

Screenshots

Kanso RSS3 screens
RSS Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Kanso RSS at every 8 days against RSS Reader's every 3 weeks. RSS Reader's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Kanso RSS sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and RSS Reader sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Kanso RSS ships an update every 8 days, RSS Reader every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Kanso RSS versus RSS Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKanso RSSRSS Reader
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 8 days β€” betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.217.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size18 MB8 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperTom PaapePhuc Pham

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Kanso RSS

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

RSS Reader

Subscriptions2
  • RSS Reader Weekly$3.997 Days
  • Premium Yearly$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Pro$39.99

Questions

Is Kanso RSS free?
Kanso RSS 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 Kanso RSS or RSS Reader have ads?
Neither Kanso RSS nor RSS Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Kanso RSS or RSS Reader?
Kanso RSS ships an update every 8 days, and RSS Reader every 3 weeks. Most recently, Kanso RSS was updated on October 14, 2026 and RSS Reader on October 6, 2026.

Other comparisons