# CloudNews vs Surfboard

The clearest difference is review sentiment: CloudNews at 57% against Surfboard's 0%. CloudNews also leads on price ($1.99 vs $4.99) and ratings volume (12 vs 2). Surfboard's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 3.8) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and chart position there is nothing between them.

CloudNews costs $1.99 and Surfboard $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Surfboard holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CloudNews has 12 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 57% of CloudNews's written reviews are positive against 0% of Surfboard's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

CloudNews ships an update every 5 weeks, Surfboard fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CloudNews | Surfboard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$1.99** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [3.8 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cloudnews-feed-reader/id683859706/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surfboard-rss-reader/id6475021166/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **12** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **56.9% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#47** | #117 |
| Size | 19 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Peter Hedlund](https://appshunter.io/developer/500521540) | [Ian Leon](https://appshunter.io/developer/998975439) |

## What reviewers say

### CloudNews

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cloudnews-feed-reader/id683859706)

**Currently charting:** #47 Top Paid · News (US App Store)

This app synchronizes with a personal server's news app to provide a seamless feed reading experience across devices. Customize your reading view with adjustable font sizes and spacing, and access full web articles easily. A home screen widget offers quick access to new content.

**Highlights:** Syncs with Nextcloud News app, Cross-device synchronization, Customizable reading view (font, spacing, margins), Direct access to web articles, Article sharing, Home screen widget

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Surfboard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surfboard-rss-reader/id6475021166)

**Currently charting:** #117 Top Paid · News (US App Store)

This app acts as a personalized news aggregator, allowing users to easily organize and curate content from various online sources into a single, streamlined feed. It offers a customizable reading experience with features like dark/light mode adaptation and respects system text size settings for accessibility.

**Highlights:** Effortless URL management, Customizable content curation by topics, Streamlined single feed, SwiftUI interface, SwiftData for reliable data handling, System setting adaptation (dark/light mode), Accessibility-focused design

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CloudNews free?

CloudNews costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Surfboard free?

Surfboard costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, CloudNews or Surfboard?

Surfboard is rated higher. CloudNews averages 3.8 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Surfboard averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do CloudNews or Surfboard have ads?

Neither CloudNews nor Surfboard shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CloudNews or Surfboard?

CloudNews ships an update every 5 weeks, and Surfboard fortnightly. Most recently, CloudNews was updated on September 22, 2026 and Surfboard on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, CloudNews or Surfboard?

CloudNews currently peaks at #47 in the App Store charts, and Surfboard at #117. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*