# tiny Reader RSS vs Byline 5

The clearest difference is review sentiment: tiny Reader RSS at 79% against Byline 5's 41%. Byline 5's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 4.1) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. tiny Reader RSS sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Byline 5 sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Byline 5 holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 31 and 73 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 79% of tiny Reader RSS's written reviews are positive against 41% of Byline 5's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

tiny Reader RSS ships an update every 4 months, Byline 5 every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on August 1, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | tiny Reader RSS | Byline 5 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tiny-reader-rss/id689519762/reviews) | **[4.3 (73 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/byline-5/id946110496/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 31 | **73** |
| Positive reviews | **78.5% of reviews** | 40.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 6 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Pascal PLUCHON](https://appshunter.io/developer/397679734) | [Phantom Fish](https://appshunter.io/developer/284946776) |

## What reviewers say

### tiny Reader RSS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tiny-reader-rss/id689519762)

This is a lightweight, unofficial RSS reader designed for Tiny Tiny RSS (TTRSS). It requires a TTRSS server with an activated API and user account to function.

**Highlights:** Lightweight RSS reader, Unofficial TTRSS client, Requires TTRSS server, API integration

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tiny tip for tiny Reader | $0.99 | one-time |
| Normal tip for tiny Reader | $2.99 | one-time |


### Byline 5

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/byline-5/id946110496)

Access your favorite news sources and blogs, even without an internet connection. Subscribe to thousands of RSS feeds and stay updated with automatic syncing across all your devices. Enjoy a streamlined reading experience with offline access and quick navigation.

**Highlights:** Offline reading with cached content, Syncs across devices and web, Quick article navigation, Background app refresh for syncing, Discover new feeds and search articles

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Byline Premium | $2.99 | one-time |
| Byline Premium | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great offline reader
- ✨ Sleek new design
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Good for subway/plane reading

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Freezes frequently
- 🐛 Ads in paid version
- 🐛 Unable to sign in via Google
- 🐛 Swipe sensitivity issues
- 🐛 Offline caching broken

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes after opening articles
- App attempts to paste from clipboard on opening
- Paid version still shows ads
- Unable to sign in via Google account
- Google login error: 'This browser or app may not be secure'

**Requested features**

- Add progress indicator for downloads
- Add dark mode
- Add widgets
- Improve swipe sensitivity
- Allow reordering of feeds


## Frequently asked questions

### Is tiny Reader RSS free?

tiny Reader RSS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Byline 5 free?

Byline 5 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, tiny Reader RSS or Byline 5?

Byline 5 is rated higher. tiny Reader RSS averages 4.1 out of 5 from 31 ratings, while Byline 5 averages 4.3 from 73 ratings.

### Do tiny Reader RSS or Byline 5 have ads?

Neither tiny Reader RSS nor Byline 5 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, tiny Reader RSS or Byline 5?

tiny Reader RSS ships an update every 4 months, and Byline 5 every 5 months. Most recently, tiny Reader RSS was updated on August 1, 2026 and Byline 5 on September 29, 2026.

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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.*