News Widget vs Wire
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
News Widget
Access news from hundreds of sources directly on your home screen, even offline. This app intelligently downloads the latest headlines and can read them aloud to you using text-to-speech technology.
- Home screen widget
- Offline access
- Hundreds of news sources
- Custom RSS/Atom feeds
- Text-to-speech functionality
- Smart news downloading
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Get all your news in one place and on your home screen in your today view. You can choose from hundreds of news sources. If you can't find the one you're looking for already you can add or your own, the app is compatible with all RSS or Atom feeds. News Widget is designed to ensure you've always got the latest stories available to read; even if you don't have an internet connection. The app cleverly downloads the latest news prior to you even opening the app, using a smart algorithm that learns from your behaviour. Using text-to-speech technology you can have all of your news feeds read out to you, so even when you're distracted with what's going on around your right now you can still keep up with what's happening around the world. Follow me on Twitter for the latest news, offers and insights @MarkBridgesApps
Wire
This app aggregates RSS feeds and displays original articles in a web browser for offline reading. It syncs feeds across devices using iCloud and Apple ID, offering a privacy-focused experience without requiring an additional user account.
- RSS feed aggregation
- Original article rendering
- Offline article access
- iCloud sync
- Privacy-focused
- Web browser integration
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A modern, web first, privacy-focused news reader. Wire is entirely focused on aggregating RSS feeds and rendering articles in a modern way. Articles are downloaded for offline use, but you read them in a real browser. Most RSS readers only show you the content in the RSS feed, but Wire gives you the original article. Feeds are synced across devices using iCloud and your Apple ID, so you don't need an additional user account. Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Wire at 4.4 against News Widget's 3.6. Wire also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 8 months) and review sentiment (29% vs 18%). News Widget's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (36 vs 12). On price, ads 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
Both are free to download. Wire sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. News Widget asks for nothing beyond the download.
Wire holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 36 and 12 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of News Widget's written reviews are positive against 29% of Wire's.
News Widget ships an update every 8 months, Wire fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | News Widget | Wire |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.6 (36 ratings) | 4.4 (12 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 17.9% of reviews | 28.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 36 — better | 12 |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 13 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | BRIDGETECH SOLUTIONS LIMITED | Josh Betz |
Customer experience
News Widget
Wire
In-app purchases
News Widget
No in-app purchases
Wire
- Wire Pro (Monthly)7 Days trial$0.991 Month
- Wire Pro7 Days trial$9.991 Year
- Wire Pro+7 Days trial$14.991 Year
- Wire Pro (Lifetime)$29.99
