Comparison

News Widget vs ReadBox

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Home screen widget
  • Offline access
  • Hundreds of news sources
  • Custom RSS/Atom feeds
  • Text-to-speech functionality
  • Smart news downloading
Features
Read full description

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

About

ReadBox

A minimalist platform for reading and publishing articles and stories. Offers tools for authors to create and promote content, and for readers to discover new posts and save favorites for offline access. Supports Russian and English languages.

Highlights
  • Content publishing with Markdown support
  • Follow authors and topics
  • Save articles for offline reading
  • Minimalist black-and-white interface
  • Analytics for authors
  • Adjustable text size
Features
Read full description

ReadBox — A Platform for Reading and Publishing Content ReadBox is a modern iOS app with a minimalist black-and-white design, created for reading articles and publishing your own content. The app supports both Russian and English and offers powerful tools for authors and readers alike. Key Features: • Content Publishing Create articles, notes, and posts with an intuitive editor and full Markdown support. • Subscriptions & Thematic Channels Follow your favorite authors and topics to stay up to date with new content. • Social Features Like posts, save materials to favorites, and build your personal collection. • Analytics Track views and engagement to better understand your audience. For Authors: • Convenient editor with advanced formatting • Tools for promoting and growing your audience • Detailed publication statistics For Readers: • Unified feed displaying all publications in chronological order • Save favorites for offline access anytime • Notifications about new posts from your favorite authors Design & User Experience: • Minimalist black-and-white interface without distractions • Adaptive navigation for all iOS devices • Personalization and comfortable reading with adjustable text size Download ReadBox for free and start creating and reading quality content today! Privacy Policy: https://readbox.online/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://readbox.online/terms.html

Screenshots

News Widget4 screens
ReadBox4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ReadBox at 100% against News Widget's 18%. ReadBox also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 9 months). News Widget's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

News Widget ships an update every 9 months, ReadBox every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
News Widget versus ReadBox: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNews WidgetReadBox
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (36 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews17.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings36 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB23 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperBRIDGETECH SOLUTIONS LIMITEDTimofey Yudin

Customer experience

News Widget

All ratings36 ratings
Positive63.9%
Neutral8.3%
Negative27.8%
Written reviews28 reviews
Positive17.9%
Neutral3.6%
Negative78.6%

ReadBox

Written reviews12 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

News Widget

No in-app purchases

None

ReadBox

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is News Widget free?
News Widget is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ReadBox free?
ReadBox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do News Widget or ReadBox have ads?
Neither News Widget nor ReadBox shows ads.
Which is updated more often, News Widget or ReadBox?
News Widget ships an update every 9 months, and ReadBox every 2 weeks. Most recently, News Widget was updated on November 11, 2026 and ReadBox on November 8, 2026.

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