News Widget vs ReadBox
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
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
| Parameter | News Widget | ReadBox |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.6 (36 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 17.9% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 36 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | BRIDGETECH SOLUTIONS LIMITED | Timofey Yudin |
Customer experience
News Widget
ReadBox
In-app purchases
News Widget
No in-app purchases
ReadBox
No in-app purchases









