# Byline 5 vs FlowReader

The clearest difference is review sentiment: FlowReader at 100% against Byline 5's 41%. FlowReader also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2). Byline 5's advantage is update cadence (every 5 months vs every 57 months) and rating (4.3 vs 4.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Byline 5 sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. FlowReader asks for nothing beyond the download.

Byline 5 holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Byline 5 has 73 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 41% of Byline 5's written reviews are positive against 100% of FlowReader's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Byline 5 ships an update every 5 months, FlowReader every 57 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Byline 5 | FlowReader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (73 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/byline-5/id946110496/reviews)** | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flowreader-rss-feed-reader/id1472631257/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **73** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 40.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 months** | Every 57 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 8 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Phantom Fish](https://appshunter.io/developer/284946776) | [Sultan Irkaliyev](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462834127) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### FlowReader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flowreader-rss-feed-reader/id1472631257)

Stay updated with your favorite news and blogs through a powerful RSS feed reader. Easily add unlimited feeds, save articles, and customize the app's appearance. Enjoy a convenient daily news experience with features like an in-app browser and reader mode.

**Highlights:** Add unlimited RSS feeds, Save articles to favorites, In-app browser, Safari reader mode support, Share links on social media, Local news storage, Customizable appearance

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Byline 5 free?

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

### Is FlowReader free?

FlowReader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Byline 5 or FlowReader?

Byline 5 is rated higher. Byline 5 averages 4.3 out of 5 from 73 ratings, while FlowReader averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Byline 5 or FlowReader have ads?

Neither Byline 5 nor FlowReader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Byline 5 or FlowReader?

Byline 5 ships an update every 5 months, and FlowReader every 57 months. Most recently, Byline 5 was updated on November 6, 2026 and FlowReader on November 3, 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.*