# Byline 5 vs R2SReader

The clearest difference is review sentiment: R2SReader at 100% against Byline 5's 41%. R2SReader also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.3) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). Byline 5's advantage is ratings volume (73 vs 6) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). 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. R2SReader asks for nothing beyond the download.

R2SReader holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Byline 5 has 73 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of Byline 5's written reviews are positive against 100% of R2SReader's.

Byline 5 ships an update every 5 months, R2SReader weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Byline 5 | R2SReader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (73 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/byline-5/id946110496/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/r2sreader/id1608635613/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **73** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 40.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 8 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Phantom Fish](https://appshunter.io/developer/284946776) | [Howard Su](https://appshunter.io/developer/1608635615) |

## 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


### R2SReader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/r2sreader/id1608635613)

Build a personalized news stream from your trusted sources with this lightweight RSS feed reader. It prioritizes your privacy by not requiring sign-up or unnecessary permissions, offering a simple and secure way to stay informed.

**Highlights:** Personalized news stream, Trusted source aggregation, No sign-up required, Privacy-focused design, Lightweight performance

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Byline 5 free?

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

### Is R2SReader free?

R2SReader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Byline 5 or R2SReader?

R2SReader is rated higher. Byline 5 averages 4.3 out of 5 from 73 ratings, while R2SReader averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do Byline 5 or R2SReader have ads?

Neither Byline 5 nor R2SReader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Byline 5 or R2SReader?

Byline 5 ships an update every 5 months, and R2SReader weekly. Most recently, Byline 5 was updated on October 19, 2026 and R2SReader on October 2, 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.*