# Funnel vs theSkimm

The clearest difference is ratings volume: theSkimm at 13K against Funnel's 1.3K. Funnel's advantage is review sentiment (52% vs 41%). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Funnel sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and theSkimm sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

theSkimm holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: theSkimm has 13K ratings behind it against 1.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 52% of Funnel's written reviews are positive against 41% of theSkimm's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Funnel ships an update every 5 weeks, theSkimm every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Funnel | theSkimm |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/funnel/id964666344/reviews) | **[4.8 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/theskimm/id1034995058/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.3K | **13K** |
| Positive reviews | **51.8% of reviews** | 40.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 7 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [G2 LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/734858820) | [theSkimm](https://appshunter.io/developer/1034995057) |

## What reviewers say

### Funnel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/funnel/id964666344)

Access hourly news podcasts from a wide range of reputable sources. Stay informed about global events with curated content, easily accessible from anywhere. Features Siri integration for hands-free listening.

**Highlights:** Hourly news podcasts, Multiple news sources, Siri integration, Customizable news phrases, Listen anywhere

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Settings | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Simple and efficient
- 🔊 Great for catching up on news
- 🕰️ Convenient hourly updates
- 🗣️ Variety of news sources

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔌 Issues with background playback
- 🔊 Volume discrepancies between sources
- 🔍 Limited customization options

**Reported bugs**

- BBC news not working
- App crashing when screen goes to sleep
- Auto-play feature not functioning properly

**Requested features**

- Add more news sources, especially international and local
- Implement skip forward/backward functionality
- Provide an iPad-optimized version
- Allow users to reorder news sources
- Integrate with CarPlay and other platforms


### theSkimm

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/theskimm/id1034995058)

Stay informed with daily news summaries, in-depth articles on career, health, and finance, and engaging podcasts. Discover personalized recommendations and integrate events into your calendar to live smarter.

**Highlights:** Daily news summaries, In-depth articles, Podcasts, Personalized calendar integration, Curated recommendations, Career, health, and finance topics

**Features:** Siri integration, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| theSkimm Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| theSkimm Yearly | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 📰 Concise and informative news
- 🗓️ Helpful calendar integration
- 🎧 Useful audio content
- 👍 Easy to stay informed
- 🤗 Entertaining and engaging

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤑 Paid subscription required
- 🗣️ Perceived political bias
- 🔗 Accidental link clicks while scrolling
- 🚫 Limited content for non-US users

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes and freezes
- Issues with 'Do Not Sell My Information' feature

**Requested features**

- Offline content access
- More international news coverage
- Customizable news preferences
- Ability to remove ads for paid subscribers


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Funnel free?

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

### Is theSkimm free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Funnel or theSkimm?

theSkimm is rated higher. Funnel averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while theSkimm averages 4.8 from 13K ratings.

### Do Funnel or theSkimm have ads?

Neither Funnel nor theSkimm shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Funnel or theSkimm?

Funnel ships an update every 5 weeks, and theSkimm every 2 months. Most recently, Funnel was updated on October 24, 2026 and theSkimm on October 29, 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.*