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Best Apps With Free News Access

249+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.6 avg rating
18 free apps
Updated October 2026

Out of 249+ apps with free news access on iOS, 18 are free and the rest sit in the paid tier. This page sorts them so you can compare both sides before you commit.

Compare top Apps With Free News Access (October 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1AP NewsAP NewsFree4.6★ (359K)YesNoOct 2026
2Google NewsGoogle NewsFree4.6★ (226K)YesNoOct 2026
3Apple NewsApple NewsFree4.6★ (1.7M)YesYesOct 2026
4FOX News: US & World HeadlinesFOX News: US & World HeadlinesFree4.5★ (594K)YesNoOct 2026
5CNN: Live & Breaking NewsCNN: Live & Breaking NewsFree4.8★ (1.7M)YesYesOct 2026
6SmartNews: Breaking NewsSmartNews: Breaking NewsFree4.6★ (929K)YesYesOct 2026
7Dais World - News & EditorialsDais World - News & EditorialsFree—NoNoOct 2026
8SKMR NewsSKMR NewsFree—YesYesJun 2026

Top Picks for Apps With Free News Access

AP News#1

AP News by The Associated Press

Breaking World & Local News
Editor's Choice
📡 News
4.6😐(359K ratings)
FreeAds
#23in News
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Get breaking world and local news, along with trending headlines. This app offers a personalized news feed, custom alerts, and in-depth content hubs for major events. Access award-winning photos, videos, and articles.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Unbiased and factual reporting
  • 📰 Comprehensive news coverage
  • ⚖️ Balanced and objective journalism

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
  • 🔍 Difficulty finding specific articles
  • 🔄 Resets to top of feed after reading articles
  • 🔌 Interrupts background audio playback
Google News#2

Google News by Google

Top world & local news stories
Strong Contender
📡 News
4.6😐(226K ratings)
FreeAds
#27in News
Google News screenshot 1
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Google News screenshot 5
Google News screenshot 6

This app aggregates and highlights global and local news stories tailored to your interests. It provides personalized briefings, in-depth coverage from multiple sources, and allows you to follow specific topics and news outlets. Stay informed on the go or on your desktop.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Comprehensive news coverage
  • 📰 Wide range of news sources
  • 🔍 Customizable news feed
  • 👍 Sleek and modern interface
  • 🌐 Global news perspective

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔄 Annoying auto-refresh issues
  • 💤 Slow article loading times
  • 📢 Excessive ads and paywalls
  • 🤖 Unreliable personalization algorithms
Apple News#3

Apple News by Apple Distribution International

News + magazines, in one app
Worth Considering
📡 News
4.6😞(1.7M ratings)
FreeAds
Apple News screenshot 1
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Apple News screenshot 5

Access top stories curated by editors, personalized news feeds, and in-depth sports coverage. Enjoy local news, daily podcasts, and exclusive recipes and puzzles with an optional subscription.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Convenient one-stop news source
  • 📚 Access to wide range of magazines
  • 🎧 Audio news feature
  • 🌐 Aggregates news from multiple sources
  • 🌙 Respects night mode

Room to Improve

  • 🔍 Difficult to customize news feed
  • 🚫 Blocked sources still show up
  • 💰 Ads even with paid subscription
  • 🔁 Repeated/outdated news stories
  • 🤯 Overwhelming amount of irrelevant content
  • 🔋 Drains battery quickly
  • 🔍 Poor search functionality
  • 🤖 Biased/partisan news curation

More Apps With Free News Access apps to explore

FAQ about Apps With Free News Access

What are the best apps with free news access for iPhone?
AP News tops our apps with free news access ranking as of October 2026, with a 4.6-star average from 359K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
AP News shows ads and has no in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of October 2026.
We track 249+ apps with free news access on the iOS App Store as of October 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.