Best Simple News Apps

249+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.7 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated October 2026

SmartNews is the household name in simple news, but it's far from the only option. We track 249+ alternatives and competitors on iOS β€” many free, many higher-rated than you'd expect.

Compare top Simple News Apps (October 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1SmartNews: Breaking NewsSmartNews: Breaking NewsFree4.6β˜… (929K)YesYesNov 2026
2AP NewsAP NewsFree4.6β˜… (359K)YesNoNov 2026
3SimpleNews: News for YouSimpleNews: News for YouFreeβ€”NoNoOct 2026
4Breaking NewsBreaking NewsFree4.6β˜… (10K)YesYesNov 2026
5Ground NewsGround NewsFree4.7β˜… (49K)NoYesNov 2026
6Straight Arrow | SANStraight Arrow | SANFree4.7β˜… (9.9K)NoYesNov 2026
7Simplenomica- News Made SimpleSimplenomica- News Made SimpleFreeβ€”YesYesNov 2026
8Apple NewsApple NewsFree4.6β˜… (1.7M)YesYesNov 2026

Top Picks for Simple News

SmartNews: Breaking News#1

SmartNews: Breaking News by SmartNews, Inc.

Read in English or Spanish
Editor's Choice
πŸ“‘ News
4.6😐(929K ratings)
FreeAdsIn-App Purchases
#27in News
SmartNews: Breaking News screenshot 1
SmartNews: Breaking News screenshot 2
SmartNews: Breaking News screenshot 3
SmartNews: Breaking News screenshot 4
SmartNews: Breaking News screenshot 5
SmartNews: Breaking News screenshot 6

Access top news from premium publishers in multiple languages with intelligent curation. Earn rewards for reading articles, which can be redeemed for gift cards or donated to charity. Stay informed on local events, politics, entertainment, sports, and health.

What We Love

  • πŸ’― Excellent news app
  • 🌐 Wide variety of news sources
  • πŸ” Customizable news feed
  • πŸ“° Comprehensive news coverage
  • πŸ”– Useful feature to save articles for later
  • 🧠 Smart news curation

Room to Improve

  • πŸ“’ Excessive and intrusive ads
  • πŸ€– Biased or unreliable news sources
  • πŸ”„ Frequent app freezes and crashes
  • πŸ”‹ High battery consumption
  • πŸ” Lack of customization and filtering options
  • πŸ“Œ Inability to remove unwanted news sources
AP News#2

AP News by The Associated Press

Breaking World & Local News
Strong Contender
πŸ“‘ News
4.6😐(359K ratings)
FreeAds
#11in News
AP News screenshot 1
AP News screenshot 2
AP News screenshot 3
AP News screenshot 4
AP News screenshot 5
AP News screenshot 6

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

  • πŸš€ Unbiased and factual reporting
  • πŸ“° Comprehensive news coverage
  • βš–οΈ Balanced and objective journalism

Room to Improve

  • πŸ› Frequent crashes and freezes
  • πŸ” Difficulty finding specific articles
  • πŸ”„ Resets to top of feed after reading articles
  • πŸ”Œ Interrupts background audio playback

More Simple News apps to explore

FAQ about Simple News

What are the best simple news apps for iPhone?
SmartNews: Breaking News tops our simple news apps ranking as of October 2026, with a 4.6-star average from 929K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Yes β€” 20 of the top simple news apps we rank are free to download, including SmartNews: Breaking News and AP News.
SmartNews: Breaking News shows ads and offers in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of October 2026.
We track 249+ simple news apps on the iOS App Store as of October 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.

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