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Apple News vs NetNewsWire

Apple News logo

Apple News

News

All the news you want. From sources you trust.

From
$12.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
NetNewsWire logo

NetNewsWire

News

Free open source RSS reader for Mac and iOS, with no subscription, no ads and no feed limit

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only NetNewsWire has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Apple News apple One Bundle does not break out individual service costs; NetNewsWire it has no built in YouTube, Reddit or Mastodon integration, so a user wanting social feeds alongside RSS needs Reeder instead.
  • They diverge on capability: Apple News covers Curated news feed, NetNewsWire covers RSS and Atom parsing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apple News and NetNewsWire actually diverge.

Attributes where Apple News and NetNewsWire differ
AttributeApple NewsNetNewsWire
Starting price$12.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsIos, MacosMac, iOS
Founded1976Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (News).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Apple News

  • Curated news feed
  • Premium magazines
  • Audio stories
  • Personalization
  • Offline reading
  • iCloud
  • Apple One bundle
  • Siri

Only in NetNewsWire

  • RSS and Atom parsing
  • Third party sync
  • Unlimited feeds
  • Smart feeds
  • Local search
  • Open source

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Apple News

  • Daily news readingnot NetNewsWire
  • Magazine subscriptionnot NetNewsWire
  • News discoverynot NetNewsWire
  • Staying informednot NetNewsWire

NetNewsWire

  • A reader who only wants traditional RSS and Atom feeds with no cap and no costnot Apple News
  • Someone who tried Reeder free tier, hit the ten feed limit, and wants an unlimited free alternative insteadnot Apple News
  • A developer who wants an open source reader they can inspect or contribute to on GitHubnot Apple News
  • A user who wants feed sync through an existing Feedbin or Feedly account without paying for a separate reader subscriptionnot Apple News

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Apple News

  • Apple One Bundle does not break out individual service costs
  • 3-month free offer limited to eligible device purchases

NetNewsWire

  • It has no built in YouTube, Reddit or Mastodon integration, so a user wanting social feeds alongside RSS needs Reeder instead.
  • Cross-device sync requires a third party account such as Feedbin or Feedly for full functionality, which may itself carry its own cost.
  • As a volunteer-maintained project, new feature development and release cadence are slower than a funded commercial app.
  • It is Apple platforms only, with no Windows, Android or web client.
  • Its reading interface is more traditional and less gesture-driven than Reeder, which some users used to modern touch interactions find plainer.

Pricing, plan by plan

Apple News

$12.99/month
  • Apple News+$12.99/month
    • Hundreds of magazines and newspapers
    • Cover-to-cover magazine issues
    • Professionally narrated audio stories
  • Apple One Bundle$39.95/month
    • Apple News+ included
    • Five additional Apple services
    • Family Sharing

NetNewsWire

Free
  • NetNewsWireFree
    • Free and open source, no account required
    • No feed limit
    • Optional third party sync services

Which should you pick?

Choose Apple News if

  • You need curated news feed.
  • You work on Ios, Macos.
  • You also want premium magazines.
Apple News review

Choose NetNewsWire if

  • You need rss and atom parsing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Mac, iOS.
  • You also want third party sync.
NetNewsWire review

Questions people ask

Is Apple News or NetNewsWire better?
Neither clearly leads. Apple News starts at $12.99/month and NetNewsWire at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apple News or NetNewsWire?
NetNewsWire has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $12.99/month for Apple News and Free for NetNewsWire.
Does Apple News or NetNewsWire run on more platforms?
Apple News runs on Ios, Macos. NetNewsWire runs on Mac, iOS.
Can I use NetNewsWire for free?
Yes. NetNewsWire has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Apple News starts at $12.99/month.
What is Apple News best used for?
Apple News is most often used for daily news reading, magazine subscription, news discovery, staying informed. Of those, daily news reading and magazine subscription are not what NetNewsWire is typically brought in for.
What can Apple News do that NetNewsWire cannot?
Apple News covers Curated news feed, Premium magazines, Audio stories, Personalization. NetNewsWire covers RSS and Atom parsing, Third party sync, Unlimited feeds, Smart feeds.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Apple News: How much does Apple News+ cost?

Apple News+ costs $12.99 per month after a one-month free trial for new subscribers, with automatic monthly renewal until cancelled.

Source
NetNewsWire: Is NetNewsWire free?

Yes, entirely, and it is open source with no paid tier or ads.

Apple News: What is Apple One Bundle pricing?

Apple One Bundle is $39.95 per month and includes Apple News+ along with five other Apple services, with Family Sharing available at no additional cost.

Source
NetNewsWire: Does NetNewsWire sync across devices?

Yes, through third party sync services such as Feedbin, Feedly or iCloud, rather than a proprietary sync system of its own.

Apple News: Can Apple News+ be shared with family members?

Yes, Apple News+ subscriptions can be shared with up to five other family members at no additional cost through Family Sharing.

Source
NetNewsWire: Does it support YouTube or Reddit like the new Reeder?

No. It is focused purely on RSS and Atom feeds with no social feed integration.

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