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News & Media · head to head

Arc Publishing vs SmartNews

Arc Publishing logo

Arc Publishing

News & Media

The enterprise publishing platform for news organizations

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SmartNews logo

SmartNews

News & Media

Local news and breaking news from top sources

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only SmartNews has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Arc Publishing now sold as Arc XP, and arcpublishing.com redirects there; SmartNews the core app is free, but a premium tier called SmartNews+ exists for business news and coupon aggregation, with no price published on the homepage
  • They diverge on capability: Arc Publishing covers Modular CMS, SmartNews covers Machine learning curation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Arc Publishing and SmartNews actually diverge.

Attributes where Arc Publishing and SmartNews differ
AttributeArc PublishingSmartNews
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, MobileIos, Android
CategoryNews & MediaUnknown
Founded20162012

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

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 Arc Publishing

  • Modular CMS
  • Content creation
  • Publishing workflow
  • Paywall management
  • Subscription billing
  • Analytics dashboard
  • API framework
  • Commerce integration

Only in SmartNews

  • Machine learning curation
  • Smart Mode
  • Local news
  • Breaking alerts
  • Offline reading
  • Social sharing
  • News publishers
  • Ios support

What people use each for

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

Arc Publishing

  • Content management for news and digital publishersnot SmartNews
  • Subscription and paywall managementnot SmartNews
  • Video publishing alongside articlesnot SmartNews
  • Multi-site delivery for broadcast and B2B publishersnot SmartNews

SmartNews

  • Daily newsnot Arc Publishing
  • Local newsnot Arc Publishing
  • Breaking newsnot Arc Publishing
  • Quick readingnot Arc Publishing

Where each one falls short

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

Arc Publishing

  • Now sold as Arc XP, and arcpublishing.com redirects there
  • Pricing is not published
  • Built for media companies, so the editorial workflow assumptions do not suit a general business site

SmartNews

  • The core app is free, but a premium tier called SmartNews+ exists for business news and coupon aggregation, with no price published on the homepage

Pricing, plan by plan

Arc Publishing

On request
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Custom CMS
    • Paywall integration
    • Advanced analytics

SmartNews

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Trending news
    • Local news
    • Smart Mode reading

Which should you pick?

Choose Arc Publishing if

  • You need modular cms.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want content creation.
Arc Publishing review

Choose SmartNews if

  • You need machine learning curation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Ios, Android.
  • You also want smart mode.
SmartNews review

Questions people ask

Is Arc Publishing or SmartNews better?
Neither clearly leads. Arc Publishing starts at On request and SmartNews at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Arc Publishing or SmartNews?
SmartNews has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Arc Publishing and Free for SmartNews.
Does Arc Publishing or SmartNews run on more platforms?
Arc Publishing runs on Web, Mobile. SmartNews runs on Ios, Android.
Can I use SmartNews for free?
Yes. SmartNews has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Arc Publishing starts at On request.
What is Arc Publishing best used for?
Arc Publishing is most often used for content management for news and digital publishers, subscription and paywall management, video publishing alongside articles, multi-site delivery for broadcast and b2b publishers. Of those, content management for news and digital publishers and subscription and paywall management are not what SmartNews is typically brought in for.
What can Arc Publishing do that SmartNews cannot?
Arc Publishing covers Modular CMS, Content creation, Publishing workflow, Paywall management. SmartNews covers Machine learning curation, Smart Mode, Local news, Breaking alerts.
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