News & Media · head to head
Google News vs SmartNews
Google News
News & Media
Comprehensive news coverage powered by Google
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Google News google News is free with no paid tier at all; there is no subscription to compare, and Google monetises it through advertising and Showcase partnerships rather than a user fee; 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: Google News covers AI-powered curation, SmartNews covers Machine learning curation.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Google News and SmartNews actually diverge.
| Attribute | Google News | SmartNews |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android | Ios, Android |
| Founded | 1998 | 2012 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (News & Media).
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 Google News
- AI-powered curation
- Full coverage
- Topic following
- Newsstand
- Google account
- Google Assistant
- Chrome
- Android
Only in SmartNews
- Machine learning curation
- Smart Mode
- Breaking alerts
- Offline reading
- Social sharing
- News publishers
Both cover
- Local news
- Ios support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Google News
- News consumptionnot SmartNews
- Topic trackingnot SmartNews
- Local news
- Researchnot SmartNews
SmartNews
- Daily newsnot Google News
- Local news
- Breaking newsnot Google News
- Quick readingnot Google News
Both are used for local news, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Google News
- Google News is free with no paid tier at all; there is no subscription to compare, and Google monetises it through advertising and Showcase partnerships rather than a user fee
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
Google News
Free- FreeFree
- Personalized news feed
- Full coverage feature
- Local news
SmartNews
Free- FreeFree
- Trending news
- Local news
- Smart Mode reading
Which should you pick?
Choose Google News if
- You need ai-powered curation.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want full coverage.
Choose SmartNews if
- You need machine learning curation.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Ios, Android.
- You also want smart mode.
Questions people ask
- Is Google News or SmartNews better?
- Neither clearly leads. Google News starts at Free and SmartNews at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Google News or SmartNews?
- Google News starts at Free and SmartNews at Free.
- Does Google News or SmartNews run on more platforms?
- Google News runs on Web, Ios, Android. SmartNews runs on Ios, Android.
- Can I use Google News for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Google News best used for?
- Google News is most often used for news consumption, topic tracking, local news, research. Of those, news consumption and topic tracking are not what SmartNews is typically brought in for.
- What can Google News do that SmartNews cannot?
- Google News covers AI-powered curation, Full coverage, Topic following, Newsstand. SmartNews covers Machine learning curation, Smart Mode, Breaking alerts, Offline reading. Both handle Local news, Ios support, Android support.