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HARO vs NetNewsWire

HARO logo

HARO

News

Help A Reporter Out - connecting journalists with expert sources

From
Free
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

  • Each has a real cost: HARO hARO was rebranded and phased out by Cision in favor of Connectively (www.connectively.us) starting early 2024, per the vendor's own helpareporter.com notice (Internet Archive capture, 2023); 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: HARO covers Daily journalist queries, 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 HARO and NetNewsWire actually diverge.

Attributes where HARO and NetNewsWire differ
AttributeHARONetNewsWire
Pricing modelfreemiumOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, EmailMac, iOS
Founded2008Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 HARO

  • Daily journalist queries
  • Source submissions
  • Query archives
  • Response tracking
  • Source directory
  • Email matching
  • Profile management
  • Email

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.

HARO

  • Finding expert sourcesnot NetNewsWire
  • Press coveragenot NetNewsWire
  • Expert positioningnot NetNewsWire
  • Media relationsnot NetNewsWire

NetNewsWire

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

Where each one falls short

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

HARO

  • HARO was rebranded and phased out by Cision in favor of Connectively (www.connectively.us) starting early 2024, per the vendor's own helpareporter.com notice (Internet Archive capture, 2023)

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

HARO

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Daily email alerts
    • Query submissions
    • Source directory
  • Pro$19.99/month
    • Advanced features
    • Priority support
    • Analytics

NetNewsWire

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

Which should you pick?

Choose HARO if

  • You need daily journalist queries.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Email.
  • You also want source submissions.
HARO 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 HARO or NetNewsWire better?
Neither clearly leads. HARO starts at Free and NetNewsWire at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HARO or NetNewsWire?
HARO starts at Free and NetNewsWire at Free.
Does HARO or NetNewsWire run on more platforms?
HARO runs on Web, Email. NetNewsWire runs on Mac, iOS.
Can I use HARO for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is HARO best used for?
HARO is most often used for finding expert sources, press coverage, expert positioning, media relations. Of those, finding expert sources and press coverage are not what NetNewsWire is typically brought in for.
What can HARO do that NetNewsWire cannot?
HARO covers Daily journalist queries, Source submissions, Query archives, Response tracking. NetNewsWire covers RSS and Atom parsing, Third party sync, Unlimited feeds, Smart feeds.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

NetNewsWire: Is NetNewsWire free?

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

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.

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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