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Medium vs NetNewsWire

Medium logo

Medium

News

The best place to read and write stories on the internet

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: Medium unlimited access to stories requires a paid Medium membership; 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: Medium covers Story publishing, 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 Medium and NetNewsWire actually diverge.

Attributes where Medium and NetNewsWire differ
AttributeMediumNetNewsWire
Pricing modelfreemiumOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, MobileMac, iOS
Founded2012Unknown

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 Medium

  • Story publishing
  • Member program
  • Earning potential
  • Reading time estimates
  • Clap reactions
  • Highlighting & annotations
  • Story recommendations
  • Following system

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.

Medium

  • Publishing articles without running your own blognot NetNewsWire
  • Reading long-form writing across technology, culture and newsnot NetNewsWire
  • Earning from writing through the Medium Partner Programnot NetNewsWire

NetNewsWire

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

Where each one falls short

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

Medium

  • Unlimited access to stories requires a paid Medium membership
  • Audio versions of stories are a member-only feature
  • Earning money from writing requires joining the Medium Partner Program rather than being automatic
  • The iOS app requires iOS 17.0 or later

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

Medium

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited reading
    • Publishing platform
    • Story drafts
  • Medium Membership$5/month
    • Unlimited access
    • Exclusive stories
    • Member earnings

NetNewsWire

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Medium if

  • You need story publishing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want member program.
Medium 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 Medium or NetNewsWire better?
Neither clearly leads. Medium 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, Medium or NetNewsWire?
Medium starts at Free and NetNewsWire at Free.
Does Medium or NetNewsWire run on more platforms?
Medium runs on Web, Mobile. NetNewsWire runs on Mac, iOS.
Can I use Medium for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Medium best used for?
Medium is most often used for publishing articles without running your own blog, reading long-form writing across technology, culture and news, earning from writing through the medium partner program. Of those, publishing articles without running your own blog and reading long-form writing across technology, culture and news are not what NetNewsWire is typically brought in for.
What can Medium do that NetNewsWire cannot?
Medium covers Story publishing, Member program, Earning potential, Reading time estimates. 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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