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NetNewsWire vs NewsBlur

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
NewsBlur logo

NewsBlur

News

A personal news reader bringing people together

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: NetNewsWire it has no built in YouTube, Reddit or Mastodon integration, so a user wanting social feeds alongside RSS needs Reeder instead.; NewsBlur the free account is limited to 64 sites
  • They diverge on capability: NetNewsWire covers RSS and Atom parsing, NewsBlur covers Intelligence training.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which NetNewsWire and NewsBlur actually diverge.

Attributes where NetNewsWire and NewsBlur differ
AttributeNetNewsWireNewsBlur
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feefreemium
PlatformsMac, iOSWeb, Ios, Android
FoundedUnknown2010

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 NetNewsWire

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

Only in NewsBlur

  • Intelligence training
  • Story sharing
  • Original site view
  • Text view
  • Blurblogs
  • Pocket
  • Instapaper
  • Evernote

What people use each for

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

NetNewsWire

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

NewsBlur

  • Reading RSS feeds with training that filters by author, tag or titlenot NetNewsWire
  • Archiving full article content from followed sitesnot NetNewsWire
  • Following a large number of feeds with fast refreshnot NetNewsWire

Where each one falls short

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

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.

NewsBlur

  • The free account is limited to 64 sites
  • Search and text view extraction require Premium at $36 per year
  • Premium is capped at 1,024 sites and Premium Archive at 4,096 sites
  • Full content archiving and the Daily Briefing require Premium Archive at $99 per year
  • The fastest 5 to 15 minute feed refresh and regex training require Premium Pro at $29 per month
  • Site following is capped at 10,000 even on the top tier

Pricing, plan by plan

NetNewsWire

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

NewsBlur

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • Follow up to 64 sites
    • Real-time RSS updates
    • Train stories by author, tag, title
  • Premium$36/year
    • Follow up to 1024 sites
    • 5x more frequent updates
    • River of News, search, saved stories with tags
  • Premium Archive$99/year
    • Follow up to 4096 sites
    • Web feeds from any website
    • Story clustering, daily briefing, full archive and search
  • Premium Pro$29/month
    • All Archive features plus up to 10000 sites
    • Feeds fetched every 5 to 15 minutes
    • Regex training, priority support

Which should you pick?

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

Choose NewsBlur if

  • You need intelligence training.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want story sharing.
NewsBlur review

Questions people ask

Is NetNewsWire or NewsBlur better?
Neither clearly leads. NetNewsWire starts at Free and NewsBlur at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, NetNewsWire or NewsBlur?
NetNewsWire starts at Free and NewsBlur at Free.
Does NetNewsWire or NewsBlur run on more platforms?
NetNewsWire runs on Mac, iOS. NewsBlur runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use NetNewsWire for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is NetNewsWire best used for?
NetNewsWire is most often used for a reader who only wants traditional rss and atom feeds with no cap and no cost, someone who tried reeder free tier, hit the ten feed limit, and wants an unlimited free alternative instead, a developer who wants an open source reader they can inspect or contribute to on github, a user who wants feed sync through an existing feedbin or feedly account without paying for a separate reader subscription. Of those, a reader who only wants traditional rss and atom feeds with no cap and no cost and someone who tried reeder free tier, hit the ten feed limit, and wants an unlimited free alternative instead are not what NewsBlur is typically brought in for.
What can NetNewsWire do that NewsBlur cannot?
NetNewsWire covers RSS and Atom parsing, Third party sync, Unlimited feeds, Smart feeds. NewsBlur covers Intelligence training, Story sharing, Original site view, Text view.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

NetNewsWire: Is NetNewsWire free?

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

NewsBlur: Is NewsBlur free?

NewsBlur offers a free tier allowing users to follow up to 64 RSS feeds with real-time updates, story training, and public sharing.

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.

NewsBlur: What does Premium plan include?

Premium plan costs 36 dollars per year and includes following up to 1024 sites with 5x more frequent updates, River of News feature, search functionality, and saved stories with tags.

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.

NewsBlur: Is there a free trial?

Every new NewsBlur account starts with a free 30-day premium trial. No credit card is required to start.

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