Software · head to head
NewsBlur vs Brightspot
Brightspot
Software
The headless CMS for digital publishers and media companies
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only NewsBlur has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: NewsBlur the free account is limited to 64 sites; Brightspot pricing is not published and requires a demo
- They diverge on capability: NewsBlur covers Intelligence training, Brightspot covers Headless CMS.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which NewsBlur and Brightspot actually diverge.
| Attribute | NewsBlur | Brightspot |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | freemium | quote |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android | Web, Mobile, Headless |
| Founded | 2010 | 2006 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 NewsBlur
- Intelligence training
- Story sharing
- Original site view
- Text view
- Blurblogs
- Instapaper
- Evernote
Only in Brightspot
- Headless CMS
- API-first architecture
- Content modeling
- Publishing workflow
- Asset management
- Content versioning
- User permissions
- Scheduling
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
NewsBlur
- Reading RSS feeds with training that filters by author, tag or titlenot Brightspot
- Archiving full article content from followed sitesnot Brightspot
- Following a large number of feeds with fast refreshnot Brightspot
Brightspot
- Headless or hybrid CMS for large editorial operationsnot NewsBlur
- Publishing across web, apps and syndication from one content storenot NewsBlur
- Content operations for newsrooms and broadcastersnot NewsBlur
- Managing large media libraries alongside articlesnot NewsBlur
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Brightspot
- Pricing is not published and requires a demo
- Aimed at enterprise media and publishing organisations rather than smaller sites
Pricing, plan by plan
NewsBlur
Free- FreeFree
- 64 sites
- Basic training
- Web and mobile
- Premium$36/year
- Unlimited sites
- Full training
- Priority updates
Brightspot
On request- Enterprise$undefined/custom
- Headless CMS
- Multi-site management
- Omnichannel publishing
Which should you pick?
Choose NewsBlur if
- You need intelligence training.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want story sharing.
Choose Brightspot if
- You need headless cms.
- You work on Web, Mobile, Headless.
- You also want api-first architecture.
Questions people ask
- Is NewsBlur or Brightspot better?
- Neither clearly leads. NewsBlur starts at Free and Brightspot at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, NewsBlur or Brightspot?
- NewsBlur has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for NewsBlur and On request for Brightspot.
- Does NewsBlur or Brightspot run on more platforms?
- NewsBlur runs on Web, Ios, Android. Brightspot runs on Web, Mobile, Headless.
- Can I use NewsBlur for free?
- Yes. NewsBlur has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Brightspot starts at On request.
- What is NewsBlur best used for?
- NewsBlur is most often used for reading rss feeds with training that filters by author, tag or title, archiving full article content from followed sites, following a large number of feeds with fast refresh. Of those, reading rss feeds with training that filters by author, tag or title and archiving full article content from followed sites are not what Brightspot is typically brought in for.
- What can NewsBlur do that Brightspot cannot?
- NewsBlur covers Intelligence training, Story sharing, Original site view, Text view. Brightspot covers Headless CMS, API-first architecture, Content modeling, Publishing workflow. Both handle Web support.