Software · head to head
NewsBlur vs Flipboard
The short version
- Each has a real cost: NewsBlur the free account is limited to 64 sites; Flipboard flipboard is free to use with no paid tier; the product carries no subscription, so there is no plan limit to compare against rivals that charge
- They diverge on capability: NewsBlur covers Intelligence training, Flipboard covers Magazine-style layout.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which NewsBlur and Flipboard actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2010).
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 Flipboard
- Magazine-style layout
- Content curation
- Topic discovery
- Smart magazines
- Social sharing
Both cover
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android 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 Flipboard
- Archiving full article content from followed sitesnot Flipboard
- Following a large number of feeds with fast refreshnot Flipboard
- News consumptionnot NewsBlur
- Content discoverynot NewsBlur
- Magazine creationnot NewsBlur
- Social readingnot 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
- Flipboard is free to use with no paid tier; the product carries no subscription, so there is no plan limit to compare against rivals that charge
Pricing, plan by plan
NewsBlur
Free- FreeFree
- 64 sites
- Basic training
- Web and mobile
- Premium$36/year
- Unlimited sites
- Full training
- Priority updates
- FreeFree
- Unlimited reading
- Personalized feeds
- Magazine creation
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 Flipboard if
- You need magazine-style layout.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want content curation.
Questions people ask
- Is NewsBlur or Flipboard better?
- Neither clearly leads. NewsBlur starts at Free and Flipboard at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, NewsBlur or Flipboard?
- NewsBlur starts at Free and Flipboard at Free.
- Does NewsBlur or Flipboard run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use NewsBlur for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- 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 Flipboard is typically brought in for.
- What can NewsBlur do that Flipboard cannot?
- NewsBlur covers Intelligence training, Story sharing, Original site view, Text view. Flipboard covers Magazine-style layout, Content curation, Topic discovery, Smart magazines. Both handle Twitter, Web support, Ios support, Android support.