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Software · head to head

NewsBlur vs Google News

NewsBlur logo

NewsBlur

Software

A personal news reader bringing people together

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Google News logo

Google News

Software

Comprehensive news coverage powered by Google

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: NewsBlur the free account is limited to 64 sites; Google News google News is free with no paid tier at all; there is no subscription to compare, and Google monetises it through advertising and Showcase partnerships rather than a user fee
  • They diverge on capability: NewsBlur covers Intelligence training, Google News covers AI-powered curation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which NewsBlur and Google News actually diverge.

Attributes where NewsBlur and Google News differ
AttributeNewsBlurGoogle News
Pricing modelfreemiumfree
Founded20101998

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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
  • Pocket
  • Instapaper
  • Evernote

Only in Google News

  • AI-powered curation
  • Full coverage
  • Local news
  • Topic following
  • Newsstand
  • Google account
  • Google Assistant
  • Chrome

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 Google News
  • Archiving full article content from followed sitesnot Google News
  • Following a large number of feeds with fast refreshnot Google News

Google News

  • News consumptionnot NewsBlur
  • Topic trackingnot NewsBlur
  • Local newsnot NewsBlur
  • Researchnot 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

Google News

  • Google News is free with no paid tier at all; there is no subscription to compare, and Google monetises it through advertising and Showcase partnerships rather than a user fee

Pricing, plan by plan

NewsBlur

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 64 sites
    • Basic training
    • Web and mobile
  • Premium$36/year
    • Unlimited sites
    • Full training
    • Priority updates

Google News

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Personalized news feed
    • Full coverage feature
    • Local news

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.
NewsBlur review

Choose Google News if

  • You need ai-powered curation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want full coverage.
Google News review

Questions people ask

Is NewsBlur or Google News better?
Neither clearly leads. NewsBlur starts at Free and Google News at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, NewsBlur or Google News?
NewsBlur starts at Free and Google News at Free.
Does NewsBlur or Google News 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 Google News is typically brought in for.
What can NewsBlur do that Google News cannot?
NewsBlur covers Intelligence training, Story sharing, Original site view, Text view. Google News covers AI-powered curation, Full coverage, Local news, Topic following. Both handle Web support, Ios support, Android support.
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