Software · head to head
Readwise Reader vs Apple News
Readwise Reader
Software
The read-it-later app for power readers
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Apple News has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Readwise Reader there is no free tier, only a 30 day trial; Apple News apple News+ costs $12.99 per month in USD after the first month, or is included only via the $39.95 per month USD Apple One Premier bundle
- They diverge on capability: Readwise Reader covers Read-it-later, Apple News covers Curated news feed.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Readwise Reader and Apple News actually diverge.
| Attribute | Readwise Reader | Apple News |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Ios, Android, Web | Ios, Macos |
| Founded | 2017 | 1976 |
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 Readwise Reader
- Read-it-later
- RSS aggregation
- Newsletter inbox
- PDF support
- Highlighting
- Notion
- Obsidian
- Roam Research
Only in Apple News
- Curated news feed
- Premium magazines
- Audio stories
- Personalization
- Offline reading
- iCloud
- Apple One bundle
- Siri
Both cover
- Ios support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Readwise Reader
- Saving and reading articles, PDFs and newsletters in one placenot Apple News
- Reviewing highlights from books and articles over timenot Apple News
Apple News
- Daily news readingnot Readwise Reader
- Magazine subscriptionnot Readwise Reader
- News discoverynot Readwise Reader
- Staying informednot Readwise Reader
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Readwise Reader
- There is no free tier, only a 30 day trial
- Reader is bundled into the full plan rather than sold separately, so it cannot be had at the cheaper Lite price
- The Lite plan at $5.59 a month billed annually is daily email review only, without the web app or tagging
- Paying monthly rather than annually raises the full plan from $9.99 to $12.99
Apple News
- Apple News+ costs $12.99 per month in USD after the first month, or is included only via the $39.95 per month USD Apple One Premier bundle
Pricing, plan by plan
Readwise Reader
On request- Reader Lite$8.99/month
- Unlimited articles
- Highlighting
- RSS feeds
- Full$12.99/month
- Everything in Lite
- Readwise integration
- Spaced repetition
Apple News
Free- Apple NewsFree
- Free news articles
- Personalized feed
- Topic following
- Apple News+$12.99/month
- Premium magazines
- Major newspapers
- Audio stories
Which should you pick?
Choose Readwise Reader if
- You need read-it-later.
- You work on Ios, Android, Web.
- You also want rss aggregation.
Choose Apple News if
- You need curated news feed.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Ios, Macos.
- You also want premium magazines.
Questions people ask
- Is Readwise Reader or Apple News better?
- Neither clearly leads. Readwise Reader starts at On request and Apple News at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Readwise Reader or Apple News?
- Apple News has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Readwise Reader and Free for Apple News.
- Does Readwise Reader or Apple News run on more platforms?
- Readwise Reader runs on Ios, Android, Web. Apple News runs on Ios, Macos.
- Can I use Apple News for free?
- Yes. Apple News has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Readwise Reader starts at On request.
- What is Readwise Reader best used for?
- Readwise Reader is most often used for saving and reading articles, pdfs and newsletters in one place, reviewing highlights from books and articles over time. Of those, saving and reading articles, pdfs and newsletters in one place and reviewing highlights from books and articles over time are not what Apple News is typically brought in for.
- What can Readwise Reader do that Apple News cannot?
- Readwise Reader covers Read-it-later, RSS aggregation, Newsletter inbox, PDF support. Apple News covers Curated news feed, Premium magazines, Audio stories, Personalization. Both handle Ios support.