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News · head to head

Artifact vs SmartNews

A

Artifact

News

AI-powered personalized news discovery

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SmartNews logo

SmartNews

News

Local news and breaking news from top sources

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Artifact wound down in early April 2024. Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger closed it, saying the market opportunity was not large enough to keep investing; SmartNews no specific pricing published for SmartNews+ subscription
  • They diverge on capability: Artifact covers AI recommendations, SmartNews covers Machine learning curation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Artifact and SmartNews actually diverge.

Attributes where Artifact and SmartNews differ
AttributeArtifactSmartNews
Founded20222012

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Ios, Android), 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 Artifact

  • AI recommendations
  • Article summaries
  • Clickbait detection
  • Topic following

Only in SmartNews

  • Machine learning curation
  • Smart Mode
  • Local news
  • Breaking alerts
  • Offline reading
  • News publishers

Both cover

  • Social sharing
  • Social sharing
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Artifact

  • News consumptionnot SmartNews
  • Content discoverynot SmartNews
  • Staying informednot SmartNews

SmartNews

  • Daily newsnot Artifact
  • Local newsnot Artifact
  • Breaking newsnot Artifact
  • Quick readingnot Artifact

Where each one falls short

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

Artifact

  • Wound down in early April 2024. Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger closed it, saying the market opportunity was not large enough to keep investing
  • Yahoo acquired the personalisation technology and folded it into Yahoo News, so the app itself is not coming back
  • The founders stayed only in an advisory capacity through the transition

SmartNews

  • No specific pricing published for SmartNews+ subscription
  • Requires visiting separate product page for pricing details
  • Subscription service model described but not detailed with costs

Pricing, plan by plan

Artifact

Free
  • FreeFree
    • AI-powered recommendations
    • Article summaries
    • Social features

SmartNews

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Trending news
    • Local news
    • Smart Mode reading

Which should you pick?

Choose Artifact if

  • You need ai recommendations.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Ios, Android.
  • You also want article summaries.
Artifact review

Choose SmartNews if

  • You need machine learning curation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Ios, Android.
  • You also want smart mode.
SmartNews review

Questions people ask

Is Artifact or SmartNews better?
Neither clearly leads. Artifact starts at Free and SmartNews at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Artifact or SmartNews?
Artifact starts at Free and SmartNews at Free.
Does Artifact or SmartNews run on more platforms?
Both run on Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Artifact for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Artifact best used for?
Artifact is most often used for news consumption, content discovery, staying informed. Of those, news consumption and content discovery are not what SmartNews is typically brought in for.
What can Artifact do that SmartNews cannot?
Artifact covers AI recommendations, Article summaries, Clickbait detection, Topic following. SmartNews covers Machine learning curation, Smart Mode, Local news, Breaking alerts. Both handle Social sharing, Social sharing, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SmartNews: How much does SmartNews cost?

SmartNews does not publish specific subscription pricing on its main website. The vendor offers SmartNews+, described as a subscription service aggregating paid business news and coupons, but cost details must be found on the dedicated SmartNews+ product page.

Source
SmartNews: Does SmartNews offer a free tier?

SmartNews provides free access to curated news content. For additional business news and coupons, the vendor offers SmartNews+ as a paid subscription service. Pricing and trial details for SmartNews+ are available on the dedicated subscription product page.

Source
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