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Flipboard vs SmartNews

Flipboard logo

Flipboard

News

Your personal magazine for news and stories

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: Flipboard no pricing information is published on the website; SmartNews no specific pricing published for SmartNews+ subscription
  • They diverge on capability: Flipboard covers Magazine-style layout, SmartNews covers Machine learning curation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Flipboard and SmartNews actually diverge.

Attributes where Flipboard and SmartNews differ
AttributeFlipboardSmartNews
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidIos, Android
Founded20102012

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (free), free tier (Yes), 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 Flipboard

  • Magazine-style layout
  • Content curation
  • Topic discovery
  • Smart magazines
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Google

Only in SmartNews

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

Both cover

  • Social sharing
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Flipboard

  • News consumptionnot SmartNews
  • Content discoverynot SmartNews
  • Magazine creationnot SmartNews
  • Social readingnot SmartNews

SmartNews

  • Daily newsnot Flipboard
  • Local newsnot Flipboard
  • Breaking newsnot Flipboard
  • Quick readingnot Flipboard

Where each one falls short

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

Flipboard

  • No pricing information is published on the website

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

Flipboard

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited reading
    • Personalized feeds
    • Magazine creation

SmartNews

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

Which should you pick?

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.
Flipboard 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 Flipboard or SmartNews better?
Neither clearly leads. Flipboard 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, Flipboard or SmartNews?
Flipboard starts at Free and SmartNews at Free.
Does Flipboard or SmartNews run on more platforms?
Flipboard runs on Web, Ios, Android. SmartNews runs on Ios, Android.
Can I use Flipboard for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Flipboard best used for?
Flipboard is most often used for news consumption, content discovery, magazine creation, social reading. Of those, news consumption and content discovery are not what SmartNews is typically brought in for.
What can Flipboard do that SmartNews cannot?
Flipboard covers Magazine-style layout, Content curation, Topic discovery, Smart magazines. SmartNews covers Machine learning curation, Smart Mode, Local news, Breaking alerts. Both handle Social sharing, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Flipboard: How much does Flipboard cost?

No pricing information is disclosed on Flipboard's website. The service provides options to sign up and log in, but the specific pricing model or whether the service is free or paid is not stated.

Source
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
Flipboard: Is Flipboard free or paid?

Flipboard's pricing model is not disclosed on their public website. Users can access the platform by signing up or logging in, but costs and features associated with different tiers are not published.

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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