The iPhone and iPad are both great ways to consume news and RSS on the go, or while simply lounging around the house. No matter what service you use — Feedly, Feed Wrangler or something else — there are tons of RSS and news apps that support them. If you don’t need a news aggregator service, or don’t even know what that means, there are still news apps that can help you find interesting things to read.
These are currently the best of the best news apps available for iPhone and iPad — and why I think they’re so great.
Reeder 2
Elegant, simple, just the way you want it
The first question I always get asked after doing a roundup like this is which app I personally use. I’ve been using Reeder 2 almost as long as I can remember using an iPhone.
What I love about Reeder 2 is that I can choose how and what I want to read. It also integrates with all the major RSS services such as Feedly, Feed Wrangler (which is what I use, for those wondering), Feedbin and more. If you don’t use an RSS service, you can also add feeds manually by just entering the website.
Web Based RSS Readers Feedly. This service, though it currently works with Google Reader, is at the top of our list for the simple reason that the developers have promised its users a simple and painless transition from Google Reader, and because it has one of the best interfaces you will find in any RSS reader. Mobile RSS handles this with an entirely new view. It bolsters what the designer calls a “Minimized Layout.” The default is a three-sheet window: source, article rundown, and content. Download Mobile RSS for Mac. ReadKit is a famous Mac RSS reader application that can match up sustains all alone. It additionally utilizes brilliant organizers to rapidly see what’s going on in your different records. ReadKit is the best RSS reader you can get for your Mac right now. You can subscribe to websites individually, or, you can import the feeds from other online services such as Feedly, NewsBlur, Fever, and many more.
Reeder 2 provides a clean, streamlined, standard feed that’s easy to use and understand. If you want all your news in straight chronological order with zero frills, Reeder 2 is the quickest way to work through and triage tons of RSS feeds.
- $4.99 – Download
See also:
- Reeder 3 for Mac – $9.99 – Download
NetNewsWire
Favorites come first
The very first RSS app I ever used on my iPhone was NetNewsWire. I was overjoyed when it recently received a complete overhaul. What makes it unique from other news and RSS apps are the unique ways to sort and view your content.
For example, the favorites view is a great way to filter out sites that post a lot of noise so your feed isn’t congested by stories you don’t particularly care as much about. I love using NetNewsWire when I only have a few minutes to catch up and only want to see content from my favorite sites. Enabling the Smart Site Refresh feature in settings makes the experience even better. This way, only your favorite sites auto-refresh on their own. Everything else is only updated when you manually pull to refresh.
NetNewsWire also features great-looking inline images that integrate right into your feed. However, if you prefer fitting as much as you can on the screen at once, you can disable them in settings.
- $7.99 – Download
See also:
- NetNewsWire for Mac – $19.99 – Download
Newsify
A tailored, magazine-like experience
Free Rss Reader For Mac
Simple text feeds for news aren’t for everyone and if you fit in that category, Newsify is a much more visual way to browse and read news. I like to think of it as a happy medium between Flipboard and standard RSS apps.
Anyone who enjoys the idea of viewing news as a collection of magazine clippings will love Newsify. It’s much more media-centric than many other standard news and RSS apps. When I have time to sit and randomly browse news feeds, I’ve found Newsify to be a great way to do it.
If you use an RSS service, Newsify will import your categories, folders or smart streams just as you have them. This way you can still triage effectively while enjoying a magazine-style experience without all the clutter.
- Free – Download
Unread
A beautiful, undistracted reading experience
If I sit down with my iPad, I probably want to do some long-form reading or some serious catch up. For these kinds of reading sessions, I almost always turn to Unread.
I just can’t help but love the way every little detail of Unread is well-thought-out. There are seven gorgeous themes to choose from and the entire interface can be navigated with nothing but gestures. In a single swipe and tap, I can change how articles are grouped or sorted, or I can mark everything in that category as read.
Reeder 2 offers a simpler setup in terms of referring to older articles or viewing things I’ve already read, but when I want to read long-form content on my iPad, I much prefer the experience and the immersive design Unread offers. It’s a strange setup, I know, but since both Unread and Reeder 2 support Feed Wrangler, I’ve never had an issue.
- Unread for iPhone – Free w/ IAP – Download
- Unread for iPad – Free w/ IAP – Download
If you don’t know where to begin
Rss Reader For Mac
I don’t use Flipboard regularly because I have a very small subset of sites I actually care to read. However, if you don’t and need to find awesome sites and news sources to follow, there’s no better place to start than Flipboard.
Designed like a personal magazine, Flipboard will ask you to tell it about your interests and present you with curated content based on what you provided. It’s also a magazine-style reading experience, which takes the pressure off focusing on unread counts or getting through a huge list of feeds.
Just sit down, relax, read what you have time for, and come back later – just as you would with a paper magazine.
- Free – Download
This post was syndicated via The App Factor.
We’ve told you about the main web-based alternatives to Google’s beloved but departed RSS service, which defined the RSS reading genre so well most competitors stopped bothering to compete. Feedly is probably the most feature filledFeedly, Reviewed: What Makes It Such A Popular Google Reader Replacement?Feedly, Reviewed: What Makes It Such A Popular Google Reader Replacement?Now that Google Reader is but a distant memory, the fight for the future of RSS is truly on. One of the most notable products fighting the good fight is Feedly. Google Reader wasn't an...Read More, Newsblur is easy to useNewsblur: A Friendly & Feature Rich Online Feed Reader SoftwareNewsblur: A Friendly & Feature Rich Online Feed Reader SoftwareRead More and Feedbin, while not free, is worth the $2 a monthFeedbin: A Google Reader Replacement That May Be Worth $2 Per MonthFeedbin: A Google Reader Replacement That May Be Worth $2 Per MonthGoogle Reader is sun-setting and shutting down on July 1st. Like most Google services, it was free – and in a world where many Web services are free, it's easy to forget that developers need...Read More.
But what about desktop apps? The Mac has long been home to some of the best desktop RSS apps out there, but many depended on Google Reader for syncing and basic functionality. What are the best alternatives to the now-broken clients like Reeder? Here are the best I’ve found.
ReadKit ($6.99)
Originally built to sync with read later services like Instapaper and Pocket, ReadKit is probably the best RSS app for Mac out there right now. Why? It syncs with Feedly, Newsblur, Feedbin and more – meaning you can use ReadKit on your Mac and keep reading on your portable device without any hiccups.
But there’s more here than just syncing: this app makes sharing with other apps easy and includes all the keyboard shortcuts you’d expect a modern reader app to include. It even offers Readability, allowing you to pull in full-text versions of articles in one keystroke.
Sure, it’s design is a not-so-subtle nod to Reeder, but that app’s Mac reincarnation is still forthcoming. And even when Reeder does come out, it will be hard for even that app to match the balance of features and simplicity ReadKit’s put together. It combines all of your online reading in one place. Read more about ReadKitIs ReadKit The Perfect Reeder Replacement For Mac? (Yes)Is ReadKit The Perfect Reeder Replacement For Mac? (Yes)Still looking for the perfect Mac RSS reader? It's here.Read More.
NewsNetWire ($10 pre-release, $20 thereafter)
Launched in 2002, NewsNetWire is the oldest RSS reader out there for Mac – and among the longest-developed programs on the platform. And now it’s experiencing a rebirth of sorts, with the fourth version expected soon.
You’ll immediately notice the app fits right in on modern Macs, with an interface that resembles a mail client. Browsing articles with the arrow key and space bar is easy, and a tabbed interface allows you to allow full versions of articles to load in the background.
NewsNetWire 4 is, as of this writing, in development. They’re currently offering a $10 pre-order with beta access, but the program will eventually cost $20.
Vienna (Free)
The free and open source alternative Vienna is a solid RSS reader that won’t cost you anything. The interface is simple, and browsing your feeds is easy. It also includes built-in sharing with Buffer.
Vienna supports Open Reader, an open source API web-based RSS services can use to provide syncing services. Major services like Feedly haven’t implemented this standard yet, however, so you’ll be limited to two relatively obscure services:
If you’d rather not pay for a desktop RSS reader, Vienna is well worth checking out – and it offers more syncing options than NetNewsWire. Read more about ViennaVienna: A RSS Feed Reader With Integrated Sharing [Mac]Vienna: A RSS Feed Reader With Integrated Sharing [Mac]Read More, if you’re interested.
Best Rss Reader For Mac Os X
Menu Bar Options
Not sure you want a full-blown RSS reader for your desktop? There are menu bar options, like Feeds (free):
Simon outlined 3 menu bar apps for staying on top of your RSS feeds3 Great Menu Bar Apps to Stay on Top of Your RSS Feeds [Mac]3 Great Menu Bar Apps to Stay on Top of Your RSS Feeds [Mac]For me, RSS feeds are the ideal way to keep up to date with all the websites I'm interested in - a centralised news-pool, so you don't have to check your browser every five minutes...Read More. Check that list out if you’re interested.
There’s More…
Of course, it’s impossible to write about Mac RSS apps without discussing Reeder. This was long the clear leader for Mac RSS apps, but relied on Google Reader for pretty much everything. Updates capable of syncing with Feedly and more have been issued for the iPhone and iPad, but the Mac version remains broken. Stay tuned, though, because if the previous version is anything to go by it will be fast and feature filled.
And there are other apps worth checking out. Leaf is an attractive app that leaves some advanced features out in favor of simplicity, and is getting a lot of really great reviews.It doesn’t sync with anything post-Reader, but might be perfect for someone seeking a simple alternative that looks great.
I couldn’t possibly outline every RSS reader for Mac here, so I need your help: which awesome apps did I miss? Fill me in below, okay?
Top Rss Reader For Mac Free
Rss For Mac
My main problem with NetNewsWire is that it won't allow you to comment on Google blogs from within the program. Commenting works for ALL other services.
What about Caffeinated? Tis a winner.
The correct name of the app is actually NetNewsWire, not NewsNetWire
I will use ReadKit when they will include the sync option with Theoldreader.
I hope Feedly has a desktop version.
It does.
I've been using Vienna ever since I switched to the Mac. I loved it then as I do now. Back then it didn't have the syncing, so now I'm left with trying to find a suitable iOS app to fully utilize that feature. I would love to find one that operates more like Vienna, but most want to aggregate feeds together into one long view.
They all look the same.