NetNewsWire vs Goodreads
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
NetNewsWire is the better app overall, scoring 9.1 to 7.8. NetNewsWire wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Goodreads on 1.
Apple users who want to follow blogs and news sites without an algorithm
Readers who want to track books and see reviews from a huge community
Score by score
The details
| Feature | NetNewsWire | Goodreads |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reading & News | Reading & News |
| Category rank | #2 of 11 | #11 of 11 |
| Developer | Brent Simmons | Goodreads, Inc. |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | — | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | — |
| Web | — | ✓ |
Common questions
Is NetNewsWire better than Goodreads?
NetNewsWire is the better app overall, scoring 9.1 to 7.8. NetNewsWire wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Goodreads on 1.
Which is cheaper, NetNewsWire or Goodreads?
NetNewsWire: Completely free, with no in-app purchases. Goodreads: Free, with no paid plan; Goodreads is owned by Amazon. On value for money, NetNewsWire scores higher.
Do NetNewsWire and Goodreads work on the same devices?
Only NetNewsWire runs on Mac. Only Goodreads runs on Android, Web.
Which is more private, NetNewsWire or Goodreads?
NetNewsWire scores higher on privacy (9.8/10). App Store label: no tracking and no data linked to you, only a user ID not tied to your identity. Crash logs are opt-in, and the website uses no cookies or trackers.
Strengths and weaknesses
NetNewsWire
- Free, open source and ad-free
- Collects almost no data about you
- Fast native apps for Mac, iPhone and iPad
- No Android, Windows or web version
- Reader view isn't guaranteed to work on every site
- Long backlog of requested features
NetNewsWire is an RSS reader that does one job very well: it shows you new posts from the sites you choose, in order, with nothing pushed by an algorithm. It's native on Mac, iPhone and iPad, and syncs through iCloud, Feedbin, Feedly, Inoreader and others. It's free and open source, with no ads and no tracking. The catch: it's Apple-only, and its feature set stays deliberately simple.
Full NetNewsWire review
Goodreads
- Free, with a huge community of 150 million members
- Quick book scanner and reading tracker
- Reading Challenge and Year in Books recap
- Design and app feel dated
- Lots of data linked to your account
- Suggestions are simpler than The StoryGraph's
Goodreads has more than 150 million members, so your reading friends are probably already there. Shelve what you've read and want to read, set a yearly Reading Challenge, check reviews from millions of people and join book club groups. In 2026 it finally added a Did Not Finish shelf and half- and quarter-star ratings. It's free and works with Kindle, but the design feels dated next to The StoryGraph, and its suggestions are simpler than StoryGraph's mood-based picks.
Full Goodreads review
