Readwise Reader vs Ground News
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
Readwise Reader is the better app overall, scoring 8.7 to 8.0. Readwise Reader wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Ground News on 1.
Researchers, students and heavy readers who highlight and take notes
News readers who want to see past any one outlet's framing
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Readwise Reader | Ground News |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reading & News | Reading & News |
| Category rank | #3 of 7 | #7 of 7 |
| Developer | Readwise | Snapwise Inc. |
| Pricing | Subscription | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | No | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | — |
| Windows | ✓ | — |
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Readwise Reader better than Ground News?
Readwise Reader is the better app overall, scoring 8.7 to 8.0. Readwise Reader wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Ground News on 1.
Which is cheaper, Readwise Reader or Ground News?
Readwise Reader: 30-day free trial, then $9.99 a month billed yearly, or $12.99 monthly. Ground News: Free tier; in the iOS app, Pro starts at $0.99 a month and Vantage is $9.99. On value for money, Ground News scores higher.
Do Readwise Reader and Ground News work on the same devices?
Only Readwise Reader runs on Mac, Windows.
Which is more private, Readwise Reader or Ground News?
Readwise Reader scores higher on privacy (8.2/10). App Store label: no tracking. Email, name, user ID, usage and diagnostics are linked to you for analytics and app functions. Google Play says no data is shared with third parties.
Strengths and weaknesses
Readwise Reader
- Handles nearly every format you read
- Highlights sync to your notes apps
- Apps for phones and desktops, plus the web
- No free plan after the 30-day trial
- Not included in the cheaper Readwise Lite plan
Readwise Reader pulls everything you mean to read into one library: saved articles, PDFs, EPUBs, newsletters, RSS feeds, YouTube transcripts and threads. Highlight anything and it flows to Obsidian, Notion or Logseq. Ghostreader, the built-in AI, summarizes, looks things up and answers questions across your library. It's the most capable reader here. It's also subscription-only after a 30-day trial, and not cheap.
Full Readwise Reader review
Ground News
- Shows how each side covers the same story
- Blindspot feed catches stories you'd miss
- Free tier covers the basics
- Bias ratings are per outlet, not per article
- Factuality and ownership data need a paid plan
- Doesn't get you past publishers' paywalls
Ground News groups coverage of the same story from more than 50,000 sources and shows you who's covering it: how much comes from the left, center and right, how factual each outlet is rated, and who owns it. The Blindspot feed surfaces stories one side barely covers. It's a useful check on your own bubble. Ratings are per outlet, not per article, and the best data needs a subscription.
Full Ground News review
