NetNewsWire vs Instapaper
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
NetNewsWire is the better app overall, scoring 9.1 to 8.7. NetNewsWire wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Instapaper on 1.
Apple users who want to follow blogs and news sites without an algorithm
Readers who want a simple, private place to save articles for later
Score by score
The details
| Feature | NetNewsWire | Instapaper |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reading & News | Reading & News |
| Category rank | #2 of 7 | #4 of 7 |
| Developer | Brent Simmons | Instant Paper, Inc. |
| Pricing | Free | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | — | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web | — | ✓ |
Common questions
Is NetNewsWire better than Instapaper?
NetNewsWire is the better app overall, scoring 9.1 to 8.7. NetNewsWire wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Instapaper on 1.
Which is cheaper, NetNewsWire or Instapaper?
NetNewsWire: Completely free, with no in-app purchases. Instapaper: Free with unlimited saving; Premium is $5.99 a month or $59.99 a year. On value for money, NetNewsWire scores higher.
Do NetNewsWire and Instapaper work on the same devices?
Only Instapaper runs on Android, Web.
Which is more private, NetNewsWire or Instapaper?
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
Instapaper
- Unlimited saving on the free plan
- Very little data linked to you
- Works with Kobo e-readers and Kindle
- Search and permanent archive need Premium
- Free plan limits notes to five a month
- iPhone app now requires iOS 26
Instapaper does the classic read-later job well. Save an article from your browser or share sheet, and it waits for you as clean text you can highlight, annotate, tag or have read aloud. Unlimited saving is free, and it syncs with Kobo e-readers and sends to Kindle. With Pocket gone, it's the simple pick. Premium unlocks full-text search and a permanent archive of everything you save.
Full Instapaper review
