Libby vs NetNewsWire
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
It's close: Libby edges it 9.1 to 9.1, so the right pick depends on what you need. Libby wins on 2 of the 5 scores, NetNewsWire on 2, with 1 tied.
Readers and audiobook fans who have, or can get, a public library card
Apple users who want to follow blogs and news sites without an algorithm
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Libby | NetNewsWire |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reading & News | Reading & News |
| Category rank | #1 of 7 | #2 of 7 |
| Developer | OverDrive | Brent Simmons |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | — |
| Mac | — | ✓ |
| Web | ✓ | — |
Common questions
Is Libby better than NetNewsWire?
It's close: Libby edges it 9.1 to 9.1, so the right pick depends on what you need. Libby wins on 2 of the 5 scores, NetNewsWire on 2, with 1 tied.
Which is cheaper, Libby or NetNewsWire?
Libby: Free; you just need a card from a participating library. NetNewsWire: Completely free, with no in-app purchases. On value for money, Libby scores higher.
Do Libby and NetNewsWire work on the same devices?
Only Libby runs on Android, Web. Only NetNewsWire runs on Mac.
Which is more private, Libby or NetNewsWire?
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
Libby
- Completely free with a library card
- No tracking, and almost no data tied to you
- Clean design that's easy for any age
- Popular titles can mean long hold waits
- Catalog depends on your library's collection
- Send to Kindle works only in the US
Libby turns your library card into a free ebook, audiobook and magazine app. Borrow titles, place holds and get told when they're ready, download them for offline reading, set audiobook speed from 0.6x to 3x and, in the US, send loans to a Kindle. You can link several library cards at once. The only real cost is patience, since popular books often have long hold queues.
Full Libby review
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
