NetNewsWire vs Readwise Reader
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, Readwise Reader on 1.
Apple users who want to follow blogs and news sites without an algorithm
Researchers, students and heavy readers who highlight and take notes
Score by score
The details
| Feature | NetNewsWire | Readwise Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reading & News | Reading & News |
| Category rank | #2 of 7 | #3 of 7 |
| Developer | Brent Simmons | Readwise |
| Pricing | Free | Subscription |
| Usable for free | Yes | No |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | — | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows | — | ✓ |
| Web | — | ✓ |
Common questions
Is NetNewsWire better than Readwise Reader?
NetNewsWire is the better app overall, scoring 9.1 to 8.7. NetNewsWire wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Readwise Reader on 1.
Which is cheaper, NetNewsWire or Readwise Reader?
NetNewsWire: Completely free, with no in-app purchases. Readwise Reader: 30-day free trial, then $9.99 a month billed yearly, or $12.99 monthly. On value for money, NetNewsWire scores higher.
Do NetNewsWire and Readwise Reader work on the same devices?
Only Readwise Reader runs on Web, Android, Windows.
Which is more private, NetNewsWire or Readwise Reader?
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
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
