NetNewsWire vs Reeder

NetNewsWire

• Mac, iPhone and iPad users who want a free reader with no account
• People who already sync feeds through Feedbin, Feedly or Inoreader
• Readers who prefer open-source software

Reeder

• Apple users who want feeds, videos and podcasts in one timeline
• Readers who would rather pick up where they left off than clear unread counts
• People who want syncing to stay inside their own iCloud account

NetNewsWire

• Apple platforms only: Mac, iPhone and iPad, with no web, Windows or Android version.
• The current version needs macOS 15 or iOS 26 and newer.
• Reader view cannot be switched on for everything at once; it is used per article or per feed.
• The app is made by volunteers, with bug reports and requests handled through GitHub issues and a forum.

Reeder

• Apple only: it runs on iPhone, iPad and Mac, with no web, Windows or Android version listed.
• The free version stops at 10 feeds and leaves out OPML import, Shared Feeds and social home timelines.
• There are no unread counts, and third-party sync services are not supported; syncing is through iCloud.
• Reeder Classic, the older app, is sold separately as a one-time purchase: $4.99 on iPhone and iPad, $9.99 on Mac.

NetNewsWire

Direct feed downloading

Feeds can be fetched straight from the sites that publish them, so the app works without signing up for a feed service.

Sync through iCloud or feed services

Feed lists and read and starred status sync through iCloud, or through Feedbin, Feedly, BazQux, Inoreader, NewsBlur, The Old Reader and FreshRSS.

Reader view and article themes

Reader view pulls the full article text when a feed carries only a summary and can be set to always apply to a given feed. Article themes are customizable.

Smart feeds, folders and stars

All Unread and Today smart feeds, folders, starred articles and search organize reading, and read articles and feeds can be hidden.

Keyboard navigation and Mac extras

Single-key shortcuts cover everyday navigation. The Mac app adds a customizable toolbar, multiple windows and AppleScript support.

Safari extension and OPML

A Safari extension adds the feed for the page you are viewing, and feed lists can be imported and exported as OPML.

Reeder

Unified timeline

RSS feeds, videos, podcasts and social media posts appear in one timeline. Items can be opened in other apps when you want the full client.

Synced timeline position

Reading progress is tracked by scroll position instead of read and unread states, and it syncs for the home timeline, filters, folders and single feeds.

Filters

Build custom timelines that include or exclude posts by keyword, media type or feed type. The built-in Audio and Video timelines are filters.

Saved links and tags

A share extension saves links from other apps. Later, Bookmarks and Favorites are built-in tags with their own keyboard shortcuts, and custom tags can be added.

Shared Feeds

Subscribers can turn any tag into a public, auto-updating JSON feed with a browser view. A shared feed carries the last 50 items added to the tag.

iCloud sync without data collection

Subscriptions, timeline position and tagged items sync through your own iCloud account, and the developer states that Reeder collects no data.

NetNewsWire

• Free$0

  The complete app on Mac, iPhone and iPad, including iCloud sync and syncing with third-party feed services.

Reeder

• Free$0

  Nearly all features for up to 10 feeds, without OPML import, Shared Feeds or home timelines from Mastodon, Bluesky and Micro.blog.

• Subscription$1.99

  per month, or $14.99 per year (US App Store)

  Lifts the 10-feed limit and adds Shared Feeds, OPML import and social home timelines. One subscription covers iPhone, iPad and Mac.

NetNewsWire

No public discounts listed.

Reeder

• Annual discount

  About 37% off with the yearly plan

  The US App Store lists the subscription at $14.99 a year or $1.99 a month, so a year paid up front costs about 37% less than twelve monthly payments.