Alternatives to NetNewsWire
Free native Apple reader, beautifully done
NetNewsWire ranks #11 of 11 in RSS readers, with an Alt Score of 28. It is licensed under MIT, free and available on iOS and macOS. 4 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
NetNewsWire is for Mac, iPhone, and iPad users who want to follow blogs and news sites via RSS instead of relying on social media algorithms or news aggregator platforms.
A free, open-source, native RSS reader with a fast, ad-free reading experience. It includes smart feeds (like Today and All Unread), a built-in reader view, article search and starring, OPML import/export, and a Safari extension for one-click subscribing. On Mac it also supports multiple windows, a customizable toolbar, and AppleScript automation.
You subscribe to RSS/Atom feeds (or import an OPML file of existing subscriptions), and NetNewsWire fetches new articles into a unified, read/unread-tracked timeline. It can sync feeds and reading status across devices via iCloud or third-party services like Feedbin, Feedly, Inoreader, NewsBlur, BazQux, FreshRSS, or The Old Reader.
Why people leave NetNewsWire
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Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
Feature comparison
How NetNewsWire compares with its alternatives, feature by feature.
| RSS readers checklist | NetNewsWire | NewsBlur | FreshRSS | Miniflux | Tiny Tiny RSS | Feedbin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Newsletter ingestion (email address) | ||||||
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| Podcast support |
Every fact and feature listed for NetNewsWire is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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License MIT verified 2026-07-11
MIT License
https://github.com/Ranchero-Software/NetNewsWire/blob/main/LICENSE -
Pricing model Free verified 2026-07-11
Free
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/netnewswire-rss-reader/id1480640210 -
Platforms iOS, macOS verified 2026-07-11
NetNewsWire is a free and open-source feed reader for macOS and iOS.
https://github.com/Ranchero-Software/NetNewsWire -
Status active verified 2026-07-11
NetNewsWire 7.1.1 for Mac
https://github.com/Ranchero-Software/NetNewsWire/releases -
Full-text extraction Yes verified 2026-07-11
If you don't see all of an article, use Reader View.
https://netnewswire.com/help/mac/6.1/en/getting-started.html -
Keyboard navigation Yes verified 2026-07-11
You can use keyboard shortcuts to read and navigate the NetNewsWire interface.
https://netnewswire.com/help/mac/6.1/en/keyboard-shortcuts.html -
Rules & filters No verified 2026-07-11
NetNewsWire can filter out stuff you've already seen, and only show you what's unread.
https://netnewswire.com/help/ios/6.0/en/filters.html -
Self-hostable No verified 2026-07-11
NetNewsWire 6 supports Feedbin, Feedly, Inoreader, BazQux, Inoreader, NewsBlur, The Old Reader, and FreshRSS. It also syncs via iCloud.
https://netnewswire.com/frequently-asked-questions.html
FAQ
Yes. NewsBlur, FreshRSS and Tiny Tiny RSS have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.
NewsBlur, FreshRSS and Miniflux — every license claim links its source.