NetNewsWire
A free, open-source feed reader for a deliberate list of websites.
Read RSS without a paid reader subscription
A practical starting point for following websites in a native Apple RSS client.
Before you choose: Feed synchronization and permanent full-article archiving solve different problems.
Visit the official product page →The essentials
- Platforms
- iPhone · iPad · macOS
- Purchase model
- Free open-source reader
- Developer / project
- Brent Simmons and contributors
- US App Store snapshot
- v7.2 · minimum OS 17.0 · Free to download. In-app purchases may be additional.
Checked 2026-10-18 · Verify current listing - App Store rating
- 4.7/5 · 887 ratings · US · 2026-10-18
Apple listing snapshot, not an iApp4Me score or a rating of one particular feature.
Price & purchase options
- Application: Free
Third-party feed or synchronization services can have their own terms.
Official website · no app fee · checked 2026-10-18 · Verify the current offer ↗. Taxes, promotions and checkout eligibility may change the amount.
Inside the app
Developer-published product images. Captions identify the platform and source; these are not our test captures.
NetNewsWire
Who it suits
- A conventional news-reading queue
- Trying RSS without paying for the application
When to choose something else
- A universal replacement for a website with no feed
- An assumed permanent full-text archive
What reviewers and users say
Our summaries of linked accounts—not our own experience or a vote-based ranking. Older versions and different platforms are labeled. Sources reviewed October 18, 2026.
MacStories · John Voorhees
NetNewsWire 5 for Mac · historical release
The review presents NetNewsWire as a solid native RSS foundation and discusses its article list and sharing workflow.
Read in context: Version 5 context; not a current feature inventory or an iPhone review.
NetNewsWire · App Store reader examples
US feed · 50 recent entries retrieved 2026-10-18. Up to one positive and one critical example selected from that feed; not a representative sentiment survey.
Bird0fHermes · 2026-09-23 · 5/5 · v7.1.4
“Syncs great with my personal Miniflux server. I like how…”Read the source feed ↗
UnhappyCommenter · 2026-10-07 · 3/5 · v7.1.4
“InoReader and Newsblur fail to import, feedly and feedbin both…”Read the source feed ↗
How to read disagreement
Different opinions can reflect different jobs, versions, devices or paid plans. We do not call a few comments “the consensus.” A consequential factual conflict that remains after checking those differences is a candidate for a focused hands-on test. A preference for one interface over another usually is not.
Features & tradeoffs
Features below come from the linked provider documentation. The recommendations above are our editorial interpretation.
- RSS subscriptions
- Read/unread organization
- Folders and starred items
- Reader view
- OPML subscription transfer
Limitations & considerations
- The app is free, but an external synchronization service can have its own terms.
- RSS synchronization is not permanent full-article archiving. Older detailed help can differ from the current release.
Documented features, attributed opinions and explicitly labeled hands-on observations are different kinds of evidence. We do not infer unmeasured performance or privacy guarantees.
Privacy & permissions
Check the provider’s policy for the exact feature you intend to use. A store privacy label is developer-reported; it is not an independent network audit. We only call processing offline when the evidence establishes that workflow.
Sources
Product facts checked October 18, 2026. Independent and user perspectives, where available, are attributed above. Missing external coverage is not treated as a negative verdict.
- NetNewsWire overview
Current official product page describes version 7; device compatibility must be confirmed before installing.
- NetNewsWire feed setup
Version 6.1 iPhone/iPad instructions; current version 7 interface requires verification.