If you read on an iPhone, iPad or Mac, you are in luck: some of the most polished feed readers are made for Apple devices. The main decision is not the app itself, but where your subscriptions live.
First, decide where your feeds are stored
- On the device or in iCloud. No account anywhere, nothing to pay. Fine if you only read on Apple devices.
- In a service such as Feedly, Inoreader, NewsBlur or Feedbin. The app is just a window onto it, and you can also read on the web or on other platforms.
- On your own server with FreshRSS or Miniflux, which many apps can sync with. See our guide to self-hosted readers.
NetNewsWire
Free and open source, made by a developer who has worked on it, on and off, since 2002. It is quick, it respects the system’s look, and it supports iCloud sync as well as Feedly, Inoreader, NewsBlur, Feedbin, BazQux and FreshRSS accounts. It does not have many extras, and it does not need them. If you want one recommendation, this is it.
Reeder
Reeder has long been one of the most admired readers on Apple platforms. In 2024 its developer released a new app under the same name, built around a single timeline that mixes feeds, YouTube, podcasts and social accounts, sold as a subscription; the older app continues as Reeder Classic. If you like a unified stream, try the new one. If you prefer folders and unread counts, the classic one still feels great.
Unread and others
Unread is designed for reading rather than managing: big type, gestures, and a calm interface. There are also apps from the services themselves, such as Feedly’s and Inoreader’s, which are good if you are already paying for one of them.
Our setup
For most people: NetNewsWire on every device, synced through iCloud. If you also read on Windows or Android, put your subscriptions in a service or on your own server, and use NetNewsWire as the app on Apple devices.
Coming from another reader? Export your OPML file; all of these apps import it.
