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Apple News alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Apple News: apple devices only, and can't add your own RSS feeds. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Apple News, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Google News currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Google News logoGoogle NewsFreeNoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 466.5
2Flipboard logoFlipboardFreeNoWeb, iOS, Android3 of 362.6
3Ground News logoGround NewsFree plan + paidNoWeb, iOS, Android +14 of 459.6
4Reeder logoReederPaidNoiOS, macOS4 of 457.2
5NetNewsWire logoNetNewsWireOpen sourceYesmacOS, iOS4 of 455.3
  1. Google News logo

    1. Google NewsTop pick

    Best for: Anyone who wants free, broad headline coverage with little setup

    FreeWeb, iOS, Android

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Apple News

    Free and cross-platform, including Android and the web.

    Pros

    • Free, broad coverage from outlets worldwide
    • Full Coverage shows a story from many sources
    • Local news and followable topics
    • Apps on Android and iOS

    Cons

    • Can't add arbitrary RSS feeds
    • Opaque algorithmic ranking
    • Personalisation uses your Google activity
    Visit Google News Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Google News a good Apple News alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Full Coverage
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026news.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Local news
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026news.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Story selection
    Algorithmic
    Checked Oct 25, 2026support.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Personalisation data
    Settings and Google activity
    Checked Oct 25, 2026support.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Flipboard logo

    2. Flipboard

    Best for: Casual readers who want a curated, visual digest of news by topic

    FreeWeb, iOS, Android

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Apple News

    Free curated magazine-style news on any device.

    Pros

    • Free, attractive magazine-style layout
    • Curated by editors as well as algorithms
    • Build and share your own magazines
    • Free curated email newsletters

    Cons

    • Limited control over what appears and in what order
    • Ad-supported
    • Not suited to following niche blogs feed by feed
    Visit Flipboard Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Flipboard a good Apple News alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Positioning
    Social magazine
    Checked Oct 25, 2026flipboard.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Newsletters
    Free, curated by Flipboard
    Checked Oct 25, 2026flipboard.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Daily newsletter
    10 For Today, seven days a week
    Checked Oct 25, 2026flipboard.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Ground News logo

    3. Ground News

    Best for: Readers who want to compare coverage and spot media bias across the political spectrum

    Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android, Browser extension

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Apple News

    Compares coverage across outlets and highlights media bias.

    Pros

    • Groups coverage of each story from many outlets
    • Bias and factuality ratings for sources
    • Blindspot view of under-covered stories
    • Apps and a browser extension

    Cons

    • Most analysis tools need a paid plan
    • Ratings depend on third-party rating organisations
    • Not a way to follow your own feeds or blogs
    Visit Ground News Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Ground News a good Apple News alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Sources
    50,000+ news sources
    Checked Oct 25, 2026ground.news(opens source in a new tab)
    Story grouping
    Articles merged into single stories
    Checked Oct 25, 2026ground.news(opens source in a new tab)
    Bias ratings
    Bias and factuality for every outlet
    Checked Oct 25, 2026ground.news(opens source in a new tab)
    Blindspot
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026ground.news(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Reeder logo

    4. Reeder

    Best for: Apple users who want a beautiful, unified timeline of feeds, videos and posts

    PaidiOS, macOS

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Apple News

    Follow your own chosen feeds on Apple devices instead.

    Pros

    • Polished, fast native design
    • Unified timeline of RSS, video, podcasts and social posts
    • iCloud sync with no data collected
    • Reeder Classic still available for traditional reading

    Cons

    • Apple devices only
    • New Reeder drops unread counts and third-party sync services
    • Two separate apps can be confusing
    Visit Reeder Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Reeder a good Apple News alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    System requirements
    iOS 17+, macOS 14+
    Checked Oct 25, 2026reederapp.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Sync
    iCloud
    Checked Oct 25, 2026reederapp.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Data collection
    None
    Checked Oct 25, 2026reederapp.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Reeder Classic services
    Feedbin, Feedly, NewsBlur, Inoreader, FreshRSS and more
    Checked Oct 25, 2026reederapp.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. NetNewsWire logo

    5. NetNewsWire

    Best for: Apple users who want a free, fast, no-nonsense native reader

    Open sourcemacOS, iOS

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Apple News

    Free reader for following specific sites and blogs on Mac and iPhone.

    Pros

    • Free and open source with no ads or tracking
    • Fast, stable and accessible native apps
    • Syncs via iCloud or major feed services
    • Single-key shortcuts and AppleScript on Mac

    Cons

    • Apple platforms only
    • Deliberately limited features: no newsletters or AI
    • Requires recent macOS and iOS versions
    Visit NetNewsWire Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is NetNewsWire a good Apple News alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Pricing
    Free and open source
    Checked Oct 25, 2026netnewswire.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Sync options
    iCloud, Feedbin, Feedly, Inoreader, FreshRSS and more
    Checked Oct 25, 2026netnewswire.com(opens source in a new tab)
    System requirements
    macOS 15+, iOS 26+
    Checked Oct 25, 2026netnewswire.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Apple News alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Google News logo

Best Apple News alternative for most people

Google News

Free and cross-platform, including Android and the web.

Flipboard logo

Best Apple News alternative for a free option

Flipboard

Free curated magazine-style news on any device.

Ground News logo

Best Apple News alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Ground News

Compares coverage across outlets and highlights media bias.

NetNewsWire logo

Best Apple News alternative for open source

NetNewsWire

Free reader for following specific sites and blogs on Mac and iPhone.

Reeder logo

Best Apple News alternative for Mac

Reeder

Follow your own chosen feeds on Apple devices instead.

Google News logo

Best Apple News alternative for iPhone and Android

Google News

Free and cross-platform, including Android and the web.

Google News logo

Best Apple News alternative for working in the browser

Google News

Free and cross-platform, including Android and the web.

Apple News alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Apple News?

Google News ranks first right now. Free and cross-platform, including Android and the web. Flipboard and Ground News follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Apple News?

Yes. Google News (free), Flipboard (free), Ground News (free plan + paid) and NetNewsWire (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Apple News?

Yes: NetNewsWire.

Why do people switch from Apple News?

The complaints we hear most: apple devices only; can't add your own RSS feeds; availability and publications vary by country.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Apple News, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.