iPhone RSS apps have come a long way in recent months “ there are now some very strong choices available if you need a good RSS reader that syncs with Google Reader
There used to be little or no choice when looking for a good iPhone RSS reader application, if you were a user who needed sync with Google Reader. For a long time, the Google Reader web app was head and shoulders above the rest in this area.
I ‘ve kept up with a number of native iPhone RSS apps over recent months though, and I ‘m happy to say that by now there are a lot of good options out there “ even if you require full two-way sync with GReader. So I thought this might be a good time to give a brief rundown of 6 good iPhone RSS apps that provide full sync with GReader.
This is not meant to be a comprehensive look at all the RSS reader apps for the iPhone “ it is just a look at six of them that I believe are well worth a look if you need an app in this category.
I started out on this post drafting notes and putting together a table to compare some common, key features amongst the apps “ but as I went along I found that most of them had check marks in most of the boxes. So it seemed better to drop the table and just note in the text where an app lacks a common feature, or where an app really excels in its implementation of a key feature.
Here are just a few examples of those common, key features that you should be able to expect and demand in an iPhone RSS app (assuming you need / use these yourself):
- A good inline browser
- Ability to star items and share items “ and two-way sync of these items.
- Some level of offline reading capability
- Sharing (of news items) via email, Twitter, and Instapaper, Read it Later, and similar methods.
Please note that all eight of these apps are quite strong in a number of areas, so on some of them my comments are restricted to only the things that stand out about them, whether they are a missing feature here and there, or a very notable strong point.
And here are the 6 iPhone good RSS apps:
FeedsPrice: $3.99
Description:
Nice UI and strong feature set. Shows only feeds that contain unread items (which I like) but does not provide a setting to toggle this on and off, which is a better implementation. The list of feed items is drab “ showing the article title only, rather than title plus small excerpt of the beginning of the article. Takes longer to sync at startup and be ready to go (showing all feeds etc)
MobileRSSPrice: $2.99
Description
One of the newer RSS apps around. Very nice UI, and a good feature set. Offers an All Items type view for whole folders. Uses icon buttons for sharing and starring – which makes it very easy to see that status at a glance.
Uses Tweetie’s pull down to refresh method “ nice.
Let’s you choose whether to show all feeds or just those with new items.
Shows folders for tags “ which I do not like, as it makes the view way too busy. This should be something that can be toggled off.
Syncs nicely while letting you carry on browsing.
Price: $0.99
Description
Not the greatest looking interface, but very stable and has a strong and lengthy set of features and options.
Very slow on sync – shows you status while syncing, which is nice – but it does not allow you to do anything else while it’s syncing.
Inline browser not as nice as others.
BylinePrice: $3.99
Description
Good offline mode, very stable, relatively fast sync.
The UI is quite plain, not as attractive as others in my opinion.
Shows folders rather than list of subscriptions in main view and there’s no ability to view a single feed at a time, they just get title-bar style labels within one big folder. I much prefer being able to expand and collapse out the view of individual feeds.
Price: Free (with ads) and $4.99 for Premium, ad-free version
Description
This one was my favorite for a while. It has a simple UI that feels comfortable to work with, and syncs very quickly while allowing you to carry on interacting with it as it goes. It has a few missing features that are big ones for me though “ the ability to share items or see your shared items within the app and the ability to only see feeds that contain unread items are two of the biggest misses for me.
Newsstand (edit: now called Newsrack)
Price: $4.99
Description
My current go-to app, and has been for some weeks.
Nicest interface of all contenders. Clean, easy to navigate, items list within individual feeds well done and shows a bit of article body content below title.
Excellent inline browser.
Also offers an interesting coverflow-ish landscape view.
Fast syncing “ and lets you continue reading and using the app as it syncs.
Lets you choose to view only feeds with unread items
Final Thoughts
As with many app categories, the best app for you, just as for me, comes down largely to personal preferences “ a little feature here or there that is a must-have for me, and a ‘meh ‘ for another user. Any of these six apps should do a fine job for you as an iPhone RSS reader, and keep you happily syncing away with Google Reader.
Please let me know in the comments about apps I ‘ve missed and which are your favorite iPhone RSS apps.
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TAGS: Byline, Feeds, iPhone RSS apps, NetNewsWire
