I also purchased the macOS version of Reeder 4 and quite enjoy the reading enhancements. I didn’t actually cover all the features of Reeder 4 because Matthew Cassinelli has already done a great job of this. If you’re interested in Reeder 4, highly suggest you look through his review of Reeder 4. Reeder 4 adds new features like - The new Bionic Reading mode - An in-app Read Later service which syncs with iCloud - Image previews in the articles list (finally) - Search - Much improved article viewer - More layout options - Automatic reader view - More shortcuts, matching the ones of Reeder for Mac Supported sync services: - Feedbin.
Today, we have several modes and tools for consuming news. Browsers such as Opera, Chrome, and Microsoft Edge offer news integration right on their respective home screens. News providers are reaching more readers via social channels, which can get overwhelming at times. If you're an RSS feeds lover, like many others on the GT team, there are a few worthy RSS Feed reader apps for iPhone. Feedly and Reeder 4, which was launched last year, are two of the best RSS readers on iOS.
Let me be clear. Reeder 4 is first and foremost an RSS reader app, while Feedly is primarily an RSS service that also offers an app and other functions for a better experience. The main objective remains the same for both the apps - a clean, clutter-free reading experience without information overload.
In this post, we are going to compare Reeder 4 and Feedly. The comparison will cover cross-platform availability, user interface, reading experience, features, price, and more. Let’s get started.
Reeder 4 Review
Also on Guiding Tech
How to Add a Twitter Feed to Your RSS Reader
Read MoreCross-Platform Availability
Reeder is exclusive to Apple platforms. Meaning you can only use theapp on iPhone and Mac. Feedly is accessible on iOS, Android, and Web.Cross-platform availability lets you enjoy the same reading experienceamong the platforms.
Download Reeder 4 for iOSDownload Feedly for iOSUser Interface
User Interface plays a major role in RSS reader apps. After all, you will spend a lot of time in these apps. So it makes sense for atight UI/UX integration in the software. Let’s start with Reeder 4.
I can describe Reeder 4 in one word – minimal. Almost every menu,option, and even buttons are designed to keep the interface as simple aspossible. The animations are smooth compared to Feedly, and when youswitch from one post to another, it feels like you are swiping the physicalpages of the book.
I also like the theming options in the app. It’s full of options. You can choose from Light, Dark, Black, Light with a dark title bar, and so on.
Feedly feels like it’s stuck between the future and the past. Itfeatures a nice bottom bar, but it also uses the hamburger menu whichneeds to be removed. I like how the app offers multiple viewing optionssuch as text, magazines, and cards to customize the home screen.
Gary Reeder 450 Gnr
As for animations, they are basic and definitely, not as intuitive as Reeder 4.
Also on Guiding Tech
Google News vs Microsoft News: Which News Reader Is Better
Read MoreServices and Integration
Reeder has left no stone unturned when it comes to services. You can connect a range of services such as RSS, Instapaper, Pocket, Feedbin, Feedly, FeedHQ, NewsBlur, Inroreader, and even self-hosted services such as FreshRDD, Reader, Fever, and more. Simply tap on the + icon and add the account in Reeder 4.
Feedly offers three main services to integrate into the app. You can add Pocket, Instapaper, and Evernote accounts for better integration. Using Feedly Pro (more on that later), you can also use OneNote to savearticles and integrate your Twitter feed.
Reading Experience
Let’s come to the main talking point. How’s the reading experience? And I have to say, Reeder 4 has nailed the execution in this area. Allow me to elaborate.
When you open the Reeder app, it syncs the data from the added accounts and showcases the unread/new articles upfront. You can tap on an article and start reading in a clean environment. Tap on the down arrow to move on from one post to another.
You might have noticed some websites using the ‘Read More’ button to expand the article. In Reeder 4, you can tap on the Reading mode and it bypasses the Read More button and you can read the entire article without leaving the interface. You can also tap on the three-dot menu above and change font type, size, spacing, title size, and more. Most of you will be fine with the default settings, but it’s always good to see options.
On Feedly, you can swipe left/right to switch between articles. If a post has a Read More button, then it will use the built-in Safari browser to load the webpage. You can use the built-in Read Later service or opt for the app's integration to save articles.
Feedly also allows you to customize fonts, but the options are limited compared to Reeder 4.
Also on Guiding Tech
#RSS
Click here to see our RSS articles pageFeatures
Reeder softens in comparison to Feedly here. It offers some basics, such as the ability to favorite a post for later reading and search options.
Feedly lets you create different boards to organize the saved articles. You can view it as an advanced Pocket app. Feedly also offers Google Keyword alerts, IFTTT integration, the ability to use notes and highlighter, and more. Of course, they all are part of the Feedly Pro version.
Feedly Premium offers Leo, an AI assistant that defines topics, keywords, and products relevant to you based on your reading habits and subscribed websites. It also helps you avoid deduplication so that you don’t have to read the ‘Apple Crossed $2T market value’ from dozens of publications.
Price
Reeder 4 iOS app is priced at $5, and the Mac version costs $10. It’s a one-time purchase. Feedly works as a subscription service. Feedly Pro and Pro+ plans are priced at $8 and $16 per month, respectively.
Level-Up Your Reading Experience
Both Reeder 4 and Feedly are excellent RSS reader apps. As for a clear winner, I have a few observations after using both apps for a week. Reeder is designed to deliver the best possible reading experience with smooth animations and multiple services integration. Feedly marches ahead with features like boards, Leo assistant, Twitter integration, and more. That said, it all comes with a monthly payment.
Which RSS reader app are you going to choose, and why? Sound off in the comments section below.
Next up:Are you looking to find the best RSS readers for Windows 10? Click the next link to find out the best RSS Feed Readers for your Windows 10 PC.
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.Read Next5 Best RSS Feed Readers on Windows Store for Windows 10 PCsAlso See#comparison #iphone
Did You Know
How To Use Reeder 4
Notion was founded by Ivan Zhao.
More in iOS
20 Best iPhone Apps With Useful Widgets
For news and information junkies wanting to stay on top of the newest developments in their areas of obsessive interest, nothing beats a newsreader (also known as a news aggregator or RSS reader). Such an app lets users specify which Web sites they want to monitor and consolidates the continually updating RSS feeds from these sources in one place for convenient consumption.
For many Apple users, Reeder is the gold standard of newsreaders. Available for both iOS and macOS, Reeder makes news reading an elegant, enjoyable experience. Version 3 had been getting a bit long in the tooth, though, with problems such as a lack of support for the native screen resolutions of the newest iPad Pro models.
Happily, developer Silvio Rizzi has just released Reeder 4, and it’s available on the App Store and Mac App Store for $4.99 and $9.99, respectively. There are no upgrade discounts, as is the case for most apps sold through Apple’s App Stores. The iOS and Mac versions are all but identical in appearance and functionality, which isn’t coincidental: the rebuilt apps now share a codebase for easier and hopefully more frequent updates.
The Reeder Backstory
Before I dig into Reeder’s new features, let me share a bit of history.
Reeder has a long pedigree, going all the way back to 2011 when it served as a front end for the Web-based Google Reader. Google controversially killed Google Reader in 2013, but Reeder lived on, adapting to a fragmented RSS realm with an array of Web-based Google Reader replacements (see “Explore Alternatives to Google Reader,” 18 March 2013, and “The State of Google Reader Replacements,” 27 June 2013).
Gary Reeder .44 Special
In this regard, Reeder found its groove as a sort of über-newsreader that could pull in not only individual site feeds, but aggregated feed data from other newsreaders—including the likes of Feedly, Feedbin, Feed Wrangler, FeedHQ and NewsBlur. Put another way, Reeder became a stylish, iOS- and Mac-native client for Web-based newsreaders.
Over time, Reeder has maintained its reputation as a minimalist tool for efficiently processing RSS feeds while optionally filtering out cacophony and garishness. It’s an extraordinarily attractive and nimble app with rich theming, a bevy of keyboard shortcuts, and an assortment of gestures for powering through the news using a Mac’s Magic Trackpad or an iOS device’s touch screen.
Reeder 4 Look and Feel
The new version of Reeder, longtime devotees will be thrilled to discover, is largely unchanged.
Navigation on iOS and the Mac is the same: it’s made up of columns. Moving from left to right, you have columns showing:
- Web-based reader accounts
- Feeds and feed groupings
- Article headlines
- The current article in a streamlined form
Clicking an article headline displays the corresponding full Web page while collapsing all but the headline column for more reading room. You can also choose to open an article in an external Web browser.
One aesthetic change is obvious: Reeder now displays article thumbnails in the headline column to serve as visual cues about article content. Previously, Reeder was notable for eschewing such interface flourishes, offering only favicons as visual clues about the article’s source. You can set the thumbnails to any of three sizes, or, for traditionalists, banish them from view. For more minimalism, you can switch the favicons from color to grayscale. Silvio Rizzi is clearly trying to keep everyone happy.
Reeder 4 has other, minor but welcome interface changes to enhance its usability—including options for larger, more readable text in the feed and headline columns. This is helpful for people reading on bigger screens and for those among us whose eyes aren’t getting any younger.
Theme selection has been simplified a bit, and now includes support for Mojave’s Dark mode, along with a totally black option designed for use on recent iPhones with OLED displays.
Other Reeder 4 Features
Reeder 4 sports several other new capabilities that are not groundbreaking but make the app more versatile and user-friendly.
Bionic Reading Mode
This option sets portions of words in bold to create text that is, at least for some, easier to scan and digest. The Bionic Reading technology did not originate with Reeder, and it’s also available as Chrome and Firefox extensions for in-browser reading. You can toggle Bionic Reading off and on using a toolbar button and alter its appearance using sliders (for tweaking “fixation” and “saccade,” whatever the heck those mean) in Reeder’s preferences.
Read Later Support
For those wanting to save articles for later reading, Reeder now sports a native Read Later mode that syncs via iCloud so you can access your archived articles in the Mac and iOS versions of the app. Once you’ve set up this mode as its own account, alongside your usual RSS services, you’re good to go.
Reeder also has you covered if you prefer the Instapaper read-later service or Safari’s Reading List feature. You can Control-click any article and choose either option (or Reeder’s own Read Later service) to save the article for later. Instapaper users also can move articles into folders they’ve created on the service without needing to leave Reeder, but the app makes this a bit confusing by calling the folders “tags.”
It’s a shame Reeder lacks native support for the popular Pocket read-later service, but you can still save stories to Pocket using the standard Mac or iOS share sheet. You just won’t have this content integrated into the Reeder app.
Automatic Layouts
Reeder 4 on Mac and iPad is deliciously malleable thanks to layout choices for screens of all sizes and proportions (on iPhone there’s only one layout). You can go from a “single” layout for just a list of stories to the “full” option with all interface elements on display, with a couple of other layout options in between.
Reeder 3 wasn’t as versatile, providing only “full” and “minimized” layouts.
Best of all, Reeder 4 has an automatic-layout mode. Select it, and the app will make all of the necessary layout adjustments on the fly depending on the size and shape of its window.
Improved Reader Mode
This one is a bit confusing, but it can be helpful once you understand what’s going on. Reeder 4 offers a Reader view, via a button in the toolbar, to clean up an article for easier reading. But since articles are already shown in cleaned-up form when you pick them in the list, you might wonder why you need to streamline an already streamlined article.
It turns out that the default article view in Reeder is based on how the corresponding RSS feed is set up. Sometimes that includes the full article text, but often it offers just a text snippet.
Reader view can be useful because it always retrieves the full article text while streamlining it for greater readability. Still, it’s sometimes a toss-up as to which of the two views (feed view or Reader Mode) is more readable and pleasing to the eye, so feel free to experiment.
You also, of course, always have the option to access the article’s fully formatted Web page, without any text simplifying, if that’s what you prefer.
Hey, Where’s the Share Sheet?
Along with additions and improvements, there’s one obvious subtraction. Reeder veterans will notice (and potentially lament) the loss of the app’s longtime native share sheet (as opposed to the standard macOS and iOS share sheets). I liked Silvio Rizzi’s custom share sheet, with a look and feel mirroring the rest of the app. Apple’s generic share sheets are a bit visually jarring given Reeder’s consistently minimalist style.
Reeder 4 for Mac still offers options for adding service icons to the toolbar along the top of the app’s window but, again, these don’t adhere to the developer’s style conventions and therefore look a bit out of place.
The Read on Reeder 4
Reeder 4 is a solid upgrade, though one that Reeder 3 users shouldn’t feel pressured to embrace. The old version will keep working for the foreseeable future, according to Rizzi. And, more generally, Reeder is not a necessity if you already like using one of the Web-based newsreader services. I also often use Feedly directly via its Web-based interface and iOS app—Feedly has come a long way since it first emerged as a notable Google Reader replacement.
But longtime Reeder users are likely to find version 4 enticing. Its marquee features aside—I don’t find Bionic Reading helpful, and as a Pocket user I’ll never use Reeder’s new Read Later functionality—the interface tweaks make the app easier and more pleasurable to use. Thumbnails in the headline column alone are worth the price of admission for those who like to identify article sources. And I think it’s worth spending a few bucks for a top-flight Mac or iOS app to get the best possible newsreader experience.