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Head-to-head · News and Magazine Apps

Ground News vs SmartNews

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score Ground News #7 in News and Magazine Apps 8.7/10 Free plan · 7-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 1 of 3 features Visit Ground News
SmartNews #8 in News and Magazine Apps 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit SmartNews

Ground News leads on 0 checks, SmartNews on 1, and 2 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreGround News · 8.7/10
  • Free planboth
  • Free trialonly Ground News
  • Most featuresSmartNews · 2 of 3

Ground News scores higher on our rubric for news and magazine apps: 8.7 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #7 and #8.

SmartNews offers offline reading; Ground News doesn't. On paid publication access, Ground News gives you Linked where SmartNews offers Included.

Ground News is the better fit for comparing perspectives across news outlets. SmartNews is the better fit for mobile readers who want free news and offline access.

  • Ground News fits best

    Comparing perspectives across news outlets

  • SmartNews fits best

    Mobile readers who want free news and offline access

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Ground News 8.7/10 Visit ↗ SmartNews 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.7 8.6
Ranking #7 in News and Magazine Apps #8 in News and Magazine Apps
Best for Comparing perspectives across news outlets Mobile readers who want free news and offline access
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free
Starting price — Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial 7 days —
Deployment Cloud, Mobile, Browser extension Mobile
Platforms Web, iOS, Android, Chrome extension iOS, Android
Support Email, Docs Docs, Email
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market Solo
Features Ground News 1/3 · SmartNews 2/3
Offline reading — ✓ (best)
Personalized feed ✓ ✓
RSS support Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Content scope Multi-source Multi-source
Platforms web, iOS, Android, browser extension iOS, Android
Paid publication access Linked Included
Our review
Pros
  • Groups reporting on the same story for side-by-side comparison
  • Adds bias, factuality, ownership and funding context to sources
  • Offers web, iOS, Android and a browser comparison extension
  • Combines news from multiple publishers with editorial curation
  • Personalizes feeds through topic and outlet following
  • Offers local updates, translation, and offline reading
Cons
  • Full comparison tools and Blindspot analysis are part of Vantage
  • Paywalled articles link to publishers rather than unlocking access
  • No offline reading
  • Available on iOS and Android, not other platforms
  • Some articles open on the publisher’s website
  • Article bookmarking is available on iOS only
Our verdict

Ground News brings reporting from tens of thousands of publications into one place, grouping articles about the same event so readers can compare how different outlets cover it. Its web and mobile feeds can be personalized by topic and…

Read the review →

SmartNews brings stories from national and local publishers into a mobile news app for readers who want multiple sources in one place. Its editorial curation sits alongside breaking-news updates and feed customization through topic and…

Read the review →
  1. Ground NewsNews and Magazine Apps 8.7Free plan · 7-day trial
  2. SmartNewsNews and Magazine Apps 8.6Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Ground News — where it wins

    • Groups reporting on the same story for side-by-side comparison
    • Adds bias, factuality, ownership and funding context to sources
    • Offers web, iOS, Android and a browser comparison extension

    Where it doesn't

    • Full comparison tools and Blindspot analysis are part of Vantage
    • Paywalled articles link to publishers rather than unlocking access
    • No offline reading

  • SmartNews — where it wins

    • Combines news from multiple publishers with editorial curation
    • Personalizes feeds through topic and outlet following
    • Offers local updates, translation, and offline reading

    Where it doesn't

    • Available on iOS and Android, not other platforms
    • Some articles open on the publisher’s website
    • Article bookmarking is available on iOS only

More comparisons

All news and magazine apps comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update