News Explorer review
A focused Apple reader that brings varied feeds and custom filters into one app.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
News Explorer brings RSS, RDF, Atom and JSON together with Reddit, YouTube, podcast and Mastodon feeds in a reader for Apple devices. It is aimed at individual readers who want to gather varied sources, organize them into folders and refine what appears with custom filters. The app also supports favorites, rich-text article notes, tags and comments on supported articles. Its focus is personal reading rather than shared team workflows.
Its strongest fit is the combination of broad feed types with control over what reaches the reader. Custom filters can use criteria such as title, content, author and tags, while feed-level prefilters can prevent unwanted items from downloading. For supported sources, News Explorer can retrieve full-text versions of truncated articles. OPML import and export help with feed organization, and iCloud synchronizes feeds, folders, filters, articles and reading status. These features make it a good match for readers who want one Apple-based workflow across different kinds of sources; those who need team sharing should look elsewhere.
The editions are tailored to Apple's ecosystem: the Mobile edition is a universal purchase for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple TV, while the Mac edition has a personal license and a 14-day free trial. A Setapp edition is also available through a Setapp subscription. There is no free plan. Integrations include iCloud, Instapaper, Raindrop, Readwise and Apple Shortcuts, with email and documentation as support channels. Choose News Explorer if those Apple platforms, synchronization and filtering matter more than cross-platform access or collaborative reading.
News Explorer pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Reads RSS, Reddit, YouTube, podcasts and Mastodon feeds.
- iCloud sync covers feeds, folders, filters, articles and reading status.
- Custom filters, feed prefilters and full-text retrieval support focused reading.
- Where it doesn't
- Available on macOS and iOS, not other listed platforms.
- No free plan; the Mac edition offers only a 14-day free trial.
- Team sharing is not included.
News Explorer fact sheet, pricing and score →
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