Best SmartNews Alternatives in 2026
The top SmartNews alternatives are Feedly, Google News and Inoreader: 15 news and magazine apps our editors would look at instead of SmartNews, in our ranking order.
SmartNews: A free mobile news reader with curated stories, customizable feeds, and offline access. Where it falls short: available on iOS and android, not other platforms.
Switching from SmartNews? For most news and magazine apps buyers the best SmartNews alternative is Feedly, built for rSS readers and teams tracking many sources. On a budget, NPR starts at $8/mo.
Why People Look for a SmartNews Alternative
- Available on iOS and Android, not other platforms
- Some articles open on the publisher’s website
- Article bookmarking is available on iOS only
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallFeedly9.4
RSS readers and teams tracking many sources
Visit Feedly - Lowest priceNPR8.3
Paid plans from $8/mo
Visit NPR - Best free optionFeedly9.4
Has a free plan
Visit Feedly
All 15 SmartNews Alternatives, Ranked
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.
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Best forRSS readers and teams tracking many sources
- Better than SmartNews:
- Editor score 9.4 vs 8.6
A flexible RSS reader for following, filtering, and sharing coverage across many sources.
9.4/10★★★★★Visit Feedly -
Best forFree, personalized headlines with offline reading
- Better than SmartNews:
- Editor score 9.3 vs 8.6
A free, personalized multi-source news reader with story context and offline access.
- Offline reading
- Personalized feed
9.3/10★★★★★Visit Google News -
Best forPower users who want flexible RSS monitoring
- Better than SmartNews:
- Editor score 9.1 vs 8.6
A flexible reader for tracking feeds, websites, and topics across devices.
9.1/10★★★★★Visit Inoreader -
Best forFree personalized news across multiple publishers
- Better than SmartNews:
- Editor score 9.0 vs 8.6
A free, personalized multi-publisher feed with alerts, search, saved stories, and AI features.
- Personalized feed
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Yahoo News -
Best forReaders wanting BBC reporting and live coverage
- Better than SmartNews:
- Editor score 8.9 vs 8.6
A BBC-focused news app for personalized feeds, live coverage and audio.
- Personalized feed
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit BBC News -
Best forFree, straightforward news and local AP coverage
- Better than SmartNews:
- Editor score 8.8 vs 8.6
A free AP news reader with personalized feeds, alerts, and local coverage.
- Personalized feed
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit AP News -
Best forComparing perspectives across news outlets
- Better than SmartNews:
- Editor score 8.7 vs 8.6
A multi-outlet news reader that groups stories and adds source context for comparison.
- Personalized feed
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Ground News -
Best forApple users who want a free RSS reader
A free, open-source RSS reader for Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit NetNewsWire -
Best forRSS readers who want training, archives, and self-hosting
A flexible feed reader with story training, searchable archives, mobile reading, and self-hosting.
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit NewsBlur -
Best forListeners who want NPR news and public-radio audio
A free NPR news and audio app, with optional podcast benefits through NPR+.
- Personalized feed
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit NPR -
Best forReaders seeking a broad newspaper and magazine catalog
A broad publication catalog with flexible reading views, translation and audio playback.
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit PressReader -
Best forBusiness readers who want FT analysis and market coverage
A focused choice for business readers who want FT journalism, MyFT and offline access.
- Offline reading
- Personalized feed
8.1/10★★★★☆Try Financial Times -
Best forReaders who want Guardian journalism and puzzles
A mobile news app for Guardian coverage, personalized reading, audio and puzzles.
- Offline reading
- Personalized feed
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit The Guardian -
Best forFree readers who want live news and offline articles
A free Sky News service for live coverage, breaking alerts and offline article reading.
- Offline reading
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Sky News -
Best forFree international news with live video
A free publisher app for Al Jazeera reporting, live broadcasts, and audio.
- Personalized feed
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Al Jazeera
SmartNews Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to SmartNews?
Feedly: #1 in our News and Magazine Apps ranking, with an editor score of 9.4 out of 10. A flexible RSS reader for following, filtering, and sharing coverage across many sources.
Is there a free alternative to SmartNews?
Yes. Feedly, Google News, Inoreader, Yahoo News and BBC News have a free plan or a free tier (14 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
Why do people look for SmartNews alternatives?
Available on iOS and Android, not other platforms; Some articles open on the publisher’s website; Article bookmarking is available on iOS only.
How do I switch from SmartNews?
Export your data from SmartNews (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel SmartNews.
How to Switch from SmartNews
- Export your data from SmartNews (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel SmartNews.
SmartNews vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Content scope | Offline reading | Personalized feed | Platforms | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | SmartNews | Yes | None | Multi-source | Yes | Yes | iOS, Android | 8.6 |
| 1 | Feedly | Yes | $65/yr | — | — | — | — | 9.4 |
| 2 | Google News | Yes | None | Multi-source | Yes | Yes | web, android, ios | 9.3 |
| 3 | Inoreader | Yes | — | — | — | — | web, ios, android | 9.1 |
| 4 | Yahoo News | Yes | None | Multi-source | — | Yes | web, iOS, Android | 9.0 |
| 5 | BBC News | Yes | — | Publisher | — | Yes | web, iOS, Android | 8.9 |
| 6 | AP News | Yes | None | Publisher | — | Yes | web, iOS, Android; iOS listing also includes iPad and Apple Watch | 8.8 |
| 7 | Ground News | Yes | — | Multi-source | No | Yes | web, iOS, Android, browser extension | 8.7 |
| 9 | NetNewsWire | Yes | None | — | — | — | — | 8.5 |
| 10 | NewsBlur | Yes | $36/yr | — | — | — | web, iOS, Android | 8.4 |
| 11 | NPR | Yes | $8/mo | Publisher | — | Yes | web, iOS, Android | 8.3 |
| 12 | PressReader | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8.2 |
| 13 | Financial Times | Yes | — | Publisher | Yes | Yes | web, iOS, Android | 8.1 |
| 14 | The Guardian | Yes | — | Publisher | Yes | Yes | iOS, Android | 8.0 |
| 15 | Sky News | Yes | None | Publisher | Yes | — | iOS, Android, web | 7.9 |
| 16 | Al Jazeera | Yes | None | Publisher | No | Yes | web, iOS, Android | 7.8 |
Head-to-Head
- SmartNews vs Feedly
- SmartNews vs Google News
- SmartNews vs Inoreader
- SmartNews vs Yahoo News
- SmartNews vs BBC News
- SmartNews vs AP News
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update