Read-later and RSS apps for Mac and iPhoneHead to head

Readwise Reader vs Reeder

Readwise Reader ranks #1 and Reeder ranks #3 in our guide to the best read-later and RSS apps for Mac and iPhone. Readwise Reader is our pick for most people.

The Useful TechResearched and written with AI under our rulesUpdated 14 Oct 2026

Our pickReadwise Reader app iconReadwise ReaderPick Readwise Reader if you read dozens of articles and PDFs a week and want every highlight searchable later.From $9.99#3 in the guideReeder app iconReederPick Reeder if you follow YouTube channels and Mastodon accounts too and want to scroll them as 1 feed.Free to start

What decides it

  • Reeder costs less over 3 years: $44.97, against $359.64 for Readwise Reader.
  • Both run on Mac, iPhone and iPad.
  • Readwise Reader has the higher App Store rating: 4.6 from 590 ratings, against 4.3 for Reeder.

Side by side

Prices are checked every day.

At a glanceReadwise Reader app iconReadwise ReaderReeder app iconReeder
PriceFree for 30 days, then $12.99 a month or $119.88 a yearFree to download. The subscription is $1.99 a month or $14.99 a year
How you paySubscriptionFree, with paid upgrades
3 years of use$359.64 Yearly plan$44.97 Yearly plan Cheaper
Free trialYesFree to start
Runs onMac, iPhone, iPadMac, iPhone, iPad
Where to buyApp Store, DeveloperApp Store
Rating4.6 590 ratings Higher4.3 906 ratings
FeaturesFree trialiCloud sync, Privacy, Family Sharing
Made byReadwise, IncSilvio Rizzi
Last updated27 Oct 202630 Oct 2026

Who should get which

Get Readwise Reader if

You read dozens of articles, newsletters and PDFs a week and want every highlight in 1 searchable place.

Get Reeder if

You follow blogs, YouTube channels and Mastodon accounts and want to scroll them like one feed.

Skip Readwise Reader if

You save an article now and then, and Safari's free Reading List holds those fine.

Skip Reeder if

You like clearing unread badges folder by folder; NetNewsWire works that way and is free.

Our verdicts

Readwise Reader app iconReadwise Reader

If your reading is split between saved articles, newsletters clogging your inbox, RSS feeds and PDFs, Readwise Reader pulls all of it into 1 library you can highlight and search. It reads anything aloud, Ghostreader AI answers questions about the page, and Readwise resurfaces your highlights later. It costs $9.99 a month billed yearly after a 30-day trial, with no free tier, while Matter has a free plan for plain read-later.

Reeder app iconReeder

There are no unread counts in Reeder; it remembers your spot in one timeline of RSS feeds, YouTube channels, podcasts and Mastodon and Bluesky posts, and syncs that spot through iCloud. You can also build filtered timelines by keyword or media type. If you like working through folders until the badge hits zero, the free NetNewsWire is the better fit, and Reeder's subscription is $14.99 a year.

What each one helps you do

Readwise Reader app iconReadwise Reader

  • Move newsletters out of your inbox
  • Highlight PDFs and articles in one place
  • Listen to saved articles on a walk
  • Remember what you highlighted months ago

Reeder app iconReeder

  • Follow blogs, YouTube and podcasts in 1 place
  • Pick up reading where you left off
  • Filter your timeline down to 1 topic
  • Save links from Safari to read later

Where to get them

Readwise Reader

Free for 30 days, then $12.99 a month or $119.88 a year

  • App Store, iPhone and iPadWith in-app purchases
    Free downloadApp Store
  • From the developer30-day free trial, with apps for Mac, Windows, Android and the web
    From $9.99 a monthGet it

Reeder

Free to download. The subscription is $1.99 a month or $14.99 a year

  • App Store, every deviceWith in-app purchases
    Free downloadApp Store

Neither one quite right?

The other picks in our guide to the best read-later and RSS apps for Mac and iPhone.

Read the full guideAll Readwise Reader alternativesAll Reeder alternatives

More comparisons