RSS readers for the iPad are an essential business tool and I did a comparison of several last week. Well, that post generated quite a few comments (and I thank you), as well as some requests to compare some others that I did not mention. So, in the spirit of listening and answering back, I wanted to present part two of the iPad RSS Reader comparison.
In the first RSS Reader post I covered what RSS readers were and how to use them. Here I will just compare the RSS readers that I have tested to keep it a bit shorter and not repetitive.
Price: $4.99
I was really impressed by this RSS Reader right from the start for one reason: It has a Mark All As Read option. That’s a great feature to have and I’m not sure why some lack it, but, this one sure didn’t. MobleRSS reader was full of features that really made it hard not to use. There is a file cabinet icon which opens up and allows you to share the article multiple ways, email it, open it up in safari, copy the link, or even take down a note about it. One thing to know is that MobileRSS is a Google RSS Reader only. This means that if you have any other feeds which are not in your Google Reader account, then you won’t be able to use MobileRSS to view those.
Things I like:
- Mark All as Read Option
- Use of icon images
- Multiple Sharing options
Things I didn’t like:
- Can’t bring in external feeds that are not in your Google Reader
(4 out of 5 daily dogs)
Price: $4.99
Visually, this iPad RSS Reader is quite different. It is another RSS reader that pulls in your Google Reader feeds. It shows the folders as stacks of paper on a flat surface and allows you to expand them or keep them stacked. I clicked on a “stack” and it opened up all of the feeds in a column on the left just like most all other readers. The default way to see your feeds is by time. There is also an option to separate them out by feed source, which is how most people are probably used to seeing them. Each article opens up very quickly and, just like MobileRSS, you get several options for sharing each article. You can share via Twitter, Delicious, Instapaper, open it in Safari, etc. The one resource I did not notice here was posting on Facebook. There is also a great “Mark All as Read”option. There is one major difference that I notice right away with this application. When you exit out of it, the icon does not show you how many unread items you have like the other RSS reader apps do. I am not sure if I like this or not because on the one hand, I enjoy seeing that I have unread feeds, but on the other hand it’s quite distracting.
Things I like:
- Very unique design
- Clean interface
- Mark All as Read
Things I didn’t like:
- No notification on desktop of unread feeds
- Sidebar feed presentation
- Too light of text to see options
(3 out of 5 daily dogs)
Price: $9.99
Coming in at a hefty $9.99 this iPad RSS Reader app is the most expensive one I’ve reviewed so far. NetNewsWire syncs up with Google Reader and your external feeds, which is the only reason I am thinking that it costs more. This reader is actually one of my favorites (there is a free version on the iPhone). It lists the feeds in a well organized and easy to see list. It includes feeds from multiple sources, has a mark all as read option, and allows you to share out an article on multiple social media networks. The website claims that this app will eventually go up to $14.99.
Things I like:
- Allows you to bring in feeds from Google and other sources
- Well organized and easy to read
- Sharing options
- Mark All as Read
Things I didn’t like:
- Price
(4 out of 5 daily dogs)
So that is my take on three more popular iPad RSS Reader apps. In general, I like them all and I am finding they all do about the same thing but with slighly different ways of presenting and organizing the information. If you like this type of post, let me know. Also, if you want to get posts delivered right in your inbox, subscribe below. Thanks!
So now that all your testing is done which reading are you currently using, or plan to keep on using?
That's a GREAT question and I should have put it at the end of the post!!!! Well, honestly, I'm using MobileRSS HD – while it does not bring in other feeds besides Google, it does allow me to do everything I need to with my feeds and articles. So for now, i've settled on that one due to it's simple interface and multiple sharing options!
Reeder does badge my icon with an unread count.
Hi Ben. I will look again – it was not displaying any of my unread feeds at all – I was expecting the standard “red circle” with a number in it.
So where is part 1? I'd like to see what else you have reviewed.
So where is part 1? I'd like to see what else you have reviewed.
Hi Jeff, sorry – I linked to Part One but for some reason the link was not showing well. Part one is here:
http://www.ipaddaily.com/ipad-essential-busines…
I'll get this fixed!
Oh!…that's great helpful, it's so right to me! Million thanks for the article,
You are more than welcome. Thanks for reading!