The Best News Apps of 2024
Written by: BestApp.com App Testing Team - Updated: Mar 04, 2022
If you’re looking for a reliable news app, we recommend Flipboard as it is very customizable, offers curated content from trusted publishers, and makes it easy to access everything from breaking news to entertainment, tech, and sports news. But if Flipboard doesn’t have what you’re looking for, we found nine other great apps to try out. Here are the 10 best news apps available on iOS and Android.
Top 10 News Apps to Try
- Flipboard — Top Pick
- Google News — Best for News Briefs
- BBC News — Best for Live News
- AP News — Best for Curated Content
- Feedly — Best for Personalized News Feeds
- Financial Times — Best for Business & Finance
- News360 — Best for Audio Briefings
- Al Jazeera English — Best for On-Demand Content
- CNN News — Best for Global News
- SmartNews — Best for Local News
How We Chose the Best News Apps
To find the 10 best news apps, we looked for apps with a handful of key features that make it easy for users to find trustworthy and relevant news stories. The best news apps offer breaking news alerts, business news, entertainment news, local weather information, and fact-checking features to ensure all stories are reliable and verifiable.
Choose the news app that’s right for you
All the apps on our list are either completely free or offer a free version for users to get started with. Apps like Flipboard and Feedly are great for users who want to customize their experience, while apps like BBC News and CNN News are great for curated global news. We recommend checking out several apps to find the right one for you.
Read multiple sources
To ensure the stories you’re reading are accurate and trustworthy, it’s generally recommended that you consult multiple news sources. This makes it easier to avoid misinformation and biased sources. Apps like Flipboard let you customize your feed, making it easy to get your news from several sources without having to download multiple apps.
Our News App Reviews
Flipboard — Top Pick
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Flipboard is our pick for the best overall news app thanks to its flexibility, customizability, and curated content. Unlike most apps, Flipboard lets you customize your experience by following different topics, including everything from world and financial news to sports and entertainment. Flipboard will notify you about breaking news and developments, and you can also find longer articles and news stories. In addition to following major outlets, you can follow local news sources for more relevant news and weather information. One of the app’s most unique features is Flipboard Magazine, which lets you create your own collections of stories to share with others.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: None
- Support available: Email, Help Center
| Flipboard Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Curated news content | Requires setup |
| Customizable feed | Could miss major stories depending on your setup |
| Local, national, and international news | |
Google News — Best for News Briefs
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Google News is the best app for users who want to find information about breaking news stories at a glance. When you open Google News, you’ll be presented with the current top five stories as part of your daily briefing. You can tap on stories to expand them and find more information, and the unique Timeline feature lets you view story developments as they occur. Google News also lets you view local news stories, and the app pulls stories from a variety of reputable outlets, ranging from The Associated Press and The New York Times to Financial Times and The New Yorker.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: None
- Support available: Email, Help Center
| Google News Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Daily new briefings | No fact-checking features |
| Story timelines | |
| Pulls stories from a variety of sources | |
BBC News — Best for Live News
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
BBC News is one of the largest and most well-known news stations in the world, and its app offers users access to breaking news stories from a global network of reputable journalists. You can follow individual topics to find the stories you care about most, and unlike other news apps, BBC News gives you 24/7 access to BBC World Service Radio for live news coverage. Users can browse the Popular section to read trending stories and watch one-minute videos for world news summaries. BBC News also lets you set up notifications for breaking news stories, share stories to social networks, and find stories related to the ones you’ve most recently read.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: None
- Support available: Email, Phone, Help & FAQs
| BBC News Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| 24/7 live news coverage | Users report occasional livestream crashes |
| Follow topics for relevant stories | |
| One-minute video summaries | |
AP News — Best for Curated Content
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
AP News is one of the most trusted news sources and one of the best news apps available. Users can stay informed with breaking local, national, and global headlines. The app offers a personalized experience that includes curated news content, customized news alerts tailored to your interests, award-winning photos, local news stories from local broadcasters, and more. AP News stands out for its curated content hubs that deliver deeper insights into major news stories, events, and developments. In addition to articles, users can also watch videos for story summaries and listen to the radio for live coverage.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: None
- Support available: Email, Customer Support
| AP News Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Curated content hubs | Lacks customization features |
| Video and radio coverage | |
| Local and global news | |
Feedly — Best for Personalized News Feeds
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Feedly is a feature-rich news app that lets users create their own personalized news feeds. Users can find, follow, and organize content from a variety of platforms like newspapers, trade publications, influential bloggers, YouTube channels, RSS feeds, Twitter feeds, and research journals. Unlike any other app on our list, Feedly includes an AI assistant — Leo — that helps you control your feed, organize topics, and more. You can share stories and insights with others, create shared boards that other users can access, and discover new topics by industry. With Feedly Pro, you can also unlock integrations with apps like Facebook, Twitter, and Evernote.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: Pro: $6/month; Pro+: $8.25/month
- Support available: Email, Help Center
| Feedly Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Create a personalized news feed | No breaking news alerts |
| Includes an AI assistant | No weather information |
| Share stories with others | |
Financial Times — Best for Business & Finance
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Financial Times is the only app on our list dedicated to providing financial news stories and insights. Financial Times offers international business news, analysis, market data, and company information. Financial Times supports offline viewing when you don’t have an active internet connection, and the app delivers breaking news headlines through notifications. You can follow topics to create a personalized feed and save articles to read across all your devices. Financial Times also lets users monitor their Market Data portfolio and browse securities, making it a great option for investors. Users with active subscriptions earn Gift Credits, which they can use to share articles with non-subscribers.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: Standard Digital: $40/month; Premium Digital: $69/month; Print + Premium Digital: $168.75 every 3 months
- Support available: Email, Phone, Live Chat, Help Center
| Financial Times Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Financial news, market data, and company information | No weather |
| Follow topics to create a personalized feed | Doesn’t cover current events |
| Read articles offline | |
News360 — Best for Audio Briefings
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
News360 uses AI to deliver a personalized news experience to your mobile device. Unlike any other app, News360 will learn what kind of news you’re interested in to deliver more relevant articles and news stories. You can customize your experience further by following topics, sources, people, and companies. News360 also lets users save stories to read offline and sync their account across all devices and news360.com. You can scan headlines, read brief summaries, and tap stories for more information. With News360, users can access Audio Briefings and listen to stories on the go.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: Premium: $1.99/one month; $4.99/three months; $15.99/year
- Support available: Email, FAQ
| News360 Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| AI-powered personalization | Expensive subscription cost |
| Audio briefings | No fact-checking features |
| Read stories offline | |
Al Jazeera English — Best for On-Demand Content
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Al Jazeera English is one of the most popular and reliable news apps available on iOS and Android. The app is completely free to use and gives you access to curated global news stories, live video coverage, on-demand videos, and more. Unlike other apps on our list, Al Jazeera lets users watch the latest episodes of a variety of popular programs. Users can also follow Topics, Programmes, and News Categories to get more curated stories and easily share stories on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: None
- Support available: Email, FAQ, Forum
| Al Jazeera English Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Live video news coverage | Lacks local news sources |
| On-demand video content | |
| Personalized news feed | |
CNN News — Best for Global News
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
CNN News is the overall best news app for global news and live TV coverage. Unlike any other app, CNN News lets users watch CNN, CNNi, or HLN television anywhere, anytime. You can set up custom alerts to receive relevant notifications and learn more about major global events through in-depth articles, news clips, and photo galleries. In addition to live news, you can access popular series like “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” and a variety of award-winning CNN Films. With correspondents and bureaus reporting from across the world, CNN News offers the most comprehensive global news coverage of any app on our list.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: CNN Newswatch: $6.95/month
- Support available: Email, Phone, Contact Form
| CNN News Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Breaking global news stories | Live TV limited to U.S. users |
| Live TV coverage | Unlimited viewing requires cable subscription |
| On-demand TV series | |
SmartNews — Best for Local News
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
SmartNews is the best app on our list for users primarily interested in local news stories. The app provides location-based news stories and weather information, so you can always stay up to date with what’s happening in your area. You can set up breaking news and severe weather alerts, and SmartNews pulls stories from over 3,000 U.S. and global publications. SmartNews stands out because of its SmartView First (SVF) feature, which lets you tap stories and view distraction-free summaries even with no internet access. Another notable feature is the “News From All Sides” tool, which allows you to easily access media coverage across the political spectrum for the same news event — whether you’re just skimming headlines or deep-diving into long-form journalism, “News From All Sides” will help you form a more informed perspective. Although the app focuses on local news, you can also browse stories from around the country and world.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- Subscription plans: None
- Support available: Email, Help Center
| SmartNews Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Local news and weather | No live customer support |
| Smart news summaries | |
| Breaking news alerts | |
News Apps: Features Summary Table
| News Apps Comparison Table | ||
|---|---|---|
| App | Subscription Fees or In-App Purchases | Features |
| Flipboard — Top Pick | None | ✓ Breaking News ✓ Business News ✓ Entertainment News ✓ Weather ✓ Fact-Checking |
| Google News — Best for News Briefs | None | ✓ Breaking News ✓ Business News ✓ Entertainment News ✓ Weather X Fact-Checking |
| BBC News — Best for Live News | None | ✓ Breaking News ✓ Business News ✓ Entertainment News ✓ Weather ✓ Fact-Checking |
| AP News — Best for Curated Content | None | ✓ Breaking News ✓ Business News ✓ Entertainment News ✓ Weather ✓ Fact-Checking |
| Feedly — Best for Personalized News Feeds | Pro: $6/month Pro+: $8.25/month | X Breaking News X Business News X Entertainment News X Weather X Fact-Checking |
| Financial Times — Best for Business & Finance | Standard Digital: $40/month Premium Digital: $69/month Print + Premium Digital: $168.75 every 3 months |
✓ Breaking News ✓ Business News ✓ Entertainment News X Weather ✓ Fact-Checking |
| News360 — Best for Audio Briefings | Premium: $1.99/one month; $4.99/three months; $15.99/year |
✓ Breaking News ✓ Business News ✓ Entertainment News ✓ Weather X Fact-Checking |
| Al Jazeera English — Best for On-Demand Content | None | ✓ Breaking News ✓ Business News ✓ Entertainment News ✓ Weather ✓ Fact-Checking |
| CNN News — Best for Global News | CNN Newswatch: $6.95/month | ✓ Breaking News ✓ Business News ✓ Entertainment News ✓ Weather ✓ Fact-Checking |
| SmartNews — Best for Local News | None | ✓ Breaking News ✓ Business News ✓ Entertainment News ✓ Weather X Fact-Checking |