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Review: Feedswire – A New RSS App In A Competitive Market

Review: Feedswire – A New RSS App In A Competitive Market

RSS has taken the world by storm since it was introduced, allowing people to keep up with all the latest news and happenings. RSS apps have just furthered the craze, and there are hundreds to choose from on the App Store. Feedswire is another app of the category desperate to shine and to distinguish itself in an already crowded market. Let’s see how it performs.

Layout

The layout of this app is actually pretty good generally speaking, however there are some aspects which are disappointing. In terms of viewing the feed and browsing through the different categories, it’s very clear and there’s not much you could fault it for.

What lets it down is several little things. For example, the button to view the story in your web browser is tiny, and it’s not completely clear what it does before you click it. That’s a key button in an app like this, it’s what allows you to get the whole story, and to minimize it is sort of counterproductive. It’s just generally not incredibly clear what each button does and that could definitely be improved.

However the color scheme is very nice and the general look of the app is much better than some other RSS readers I’ve tried. Overall, layout is decent, but could be a lot better.

Functionality

Feedswire does a good job of pulling the feeds in and doesn’t disappoint in that regard. It’s easy to add feeds, and you can add them to either an existing group (the app comes preloaded with technology and a few others) or you can create your own. What’s more, you don’t have to track down the feed URL. All you have to do is type the name of the site into the search feature in the app, and if it’s a popular feed, it will have no problem in finding it.

I’m not sure how extensive it is, so if you have some obscure site you want it probably won’t find it, but definitely for all the main news and sports sites it will have you covered.

One slightly less positive aspect of the app is the very poor sharing options. You can only post it to Facebook or email, not even Twitter is an option. When you compare it to other RSS apps that have every type of social network available, it really is disappointing. In this day an age you want to be able to share something you find interesting or funny, and this app certainly greatly restricts you in that regard.

Verdict

The RSS app market is an extremely competitive one, and as result your apps need to be extra good in order to survive. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with Feedswire. Don’t get me wrong, Feedswire isn’t a bad app, but when you compare it with the other great apps in the category, it’s sub par.

Having said that, it is free, so if you’re on a budget, it could be the answer. It offers basic functionality, but scrimps on extras, with sharing the big downfall. Even if you make an app to be free, it has to include more sharing. What this offers in that area is unacceptable in today’s world.

I was reviewing the free version, however there is also a Pro version (which isn’t free) you might want to consider.

Rating: 3/5[rating:3]

Price: Free (App Store link)

Pros:

  • Great looking app, color scheme and layout nice
  • Inbuilt RSS feed search bar very useful for quickly finding feeds

Cons:

  • Sharing options terrible compared to other RSS apps (even free ones). Only Facebook and email.
  • Navigation can be tricky (not clear what each button does)