The best free news apps in 2026
Plenty of news apps cost nothing to download. Fewer cost nothing to read. Here is what free really gets you in each one.
The best free news apps are AP News, Google News and Apple News. AP News has no paywall and is paid for by ads. Google News is free on iPhone, Android and the web. Apple News is free on Apple devices, with a paid News+ tier. Ground News, the BBC app and Reuters are free to download but keep part of their reporting behind a subscription. Full disclosure: we built Newsreel, which is a paid app.
What "free" costs you
A free news app still has to pay its reporters or its servers. Most do it with ads, and Google Play marks those apps "Contains ads." Many also collect data. Apple's App Store privacy labels show which apps say they may use your location or browsing to track you across other apps. Others are free only up to a point: you can read some stories, then you hit a subscription. We sorted the apps below by that last test.
Fully free: no paid tier for reading
AP News
The Associated Press app has no paywall, and its App Store listing says so. You get breaking news alerts, a weekday Morning Wire notification and live coverage of developing stories, all in the AP's plain wire style. Ads pay for it, and Google Play labels it "Contains ads." Its privacy label says it may use your location, search history and usage data to track you.
Best for: fast breaking news without a subscription.
Google News
Google News is free on iPhone, Android and news.google.com. Your Briefing updates through the day, and Full Coverage puts many outlets' reporting on one story in a single view. It collects other outlets' work and does not report the news itself. Google Play labels it "Contains ads," and its App Store privacy label lists location, search history and browsing history among the data linked to you.
Best for: a personalized feed on any phone, plus side-by-side coverage of one story.
Flipboard turns stories from national publishers, local outlets and creators into a magazine you flip through. You can follow topics, other curators and accounts on Threads and Mastodon, and save stories to a magazine of your own. The App Store lists no in-app purchases. Google Play labels it "Contains ads," and its privacy label says location, identifiers and usage data may be used to track you.
Best for: a relaxed browse that mixes hobbies with the news.
Free at the core, with an optional upgrade
Apple News
The free app comes with iPhone, iPad and Mac. It gives you editor-picked top stories, local news, sports scores and the Apple News Today audio briefing. Apple News+ costs $12.99 a month and adds more than 500 magazines, newspapers and digital publishers, plus daily crosswords. The catch for many readers: it runs only on Apple devices.
Best for: iPhone owners who want one tidy feed without paying.
NPR
The NPR app streams your local public radio station live and carries podcasts, news stories and Tiny Desk concerts. NPR's App Store listing says the app is free "and will always be." NPR+ adds sponsor-free podcasts, bonus episodes and early access to some shows. You unlock it by giving $8 a month or more to a participating station. Google Play labels the app "Contains ads."
Best for: people who would rather listen to the news than read it.
SmartNews
SmartNews sorts stories from thousands of publishers into topic tabs, with a local section for traffic, weather and government news. It is free with ads, and the developer says the ads keep it free. The App Store lists ad-free upgrades at $3.99 and $4.99. Its privacy label lists more tracking categories than most apps here, including location, contact info, search history and browsing history.
Best for: a broad mix of headlines, with local news in the same app.
Free to open, with a paywall or limits
Ground News
Ground News shows which outlets cover a story and how each one leans. Its Blindspot feed flags stories that one side of the spectrum is ignoring. The free app lets you browse and compare coverage. Paid plans unlock the full Blindspot feed, factuality ratings and outlet ownership data, and the top plan, Vantage, is $99.99 a year on the App Store. Its privacy label lists no data used to track you, and Google Play shows no ads label.
Best for: seeing what your usual sources leave out.
BBC
Since January 2026, the BBC app in the US has the same pay model as BBC.com. Without paying, you still get select global breaking news, the BBC Radio 4 and World Service radio livestreams, and some newsletters and podcasts. A subscription at $8.99 a month or $49.99 a year adds unlimited articles, the 24/7 BBC News livestream and documentaries. Google Play labels the app "Contains ads."
Best for: world news, if the free breaking stories and radio are enough.
Reuters
Reuters is the other big wire service and the stronger of the two on business and markets. The app has a company Watchlist, a Markets section and a personalized My News feed. It is free to download, but its App Store listing says full access requires a subscription, with plans listed at $4.00 and $45.00. Google Play labels it "Contains ads."
Best for: markets and company news, if you are willing to subscribe.
If you will pay for one app
Newsreel
Newsreel is not free, so it is not ranked above. We include it because it answers the trade-off this list keeps running into. It is a news platform for people who have given up on the news. Vetted journalists and subject-matter experts publish directly, with no ads and no engagement-bait algorithm. Perspectives gathers the actual arguments on a contested story so you can weigh them yourself. It is on iPhone and Android, and on the web at app.newsreel.co.
Best for: readers who would rather pay a small fee than see ads.
Quick comparison
| App | What free gets you | Ads label on Google Play | Paid option |
|---|---|---|---|
| AP News | Everything; no paywall | Yes | None for reading |
| Google News | Everything | Yes | None for reading |
| Everything | Yes | None listed | |
| Apple News | Top stories, local news, audio briefing | No Android app | News+ $12.99/mo |
| NPR | Live radio, podcasts, stories | Yes | NPR+ with $8/mo donation |
| SmartNews | Everything | Yes | Ad-free upgrade |
| Ground News | Basic coverage comparison | No | Up to $99.99/yr |
| BBC (US) | Select breaking news, radio | Yes | $8.99/mo or $49.99/yr |
| Reuters | Limited without a subscription | Yes | Subscription required for full access |
| Newsreel | Paid only | No | $5.99/mo or $49.99/yr |
How to pick a free news app
If you want to pay nothing, start with AP News for breaking news and add Google News or Apple News for range. Add NPR if you listen more than you read. Use Ground News's free tier to check one story across outlets. Treat the BBC and Reuters apps as samplers unless you plan to subscribe.
Then decide which cost you mind least. Ads are the most common price, and they come with tracking in most of these apps. Check the App Privacy section on each App Store listing before you install; it takes a minute. If the ads bother you more than a monthly fee, a paid app may cost less than it seems. If you only check headlines a few times a week, the free apps above will cover you.
Read the news from journalists you can name
Newsreel is a news platform for people who have given up on the news. Vetted journalists and subject-matter experts publish directly, with no ads and no engagement-bait algorithm. $5.99 a month, or $49.99 a year.
Get the Newsreel appFrequently asked questions
What is the best free news app?
For breaking news with no paywall, AP News is the strongest free pick. For a personalized feed from many outlets, Google News is free on iPhone, Android and the web, and Apple News is free on Apple devices. All three show ads or offer paid extras, so free means you pay with your attention or your data.
Which news apps are free with no subscription?
AP News, Google News and Flipboard have no paid tier for reading. Apple News, NPR and SmartNews are free at their core and sell optional extras. Ground News, the BBC app in the US and Reuters keep part of their reporting behind a subscription.
What is the best free news app for iPhone and Android?
AP News and Google News are free on both iPhone and Android. Apple News is free but runs only on Apple devices. On Android, Google News is the closest match to Apple News, with a personalized briefing and Full Coverage of single stories.
Is Newsreel free?
No. Newsreel is paid only, at $5.99 a month or $49.99 a year, and it has no ads. Vetted journalists and subject-matter experts publish on it directly. It is on iPhone and Android, and on the web at app.newsreel.co.