SmartNews
VerifiedSmartNews delivers breaking news from over 4,500 trusted publishers to 50+ million downloads worldwide. Follow topics, see all sides, and get local news alerts.
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SmartNews Review: News & Media Workflow Fit, Pricing and Alternatives
SmartNews functions as a news & Media workflow layer for users who need AI support inside a repeatable task, process, or content system. Its value is strongest when the buyer understands the job it should improve, the quality standard it must meet, and the surrounding tools it needs to connect with. For business use, SmartNews should be judged by workflow fit, output reliability, review effort, and whether it reduces manual work without creating new risk.
Table of Contents: SmartNews Review Guide
Jump to the pricing, features, pros and cons, comparisons, FAQs, and alternatives.
SmartNews Quick Summary for AI Workflow Buyers
Overall Rating: 4.2/5 | Free Plan: Free, trial, open-source, or entry access may vary
Best For: teams, creators, operators, founders, and specialists evaluating news & Media for recurring business or productivity workflows
Pricing: pricing depends on current plan, usage, seats, model access, and workflow volume | Ease of Use: 4.1/5 | Business Value: 4.2/5
Last Tested: June 2026 | Version: Latest
Visit SmartNews
What Role Does SmartNews Play in a Modern AI Workflow Stack?
SmartNews positions itself as a news discovery app that reduces scrolling and increases reading, evidenced by its tagline 'Less time scrolling. More time reading.' With over 50 million downloads worldwide, more than 2 million 5-star ratings, and over 4,500 trusted publishers, it emphasizes scale and trust. The app evaluates articles and publishers to deliver high-quality breaking news, lets users follow topics and publishers, and provides a slider to see coverage from both sides of the political spectrum. Features include local weather, crime alerts, and breaking news, as well as a blend of editor and algorithmic curation. SmartTake aims to expand perspectives. It was voted Best Local News App of 2022 in the US by BestApp.com. These facts indicate SmartNews's strategic role is to offer a balanced, curated news experience that saves time and broadens viewpoints.
Who Is SmartNews Best For in 2026?
- News readers seeking a broad, aggregated feed SmartNews aggregates articles from about 3,000 media outlets, making it suitable for users who want a wide range of news topics in one place.
- Mobile-first users who prefer app-based news consumption The service emphasizes its mobile app, offering daily crosswords, number puzzles, and weather info, appealing to users who primarily read news on smartphones.
- Users interested in AI-curated summaries The site prominently features 'SmartNews AI' summaries for many articles, which can help users quickly grasp key points without reading full pieces.
- Japanese-speaking audiences The content is predominantly in Japanese, covering local news, sports, entertainment, and politics, making it ideal for Japanese-speaking readers.
Professional reality: The scraped content does not provide specific details on SmartNews's AI capabilities, integrations, or pricing beyond a general subscription service, so claims about its AI features are limited to what is visibly labeled on the page.
Specialist SmartNews Features That Matter for Business Growth
Find news you can trust
SmartNews evaluates articles and publishers to deliver high-quality breaking news that impacts you and the world.
Readers get breaking news from sources the app has assessed for quality.
Your news. Your way.
Save time and get straight to the news that matters by following the topics and publishers you care about.
Less time scrolling and more time reading what you actually care about.
Get news from all sides
See coverage from reputable sources across both sides of the political spectrum with an easy slider feature.
Readers can compare coverage across the political spectrum in one place.
Stay in the Loop
Learn about what's happening in your town and across the globe with accurate weather reports, crime alerts, and breaking news stories.
One app keeps you informed on both local and global events.
Discover a Smarter Approach
Get news, topics, and publishers you care about in one app with a thoughtful blend of editor and algorithmic curation.
Human editors and algorithms work together to surface relevant stories.
Feel Good About Being Informed
Feed your brainβnot your biasβwith thoughtfully curated news to expand your interest and perspectives from SmartTake.
SmartTake helps broaden your interests and perspectives rather than reinforce bias.
How Much Does SmartNews Cost in 2026?
The scraped SmartNews website content does not display any pricing information, subscription tiers, or cost details. The page promotes the SmartNews app as a news discovery service with features such as trusted news evaluation, topic and publisher following, political spectrum coverage via a slider, weather reports, crime alerts, and SmartTake curation. It highlights 50+ million downloads worldwide, 2+ million 5-star ratings, and over 4,500 trusted publishers, and notes it was voted Best Local News App of 2022 in the US by BestApp.com. No paid plans, free trials, service fees, or subscription prices are shown anywhere in the provided content.
| Plan | Price | What You Get |
|---|
Visit the official SmartNews website to check the latest pricing and plans.
SmartNews Pros and Cons for AI Tool Buyers
- Proven Scale and AdoptionSmartNews reports 50+ million downloads worldwide and 2+ million 5-star ratings, demonstrating broad user adoption and satisfaction.
- Extensive Publisher NetworkThe app features over 4,500 trusted publishers, giving users access to a wide range of news sources.
- Award RecognitionSmartNews was voted Best Local News App of 2022 in the US by BestApp.com, as stated on the website.
- Balanced Perspective FeatureSmartNews offers an easy slider feature that lets users see coverage from reputable sources across both sides of the political spectrum.
- Curation and Bias ClaimsSmartNews states it evaluates articles and publishers to deliver high-quality breaking news and offers a 'SmartTake' to expand perspectives, but these are self-described features without independent verification on the page.
- User TestimonialsThe site includes positive quotes from users in Ohio, California, and Florida, but these are individual experiences and may not represent all users.
- Award SpecificsThe 'Best Local News App' award is attributed to BestApp.com for 2022 in the US, but no further details about the award criteria or competition are provided.
- Download and Rating MetricsThe 50+ million downloads and 2+ million 5-star ratings are presented without information on measurement period, platform, or methodology.
When Does SmartNews Deliver the Most Business Value?
Cut Through the Scroll with a Smarter News Feed
SmartNews promises "less time scrolling, more time reading" by blending editor and algorithmic curation into one app. Instead of hopping between sites, you follow the topics and publishers you care about and get straight to the stories that matter. If you already rely on a feed reader, you might pair it with Feedly AI for deeper topic tracking, or try Flipboard AI as another curated-feed alternative.
See Both Sides of a Political Story
SmartNews includes an easy slider feature that shows coverage from reputable sources across both sides of the political spectrum, so you can compare how different outlets frame the same breaking story. That makes it a practical fit for readers who want to avoid a single-perspective news diet. For a dedicated bias-comparison approach, Ground News is a natural companion.
Stay on Top of Local and Breaking News
The app highlights accurate weather reports, crime alerts, and breaking news stories for your town and across the globe, and it was voted Best Local News App of 2022 in the US by BestApp.com. It is built for people who want a quick daily briefing on what is happening nearby and worldwide. If you prefer a broader aggregator for national and global headlines, Google News is a reasonable alternative to compare.
Expand Your Perspective with Curated Reads
SmartTake is designed to feed your brain rather than your bias, offering thoughtfully curated news that expands your interests and perspectives. Combined with SmartNews's evaluation of articles and publishers for quality, it suits readers who want to stay informed without getting trapped in an echo chamber. For a fact-checking layer on top of your reading, HighlightFactCheck can complement the experience.
How Do You Get Started With SmartNews?
Define the exact news & Media workflow SmartNews should support.
Compare it with closely related AI tools in the same category before committing.
Set review rules for accuracy, privacy, brand voice, compliance, and final approval.
Connect useful outputs to the wider stack instead of leaving them inside the AI tool.
Is SmartNews Worth It for AI Tool Buyers?
SmartNews is worth it when news & Media is a repeated workflow and the tool meaningfully reduces manual work, improves quality, or speeds up execution. It is less compelling when the use case is occasional, unclear, or too sensitive to trust without heavy review. The strongest ROI comes from pairing the tool with clear process ownership and relevant business systems.
SmartNews vs Competitors: Which Tool Fits Best?
| Decision Area | SmartNews | When Another Option Wins |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher network | Over 4,500 trusted publishers, per SmartNews | If you want a feed built around your own hand-picked RSS sources rather than a curated publisher network, a reader-first tool may suit you better |
| Political perspective balance | Easy slider feature shows coverage from reputable sources across both sides of the political spectrum | If you want a dedicated bias-rating and blindspot breakdown per story, a perspective-focused news tool is the stronger pick |
| Curation approach | Thoughtful blend of editor and algorithmic curation, plus SmartTake for added context | If you prefer purely algorithmic personalization with no editorial layer, an algorithm-only aggregator may fit better |
| Local news | Voted Best Local News App of 2022 in the US by BestApp.com, with local weather, crime alerts and breaking stories | If your priority is national or global coverage depth over hyperlocal alerts, a general-purpose aggregator can cover that need |
| Track record | 50+ Million Downloads Worldwide and 2+ Million 5-Star Ratings | If you want a smaller, niche or topic-specific feed rather than a mass-market news app, a specialist tool is the better match |
SmartNews vs Ground News
Both SmartNews and Ground News address the question of seeing coverage from more than one side. SmartNews does this with an easy slider feature that surfaces coverage from reputable sources across both sides of the political spectrum, alongside its editor-plus-algorithm curation and SmartTake context. Ground News is built specifically around comparing how different outlets frame the same story.
Choose SmartNews if: You want balanced-perspective browsing folded into a broader everyday news app with local weather, crime alerts and breaking stories, backed by 4,500+ publishers. Choose Ground News if: Your main goal is story-by-story comparison of how outlets across the spectrum cover the same event.
SmartNews vs Feedly AI
SmartNews curates for you with a blend of editor and algorithmic curation across 4,500+ trusted publishers, so you follow topics and publishers you care about without building the feed yourself. Feedly AI sits at the other end of the spectrum, aimed at people who want to assemble and track their own source lists.
Choose SmartNews if: You would rather have a ready-made, curated feed with SmartTake context and a perspective slider than manage sources yourself. Choose Feedly AI if: You want to build and control your own source collection rather than rely on a curated publisher network.
SmartNews FAQ for AI Tool Buyers
What is SmartNews?
SmartNews is a news app that lets users read articles from 3000 media outlets. It also offers points, coupons, and weather information.
Does SmartNews have a paid subscription?
Yes, SmartNews offers SmartNews+ (γΉγγγ₯γΌοΌ), a paid subscription service that aggregates business news and coupons.
What features does the SmartNews app include?
The app provides access to articles from 3000 media outlets, a points system, coupons, and detailed weather information.
Does SmartNews use AI?
Yes, SmartNews features 'SmartNews AI' (γΉγγγ₯γΌAI) which provides AI-generated summaries of news articles.
What platforms is SmartNews available on?
SmartNews is available as an iOS app and an Android app, as indicated on their website.
Key Takeaways
- SmartNews is best evaluated as a news & Media workflow tool.
- It should be compared with related AI tools in the same category before buying.
- It delivers more value when connected to business systems and governed with human review.
Best SmartNews Alternatives
- Upday AI - related news & Media option to compare before choosing SmartNews.
- Artifact News - related news & Media option to compare before choosing SmartNews.
- Particle News - related news & Media option to compare before choosing SmartNews.
- Feedly AI - related news & Media option to compare before choosing SmartNews.
- Inoreader AI - related news & Media option to compare before choosing SmartNews.
- Briefing AI - related news & Media option to compare before choosing SmartNews.
- Inkl - related news & Media option to compare before choosing SmartNews.
- Ground News - related news & Media option to compare before choosing SmartNews.
- Perplexity AI - related news & Media option to compare before choosing SmartNews.
Bottom Line: SmartNews is a useful news & Media option when the workflow is real, repeated, and worth improving. It delivers the most value when buyers compare it against related AI tools, connect it to the wider stack, and keep human review in the loop.
Last Tested: June 2026 | Reviewed by theaitoolsbox.com editorial team
Key Features
News & Media Workflow Support
SmartNews supports news & Media work by helping users move from manual effort toward a more structured AI-assisted process.
AI Output Quality and Review
The tool should be evaluated on how useful, accurate, editable, and workflow-ready its output is for the intended use case.
Human Review and Governance Fit
SmartNews works best when teams define what AI can handle, what needs approval, and where sensitive information should not be used.
Integration With the Wider Tool Stack
The practical value improves when outputs can move into the business systems where work is planned, stored, reviewed, or sent to customers.
Use Cases
news & Media
AI workflow
AI productivity
business automation
SmartNews alternatives
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Workflow layer
- Business fit:
- Where It Is Strong
- Useful category fit
- Can reduce manual effort
- Works best inside a stack
- Good comparison candidate
Cons
- Avoid if:
- Professional reality:
- Where It Needs Care
- Needs human review
- Pricing can change quickly
- Not a complete strategy
- Workflow fit matters more than novelty
Quick Answers
How many downloads does SmartNews have worldwide?
SmartNews has over 50 million downloads worldwide.
How many publishers does SmartNews feature?
SmartNews features over 4,500 trusted publishers.
What rating does SmartNews hold from users?
SmartNews has over 2 million 5-star ratings.
SmartNews
π° News & Media
Pricing Plans
Free
Basic features included