Muuted vs Google News
Google News is an algorithmic news app that curates the feed for you. Muuted is a one-person project with a narrower promise: your sources, your mutes, no algorithm — ever. Here is an honest look at where they differ.
The short version
| Muuted | Google News | |
|---|---|---|
| Who decides what you see | You do. Your sources, newest first — there is no ranking algorithm at all. | The algorithm decides what you see and in what order |
| Muting words and topics | A core feature: mute any word or topic in one tap — forever, or for a day, a week, or a month. | You can hide sources and show fewer of a topic; the algorithm still chooses |
| What happens to hidden stories | They stay in a review list showing the exact rule that caught them. Restore or unmute any time. | Hidden stories are gone — there is no review list |
| Ads and pricing | No ads, ever, on any tier. Free tier stays free; Pro is $4/month or $36/year. | Free, ad-supported |
| Your data | OPML import and export plus a one-click JSON backup — your subscriptions are never locked in. | No OPML — your reading history and follows stay inside Google |
Google News details reflect its public plans and positioning and can change — check their site for current specifics.
When Google News is the better pick
- You want zero setup — install and read
- You like algorithmic discovery surfacing things you did not follow
- You want local news bundled in automatically
When Muuted fits
- You want to decide what is in your feed — and what is not — without an algorithm second-guessing you
- Muting words and topics is the main thing you do, not a buried setting
- You want to see what got filtered and why, and undo it in one tap
- You never want ads in your reading, on any tier