Tired of biased news?
Get spin-free headlines
in your headphones.
No ads.

Harold is your hands-free AI news anchor. He reads hundreds of news sources around the clock and sends you a short, balanced audio brief you can play while you're starting your day.

No doom scrolling · No app · No ads · No spin · Just your custom headlines

Three clicks to cancel · No phone call required

Just the headlines. No spin. No opinion. No ads.

Harold cuts everything out of the news that isn't actually the news. What's left is what you actually need to know — that's it. No ads, no apps, no spin, no bias, no doomscroll, no fear-mongering, no clickbait. No political spin, just what actually happened.

The world is a zoo. Harold is your anchor.

Harold was built because the news is exhausting. Every headline designed to outrage. Every feed packed with ads. Every post demands a reaction. Harold just reports what's happening now — and we trust you to form your own opinions.

Like an owl, he's awake while you sleep. He reads news around the world, weighs the sources, strips the spin, and generates a custom, short audio briefing, then sends it every morning at the same time — or whatever time you choose. Every brief ends on some good news. Harold reads 400+ sources every day, the average briefing runs about 5 minutes, and there are zero ads — forever.

Who builds The Harold →

Hundreds of events near you.

  • 🎵 Music
  • 🎤 Comedy
  • 🧸 Kids & Family
  • 🎭 Arts & Theater
  • 🏟️ Sports
  • 🏎️ Cars & Motorsports
  • 🎪 Festivals & Fairs
  • 🍂 Food & Markets

This one has nothing to do with the news. It's here so you never find out your favorite comedian played across town only after they've left. Harold keeps a running list of what's coming up around your city, so it's easy to keep a finger on the pulse and actually make plans. A few get a mention in your briefing each day, and the full list is always a tap away from your briefing page.

Included with Premium.

How it works

1. Harold reads… everything.

Full spectrum — BBC, AP, Reuters, NPR, WSJ, Fox, local papers, tech blogs, financial wires, niche newsletters. Left, right, global, hyper-local. Then he strips out the outrage and the clickbait.

2. Harold records a short, balanced audio briefing — for you.

Stories are cross-referenced, spin is stripped, and what remains becomes a tight 5-minute audio file designed and read for you, specifically.

3. Delivered to your inbox (and phone).

Basic gets an email each morning; Premium gets an SMS and an email. One tap opens that day's briefing page where you can listen — and read along if you want. No app, no ads, no login, no feed.

Tap play to hear Harold.

Hear yesterday's briefing on the live site — matter-of-fact news, designed to inform, not enrage, narrated by Harold.

▶ Hear a sample briefing

What people say after a week.

“It’s been the first news product I’ve ever used that doesn’t leave me feeling hopeless.”
Ann S.
“I listen on my walk to the train, which is exactly 8 minutes. Perfect length to not distract me, so I’m in the know for the day, but un-triggered.”
Sean A.
“AI is really the only way a service like this is possible. Even the most disciplined human has biases, and The Harold just gives me the info without any of the BS.”
Fred P.
“I start The Harold from my pillow, and by the time I’ve washed my face and brushed my teeth I’m all caught up… with my sanity intact.”
Alex L. — Founder, and daily listener
“I love being able to customize my news, and listen whenever I want.”
Narveen O.
“Less than 10 minutes to get all the headlines I need, without the spin of the ‘media machine’ is a no-brainer!”
Kara T.

Two plans. Seven-day free trial.

The Harold Basic — $3.50/month or $31.50/year — a daily audio briefing delivered by email each morning, with U.S. and world headlines and one good story to close. The Harold Premium — $5/month or $45/year — a personalized briefing delivered by SMS and email, with all core and extended segments you choose, a greeting by name, local city headlines, local weather and events, and custom delivery times. Both start with a 7-day free trial — $0 charged today, cancel anytime.

The Harold Basic

$2.63/mo

$31.50/year — billed annually, 25% off. Monthly billing available at $3.50/mo.

One basic briefing each morning. About 2–3 minutes.

  • Delivered by email each morning
  • U.S. and world headlines
  • One good story to close
  • 7-day free trial

Start with The Harold Basic

Most popular

The Harold Premium

$3.75/mo

$45/year — billed annually, 25% off. Monthly billing available at $5/mo.

Your morning briefing, made just for you — your topics, your city, your weather.

  • Delivered by SMS and email
  • All core segments: U.S., world, and good news
  • Plus every extended segment you choose
  • Personalized greeting by name
  • Local city headlines
  • Local weather
  • Hundreds of local events
  • Custom delivery days and times
  • 7-day free trial — $0 today

Get Harold — start free trial →

What's in each plan
FeatureBasicPremium
Daily audio briefingYesYes
Delivered by emailYesYes
Delivered by SMSYes
U.S. and world headlinesYesYes
One good story to closeYesYes
Extended segments you chooseYes
Personalized greeting by nameYes
Local city headlinesYes
Local weatherYes
Hundreds of local eventsYes
Custom delivery days and timesYes
7-day free trialYesYes
Price, billed monthly$3.50/mo$5/mo
Price, billed annually$31.50/yr$45/yr

Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial, and $0 is charged today. If you cancel before day 7 you're never charged at all. Canceling takes three clicks from your daily briefing page, with no phone call, no email and no retention offer. Payments are handled by Stripe, so The Harold never sees your card number.

Why do you charge for this?

Most news is free because you're the product. The Harold charges because we refuse to take money from advertisers. That's right… No ads. No sponsors. Ever! Your subscription covers the cost of AI research, voice generation, and daily SMS and email delivery. Clean, simple, and pure.

How “Hate, Inc.” inspired The Harold →

Questions people ask

How does the personalization work?

When you sign up, you pick your segments, your home city, favorite teams, and topics you care about. Harold writes and generates your briefing around those preferences, and a portal lets you change anything, anytime.

What sources does Harold read?

Over 400, across the political spectrum and the globe — wire services (AP, Reuters), national and local papers, international outlets, tech blogs, and niche newsletters. He's just looking for the facts, without the bias.

Is this just AI-generated slop?

No. Harold uses AI to absorb every headline across hundreds of outlets, verify the facts against multiple sources, and strip out the spin. No hallucinated stories. If we get something wrong, we correct it in the next briefing and tell you.

Will there ever be ads?

No. Advertising — even the most innocuous kind — shapes how stories get reported. We're purpose-built to avoid that. Your subscription is the only thing funding Harold.

Do I need a credit card to start the trial?

Yes. Checkout runs through Stripe and collects a card up front, but nothing is charged for seven days. Cancel before day 7 and you are never charged a cent.

I’m subscribed. How do I access my account?

Access to your account comes in a tokenized link that’s texted and emailed to you every day. Simply click through to your briefing page, where you listen, and all of your account settings are accessible from there.

How do I cancel?

Canceling is easy: click the link for your daily brief, go down to settings, and then go to the cancellation section (three clicks to cancel your renewal).

Your first briefing arrives tomorrow morning.

Seven days free. Cancel anytime. That's the whole pitch. Get Harold →

Alex Littlewood, founder of The Harold
Built by Alex Littlewood.

Built The Harold because the news is exhausting. No investors and no advertisers, funded entirely by subscribers. Read why →

© 2026 The Harold — balanced, spin-free news, read to you.