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Open Source Feed Reader Alternatives to Inoreader - A comprehensive comparison of 24 RSS/Atom feed readers

Open Source Feed Reader Alternatives to Inoreader

A comprehensive guide to modern, well-maintained open-source RSS/Atom feed readers and aggregators.

Table of Contents


Overview

This document compares open-source alternatives to Inoreader, a popular commercial RSS feed reader. These tools range from minimalist terminal applications to AI-powered readers with modern interfaces. All projects listed are actively maintained and have significant community adoption.

Comparison Table

Project Stars Language License Type Description
RSSHub 41,664 TypeScript AGPL-3.0 Feed Generator Everything is RSSible - generates feeds for sites without RSS
Folo 36,954 TypeScript AGPL-3.0 AI Reader AI-powered RSS reader with translation and summaries
Glance 31,691 Go AGPL-3.0 Dashboard Self-hosted dashboard that aggregates all your feeds
Omnivore 15,857 TypeScript AGPL-3.0 Read-it-Later Complete read-it-later solution (Shutting down)
FreshRSS 13,918 PHP AGPL-3.0 Self-Hosted Web Free, self-hostable news aggregator
NetNewsWire 9,584 Swift MIT Desktop/Mobile Native RSS reader for macOS and iOS
Fluent Reader 9,045 TypeScript BSD-3-Clause Desktop Modern desktop RSS reader with Fluent UI
Miniflux 8,721 Go Apache-2.0 Self-Hosted Web Minimalist and opinionated feed reader
RSS-Bridge 8,682 PHP Unlicense Feed Generator Creates RSS feeds for websites missing them
NewsBlur 7,284 Python MIT Self-Hosted Web Personal news reader with social features
Stringer 4,084 Ruby MIT Self-Hosted Web Self-hosted, anti-social RSS reader
yarr 3,707 Go MIT Self-Hosted Web Yet another RSS reader - single binary
Newsboat 3,671 C++ MIT Terminal RSS/Atom feed reader for text terminals
CommaFeed 3,412 Java Apache-2.0 Self-Hosted Web Google Reader inspired RSS reader
Raven Reader 2,815 Vue MIT Desktop Beautiful cross-platform article reader
Feeder 2,598 Kotlin GPL-3.0 Mobile Android feed reader with Material You design
selfoss 2,451 PHP/JS GPL-3.0 Self-Hosted Web Multipurpose RSS reader and mashup
RSS Guard 2,363 C++ GPL-3.0 Desktop Feed reader with podcast support
Fusion 1,957 Go MIT Self-Hosted Web Lightweight, self-hosted friendly reader
QuiteRSS 1,077 C++ GPL-2.0 Desktop Cross-platform RSS/Atom news feed reader
Nextcloud News 955 PHP AGPL-3.0 Self-Hosted Web RSS/Atom feed reader for Nextcloud
Liferea 882 C GPL-2.0 Desktop Linux Feed Reader for GTK/GNOME
Tiny Tiny RSS 583* PHP GPL-3.0 Self-Hosted Web Flexible web-based feed reader
Refeed 175 TypeScript MIT Self-Hosted Web Modern RSS reader with filters and bookmarks

* Tiny Tiny RSS is primarily developed on their own Git server; GitHub is a mirror with lower star count.


Detailed Reviews

AI-Powered Readers

Folo (formerly Follow)

Stars: 36,954 | Language: TypeScript | License: AGPL-3.0

The most starred dedicated RSS reader, Folo is an AI-powered information hub that goes beyond traditional feed reading.

Key Features:

  • AI-powered translation and summarization
  • Dynamic content support (notifications, social media)
  • Cross-platform (iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux)
  • Customizable information hub
  • Modern, polished interface

Best For: Users wanting cutting-edge AI features integrated into their reading experience.


Self-Hosted Web Readers

Stars: 13,918 | Language: PHP | License: AGPL-3.0

The most popular traditional self-hosted RSS reader, FreshRSS offers a complete Inoreader-like experience.

Key Features:

  • Handles 1M+ articles and 50K+ feeds
  • Multi-user support with anonymous reading mode
  • WebSub for instant push notifications
  • API compatible with mobile clients (Fever, Google Reader API)
  • OPML import/export
  • Themes and extensions ecosystem
  • Web scraping for sites without feeds

Best For: Users wanting a feature-rich, Inoreader-like self-hosted experience.

Stars: 8,721 | Language: Go | License: Apache-2.0

A minimalist, opinionated feed reader focused on simplicity and performance.

Key Features:

  • Single binary deployment
  • PostgreSQL backend
  • Fever and Google Reader API compatible
  • Keyboard shortcuts
  • Automatic HTTPS with Let's Encrypt
  • Content scraping
  • Integrations (Pocket, Instapaper, Pinboard, etc.)

Best For: Minimalists who want a fast, no-frills reader with excellent performance.

Stars: 7,284 | Language: Python | License: MIT

A full-featured news reader with training filters and social features.

Key Features:

  • Intelligence training to filter stories
  • Social sharing via Blurblogs
  • iOS, Android, and web apps
  • Story notifications
  • Full-text search
  • Hosted option available at newsblur.com

Best For: Users who want social features and smart filtering.

Stars: 4,084 | Language: Ruby | License: MIT

An "anti-social" RSS reader focused on reading without distractions.

Key Features:

  • No social features or recommendations
  • Fever API for mobile client compatibility
  • Keyboard shortcuts
  • Simple, clean interface
  • Easy Heroku/Docker deployment

Best For: Users who want a simple, distraction-free reading experience.

Stars: 3,707 | Language: Go | License: MIT

"Yet Another RSS Reader" - a single binary web-based feed aggregator.

Key Features:

  • Single binary, zero dependencies
  • SQLite storage
  • Can run as desktop app or server
  • Minimal resource usage
  • OPML import/export

Best For: Users wanting the simplest possible self-hosted setup.

Stars: 3,412 | Language: Java | License: Apache-2.0

A Google Reader-inspired self-hosted RSS reader.

Key Features:

  • Familiar Google Reader-like interface
  • Keyboard shortcuts
  • Mobile-friendly responsive design
  • OPML import/export
  • REST API
  • Hosted option at commafeed.com

Best For: Users who miss Google Reader's interface.

Stars: 2,451 | Language: PHP/JS | License: GPL-3.0

A multipurpose RSS reader that can also aggregate other content types.

Key Features:

  • Plugin system for various sources (Twitter, Reddit, etc.)
  • Mobile-optimized web interface
  • Tagging and starring
  • Search functionality
  • RESTful JSON API

Best For: Users wanting to aggregate multiple content types beyond RSS.

Stars: 1,957 | Language: Go | License: MIT

A lightweight, modern self-hosted RSS reader.

Key Features:

  • Single binary or Docker deployment
  • Svelte-based responsive UI with dark mode
  • PWA support
  • Grouping, bookmarking, search
  • OPML import/export
  • Automatic feed URL detection

Best For: Users wanting a modern, lightweight Go-based reader.

Stars: 955 | Language: PHP | License: AGPL-3.0

RSS/Atom feed reader app for Nextcloud.

Key Features:

  • Integrates with Nextcloud ecosystem
  • Folder organization
  • Keyboard shortcuts
  • Compatible with various mobile apps
  • Sync across devices

Best For: Existing Nextcloud users who want integrated RSS.

Stars: 583 (GitHub mirror) | Language: PHP | License: GPL-3.0

A flexible, feature-rich web-based RSS reader.

Key Features:

  • AJAX-powered interface
  • Keyboard shortcuts
  • Plugins and themes
  • OPML import/export
  • Flexible article filtering
  • Podcast support
  • JSON API

Best For: Users wanting maximum flexibility and customization.

Stars: 175 | Language: TypeScript | License: MIT

A modern RSS reader built with contemporary web technologies.

Key Features:

  • Timed bookmarks
  • Advanced filters (keyword, author, date)
  • Bookmark folders with notes
  • Newsletter-to-RSS conversion
  • Fullscreen reading mode
  • Full content fetching

Best For: Users wanting a modern TypeScript-based reader with unique features.


Desktop Applications

Stars: 9,584 | Language: Swift | License: MIT

A fast, native RSS reader for Apple platforms.

Key Features:

  • Native macOS and iOS apps
  • iCloud sync
  • Feedbin, Feedly, NewsBlur sync support
  • Reader View
  • Keyboard shortcuts
  • Safari extension
  • Free with no ads

Best For: Apple ecosystem users wanting a polished native experience.

Stars: 9,045 | Language: TypeScript | License: BSD-3-Clause

A modern, cross-platform desktop RSS reader with Microsoft's Fluent UI.

Key Features:

  • Windows, macOS, Linux support
  • Sync with Inoreader, Feedbin, Fever, Google Reader API services
  • Card/list/magazine layouts
  • Full content fetching via Mercury Parser
  • Dark mode
  • Regex search and filtering
  • Local-first (all data stays on device)

Best For: Users wanting a beautiful, modern desktop reader across platforms.

Stars: 2,815 | Language: Vue | License: MIT

A beautiful, cross-platform desktop feed reader.

Key Features:

  • Windows, macOS, Linux support
  • Integration with Pocket, Instapaper
  • Multiple themes
  • Full-text search
  • Podcast support
  • OPML import/export

Best For: Users wanting an aesthetically pleasing desktop reader.

Stars: 2,363 | Language: C++ | License: GPL-3.0

A comprehensive feed reader with podcast support.

Key Features:

  • RSS/ATOM/JSON feed support
  • Podcast player
  • Gemini protocol client
  • Service integration (Inoreader, Feedly, Nextcloud, etc.)
  • Newspaper/web browser view
  • Cross-platform (Windows, Linux, macOS, BSD)

Best For: Users wanting an all-in-one reader with podcast capabilities.

Stars: 1,077 | Language: C++ | License: GPL-2.0

A fast, cross-platform RSS/Atom feed reader.

Key Features:

  • Embedded browser
  • Ad blocking
  • Feed labels and filters
  • Notifications
  • Portable mode
  • Import from various formats

Best For: Users wanting a traditional desktop feed reader.

Stars: 882 | Language: C | License: GPL-2.0

The Linux Feed Reader - a native GTK/GNOME application.

Key Features:

  • Native GTK interface
  • Sync with TheOldReader, TinyTinyRSS
  • Podcast support
  • Permanent search folders
  • Social bookmarking

Best For: Linux/GNOME users wanting a native experience.


Mobile Applications

Stars: 2,598 | Language: Kotlin | License: GPL-3.0

An Android feed reader with modern Material You design.

Key Features:

  • Material You theming
  • Offline reading
  • End-to-end encrypted sync (Nextcloud, WebDAV)
  • Full-text content fetching
  • OPML import/export
  • No ads, no tracking

Best For: Android users wanting a privacy-focused, beautiful reader.


Terminal-Based Readers

Stars: 3,671 | Language: C++ | License: MIT

The premier terminal-based RSS/Atom feed reader.

Key Features:

  • Highly configurable via config files
  • Vi-like keybindings
  • Scriptable with macros
  • Podcast support with podboat
  • Query feeds (smart folders)
  • External browser/player integration
  • Colorscheme customization

Best For: Terminal power users and keyboard-driven workflows.


Feed Generation Tools

These tools generate RSS feeds for websites that don't provide them natively.

Stars: 41,664 | Language: TypeScript | License: AGPL-3.0

"Everything is RSSible" - generates RSS feeds for virtually any website.

Key Features:

  • 1000+ supported routes (Twitter, YouTube, Reddit, etc.)
  • Self-hostable or use public instances
  • Extensible with custom routes
  • Radar browser extension for feed discovery
  • Telegram bot

Best For: Creating RSS feeds for sites that don't offer them.

Stars: 8,682 | Language: PHP | License: Unlicense

Creates RSS feeds for websites that don't have them.

Key Features:

  • Bridges for many popular sites
  • Easy to self-host
  • No JavaScript required
  • Atom/JSON/HTML output formats
  • Easy to write custom bridges

Best For: Simpler RSS generation needs with PHP hosting.


Selection Guide

By Use Case

If you want... Consider
Inoreader-like experience FreshRSS, NewsBlur
Minimal setup yarr, Miniflux
AI features Folo
Apple native NetNewsWire
Cross-platform desktop Fluent Reader, RSS Guard
Terminal-based Newsboat
Android Feeder
Generate feeds RSSHub, RSS-Bridge
Nextcloud integration Nextcloud News
Dashboard view Glance

By Technical Stack

Language Projects
Go Miniflux, yarr, Glance, Fusion
PHP FreshRSS, Tiny Tiny RSS, selfoss
TypeScript Folo, RSSHub, Fluent Reader, Refeed
Python NewsBlur
Ruby Stringer
Java CommaFeed
Swift NetNewsWire
C++ Newsboat, RSS Guard, QuiteRSS
Kotlin Feeder

Notes

  • Star counts are from GitHub as of February 2026 and change over time.
  • Omnivore was a popular option but is shutting down after being acquired; users are migrating to Readwise Reader (closed-source) or other alternatives.
  • Tiny Tiny RSS has more users than the GitHub stars suggest since development happens on the author's own Git server.
  • Most self-hosted readers support the Fever API or Google Reader API, making them compatible with third-party mobile apps.
  • Consider RSSHub or RSS-Bridge alongside your reader to follow sites without native RSS support.

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