What's your favorite RSS feed reader?

Hacker News Discussion ↗

Role of RSS vs. Social Platforms

  • Several comments stress that RSS feeds deliver very different content from Hacker News/Reddit.
  • RSS is described as quiet, controlled, and fully user-curated: you choose sources, organize them, and can save items.
  • Some use RSS specifically to consume Hacker News (via dedicated HN RSS services) asynchronously.

Popular Hosted Web Services

  • Frequently praised services: Inoreader, Feedly, NewsBlur, BazQux, Feedbin, Netvibes, The Old Reader, Lighthouse.
  • Inoreader: highlighted for power features (filters, API, Facebook/Reddit/Telegram/newsletter integration), long-term reliability, and a good free tier; many pay happily.
  • Feedly: mixed sentiment. Some love its simplicity, cross-device sync, and mute filters; others dislike limits on the free plan and the push toward “AI” features and distracting UI elements.
  • NewsBlur: appreciated as a long-time Google Reader replacement, with syncing and flexible complexity.

Self‑Hosted & Server‑Side Options

  • Popular self-hosted options: FreshRSS, Miniflux, Tiny Tiny RSS, selfoss, tt-rss, Miniflux (often via Docker), Lighthouse-like setups.
  • Reasons: control, independence from third‑party services, and centralized fetching (use at work, multiple devices).
  • Some moved away from Tiny Tiny RSS due to negative experiences with its maintainer.

Desktop & Mobile Clients

  • Apple ecosystem: NetNewsWire, Reeder, Unread, Lire, Vienna are frequently praised; iCloud sync is appreciated.
  • Android: Feeder, Flym, FocusReader, gReader Pro, Handy News Reader, FeedMe, miniflux clients, and others.
  • Cross‑platform/FOSS: Fluent Reader, QuiteRSS, RSS Guard.
  • Terminal/Emacs: Newsboat, elfeed, Gnus, mutt-based setups are valued for scriptability and deep customization.

Email and Alternative Workflows

  • Many use RSS‑to‑email (or email‑to‑RSS) so email clients handle organization, search, filters, and cross‑device sync.
  • Other pipelines: RSS to Telegram bots, ntfy.sh push notifications, RSShub containers, custom-built readers, and AI‑assisted tools (e.g., Read Copilot, Readwise).

Common Frictions & Limitations

  • Some readers or feeds only provide summaries, forcing use of in‑app browsers without extensions or dark mode.
  • Minor bugs (e.g., forgotten settings, broken auto‑fetch) and dated UIs are noted but often tolerated if core features are solid.