What's your favorite RSS feed reader?

Hacker News Discussion ↗

RSS remains a popular way for power users to consume news in a focused, ad‑light environment, with many preferring it over algorithmic feeds from platforms like Reddit or Hacker News. Participants highlight a wide range of tools—from hosted services like Feedly, Inoreader, BazQux, and NewsBlur to self‑hosted options such as FreshRSS, Miniflux, and Tiny Tiny RSS, plus email‑based workflows and terminal or Emacs readers—often chosen for syncing across devices, filtering capabilities, and control over what appears. A recurring theme is mistrust of “smart” or AI‑driven features and the desire to avoid dependence on a single commercial service after the demise of Google Reader.

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.