How-To Guide

The Best RSS Readers in 2025 (Free and Paid)

RSS reader apps let you follow hundreds of websites without social media algorithms deciding what you see. Here are the best options in 2025.

Why RSS Readers Are Back

RSS reader usage has grown steadily since 2020 for a simple reason: people are tired of social media algorithms deciding what they read. An RSS reader shows you every post from every source you follow, in chronological order, with no promoted content or engagement-bait mixed in. With the newsletter boom on Substack and Ghost — both of which publish RSS feeds — and podcast apps built entirely on RSS, the ecosystem is healthier now than it was when Google Reader shut down in 2013.

Free RSS Readers

Several strong RSS readers are free or have useful free tiers for individual users.

1. 1Feedly (free tier) — the most popular web-based reader, 100 feeds on the free plan, clean interface, available on web/iOS/Android
2. 2Inoreader (free tier) — 150 feeds on free plan, more powerful than Feedly's free tier, supports RSS, Atom, JSON Feed, and newsletter email addresses
3. 3NetNewsWire — completely free, open source, Mac and iOS only, syncs via iCloud, no account required
4. 4Reeder (free tier) — iOS and Mac, beautiful design, supports multiple sync backends (Feedbin, Feedly, iCloud), free for basic reading
5. 5FeedDemon — Windows, free, good for offline reading

Paid RSS Readers

Paid readers unlock advanced features: faster refresh rates, unlimited feeds, search history, team collaboration, and integrations with tools like Zapier and Make.

1. 1Feedly Pro ($8/month) — AI summaries, keyword alerts, board sharing, unlimited feeds
2. 2Feedly Teams ($18/month per seat) — shared boards, team feeds, Slack/Teams integration
3. 3Inoreader Pro ($9.99/month) — full-text search across article history, active searches, rules and filters, unlimited feeds
4. 4NewsBlur ($36/year) — independent service, training algorithm to surface your preferred content, self-hosted option available
5. 5Feedbin ($5/month) — clean, fast, supports email newsletters as RSS, excellent API

Self-Hosted RSS Readers

If you prefer complete control over your data and don't want to depend on a third-party service, self-hosted options let you run your own RSS backend on a VPS or home server.

1. 1Miniflux — minimal, fast, written in Go, runs on any Linux server, $15/year hosted or self-host free
2. 2FreshRSS — PHP-based, feature-rich, active community, Docker-friendly, free and open source
3. 3Tiny Tiny RSS (tt-rss) — older but powerful, self-hosted only, PHP/PostgreSQL stack
4. 4Stringer — minimal Ruby app, dead simple to deploy, good for developers who want to hack on their reader

How to Import OPML Files Between Readers

OPML (Outline Processor Markup Language) is the universal format for exporting and importing your feed subscription list. Every major RSS reader supports it, so switching tools is straightforward.

1. 1In your current reader, find Settings > Export > Export OPML (or Export Subscriptions)
2. 2Download the .opml file — it contains all your feed URLs
3. 3In your new reader, find Settings > Import > Import OPML
4. 4Upload the file — your feeds are recreated instantly
5. 5Delete feeds you no longer want from the new reader

Using Brevofeed to Embed Your Reading List on a Website

If you curate an RSS reading list and want to share it with your audience, Brevofeed lets you embed a live feed widget on any website. Select which feeds to show, style the widget to match your site, and embed it with a single script tag. The widget updates automatically as sources publish new content — making it a useful resource page or editorial sidebar without any ongoing maintenance.

1. 1Add your curated RSS feeds to Brevofeed
2. 2Create a multi-feed widget and select the feeds to display
3. 3Customize the layout and colors to match your site
4. 4Copy the embed code and paste it into your website or blog