How-To Guide

RSS vs JSON Feed vs Atom: Which Format Should You Use?

RSS, Atom, and JSON Feed all solve the same problem differently. Here's when to use each and which one your readers actually prefer.

What is RSS 2.0?

RSS 2.0 (Really Simple Syndication) is the most widely supported feed format on the web. Published by Harvard in 2003, it uses XML and has remained largely unchanged since. Every RSS reader, news aggregator, podcast app, and feed-processing tool supports it. If you need maximum compatibility, RSS 2.0 is the safe default.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0">
  <channel>
    <title>My Blog</title>
    <link>https://example.com</link>
    <description>Latest posts from my blog</description>
    <item>
      <title>Post Title</title>
      <link>https://example.com/post-1</link>
      <description>Post summary here</description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 01 Jan 2025 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://example.com/post-1</guid>
    </item>
  </channel>
</rss>

What is Atom?

Atom is an IETF standard (RFC 4287) developed in 2005 as a more rigorous alternative to RSS. It has stricter validation rules, better support for internationalization, and a cleaner XML namespace structure. Atom is slightly more verbose than RSS but is well-supported by all major feed readers. It's the default format for many platforms including WordPress (via the /feed/atom endpoint) and Blogger.

What is JSON Feed?

JSON Feed is a modern alternative to RSS and Atom, introduced in 2017 by Manton Reece and Brent Simmons. Instead of XML, it uses JSON — the format that most web developers already work with daily. It's easier to generate, easier to parse, and more readable. Most modern RSS readers (Reeder, NetNewsWire, Feedbin, Miniflux) now support JSON Feed.

{
  "version": "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1.1",
  "title": "My Blog",
  "home_page_url": "https://example.com",
  "feed_url": "https://example.com/feed.json",
  "items": [
    {
      "id": "https://example.com/post-1",
      "url": "https://example.com/post-1",
      "title": "Post Title",
      "content_text": "Post summary here",
      "date_published": "2025-01-01T12:00:00Z"
    }
  ]
}

Format Comparison

A quick comparison across the three formats to help you decide:

1. 1RSS 2.0 — support: universal | readability: moderate XML | flexibility: limited extensions | best for: maximum compatibility, podcasts
2. 2Atom — support: universal | readability: verbose XML | flexibility: better for internationalization | best for: standards-compliance, multilingual content
3. 3JSON Feed — support: most modern readers | readability: clean JSON | flexibility: easy to extend | best for: developer APIs, modern sites

Which Format Should You Choose?

For most publishers, RSS 2.0 is the right default — every tool supports it, and you'll never hit a compatibility wall. Choose Atom if your content is multilingual or you want strict standards compliance. Choose JSON Feed if you're building a developer-facing API or prefer working in JSON. The best approach is to serve both RSS 2.0 and JSON Feed simultaneously — it's low cost and covers all audiences.

Brevofeed Supports All Three Formats

Brevofeed ingests RSS 2.0, Atom, and JSON Feed URLs interchangeably. Paste any feed URL into Brevofeed and it automatically detects the format. Your widgets, email digests, and bot alerts work the same regardless of which format the source uses.