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FreshRSS

freshrss.org

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Spec score 8.9 #5 of 47 in Reading Apps

What it is

FreshRSS is a free, self-hosted RSS and Atom feed aggregator for following websites, podcasts, and video channels. Users can read and search articles, save searches, and organize items with custom tags. Feed management includes OPML import and export, creating feeds from filters, and scraping websites to make feeds. WebSub provides real-time updates from compatible feeds. The project says the software can manage 1M+ articles and 50k+ feeds. FreshRSS supports multiple users, anonymous reading, themes, extensions, configurable options, and a command-line interface. APIs support mobile clients, and Google Reader and Fever APIs enable use with mobile and native clients. Self-hosting requires a web server, PHP 8.1 or later, and PostgreSQL 10+, SQLite, MariaDB 10.6+, or MySQL 8.0+. The project advises exposing only the ./p/ folder to the web because ./data/ contains personal data. It offers no warranty and welcomes bug reports and feature requests through GitHub issues.

Spec sheet

What it does
FreshRSS is a self-hosted RSS and Atom feed aggregator.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freshrss.org
Integrations
FreshRSS receives WebSub push notifications from compatible sources such as Friendica, WordPress, Blogger and Medium, and supports mobile and native clients through Google Reader and Fever APIs.Read 11 Oct 2026 · github.com
API compatibility
The documented Fever API supports feed and category retrieval, item retrieval, favicons, read and starred markers, and extension hooks.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freshrss.github.io
API limitation
The Fever API documentation says Hot Links are unsupported.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freshrss.github.io
Authentication
FreshRSS supports form authentication, HTTP authentication and OpenID Connect.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freshrss.github.io
Client ecosystem
Documented compatible clients include Fluent Reader, Read You, Newsflash, Fiery Feeds, Reeder Classic, ReadKit and a Python API client.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freshrss.github.io
Customization
FreshRSS supports themes, extensions and configurable options.Read 11 Oct 2026 · freshrss.org
Deployment channels
FreshRSS offers an edge rolling branch for newer features and security fixes and a latest branch with fewer updates but older fixes.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freshrss.github.io
Documentation
The administrator manual covers installation, updates, backups, logging, extensions, themes, databases, CLI use, access control, OIDC and web-server configuration.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freshrss.github.io
Extensibility
Official and community extensions are installed by placing an extension folder in the extensions directory.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freshrss.github.io
Feed tools
FreshRSS supports OPML feed import and export, feed generation from filters, and web scraping to create feeds from websites.Read 11 Oct 2026 · freshrss.org
Generated feeds
Filters can be used to generate new feeds.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freshrss.org
Google Play client
The Google Play FreshRSS Reader client connects to an existing FreshRSS server, synchronizes unread and favorite articles, supports offline actions, and states that it provides no hosting service.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
Independent assessment
Gappsy describes FreshRSS as community-maintained, with no corporate ownership and no first-party mobile app.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gappsy.com
Independent praise
Valebyte highlights no advertising or tracking, self-controlled data and no stated feed limits for a self-hosted installation.Read 15 Oct 2026 · valebyte.com
Languages
The interface is translated into more than 15 languages.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freshrss.org
Licence
FreshRSS is free software released under the GNU AGPL 3 licence.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Limit: interface
Independent reviewers describe the default design as somewhat outdated or dense.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alternativeto.net
Limit: missing workflow features
An AlternativeTo reviewer specifically cites missing batch archiving or export and article highlighting or annotation.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alternativeto.net
Limit: plugin distribution
Hawk Host reports that FreshRSS has no automatic plugin store and extensions must be extracted onto the server.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hawkhost.com
Limit: scraping maintenance
Hawk Host says filters and scrapers require configuration and maintenance, and scraped feeds can silently break when source markup changes.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hawkhost.com
Mobile access
Browser access is optimized for small screens, and native clients can connect through Google Reader or Fever APIs.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freshrss.github.io
OPML
Feed subscriptions can be imported and exported with OPML.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freshrss.org
Origin
Project development began in October 2012, according to creator Marien Fressinaud's project history.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Praise: feed extraction
AlternativeTo reviewers praise full-text extraction and the ability to create feeds from sites that do not publish feeds.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alternativeto.net
Praise: reliability and privacy
AlternativeTo reviewers repeatedly describe FreshRSS as fast, reliable, privacy-friendly and easy to self-host.Read 15 Oct 2026 · alternativeto.net
Push updates
FreshRSS supports WebSub for real-time updates from compatible feeds.Read 11 Oct 2026 · freshrss.org
Rating on AlternativeTo
4.8 out of 5 from 15 ratingsRead 15 Oct 2026 · alternativeto.net
Reader
Users can read collected articles directly in the FreshRSS web interface.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freshrss.org
Reading and search
Users can read articles in FreshRSS, search them and save queries for quick access.Read 11 Oct 2026 · freshrss.org
Requirements
The documented stack recommends Apache 2.4, PHP 8.1 or newer, PostgreSQL 10 or newer, and Firefox, while also supporting nginx, lighttpd, SQLite, MariaDB, MySQL, Chrome, Opera, Safari and Edge.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freshrss.github.io
Scale
The project says one installation can handle more than one million articles and 50,000 feeds.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freshrss.org
Search
The product supports searching and saving queries for later access.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freshrss.org
Security change
Version 1.30.0 began blocking local-network access such as 127.0.0.1 by default for security reasons.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Security guidance
The project advises exposing only the ./p/ folder to the web because ./data/ contains personal data.Read 11 Oct 2026 · github.com
Security release
Version 1.30.1 was released on October 5, 2026 as a security-oriented release with security patches and bug fixes.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Sharing and APIs
FreshRSS supports multiple users, anonymous reading, custom tags, a command-line interface and APIs for mobile clients.Read 11 Oct 2026 · github.com
Support and warranty
The project welcomes bug reports and feature requests through GitHub issues and states that FreshRSS comes with no warranty.Read 11 Oct 2026 · github.com
Support model
The project directs users to documentation, GitHub issues, contributions and community contact channels.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freshrss.org
Syndication
It combines websites, podcasts and video channels in one reading service.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freshrss.org
Themes and extensions
Themes and extensions allow interface and behavior customization.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freshrss.org
Web scraping
FreshRSS can create feeds by scraping external websites that lack feeds.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freshrss.org
WebSub
WebSub support can deliver compatible feed updates in near real time.Read 15 Oct 2026 · freshrss.org
Who it is for
FreshRSS is designed for people who want to host and customize their own feed reader, and the project also lists shared community instances and managed hosting providers.Read 11 Oct 2026 · freshrss.org

Plans and prices

Free Free Self-hosted software · no subscription tier stated Read 15 Oct 2026 · freshrss.org
FreshRSS Free Self-hosted RSS and Atom feed aggregator · no paid product plan listed Read 11 Oct 2026 · freshrss.org

Every FreshRSS plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free, self-hosted RSS and Atom aggregation.
  • Imports and exports OPML feed lists.
  • WebSub enables real-time updates from compatible feeds.
  • Supports multiple users, themes, extensions, and custom tags.
  • Can manage 1M+ articles and 50k+ feeds, according to the project.

Limits

  • Requires a web server, PHP, and a supported database.
  • The project states it comes with no warranty.
  • The project advises limiting web exposure to ./p/.

Who it suits

FreshRSS suits people who want to host and customize their own feed reader. Shared community instances and managed hosting providers are also listed for those who do not want to run an installation themselves.

Verdict

FreshRSS offers substantial feed management and customization for people prepared to self-host. Its free price is offset by server and database requirements, and the project states that it provides no warranty.

Where Specifiction places it

Alternatives to FreshRSSAll alternatives →