Miniflux
Minimalist self-hosted RSS and Atom feed reader written in Go. Runs as a single static binary against PostgreSQL, with a responsive web UI and compatibility APIs for mobile clients like Reeder.
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Privacy RSS Feed Readers
Private alternatives to Google Reader, Feedly, vetted against our public criteria.
Showing 7 of 7
Newsboat
Terminal RSS and Atom feed reader for Linux and macOS, actively maintained as a fork of the abandoned Newsbeuter. Vim-style keybindings, scriptable filters, and works well over SSH.
NewsFlash
Modern GTK RSS reader for Linux desktop, designed to pair with a web-based feed service such as Nextcloud News, Miniflux, or Feedbin. Adaptive layout, fast full-text search, and desktop notifications.
Akregator
KDE's desktop RSS and Atom feed reader, part of the Kontact personal information management suite. Runs on Linux and Windows, with an integrated article browser, fast search, and feed archiving.
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RSS lets you follow the sites you care about directly, with no account, no algorithm, and no profile of your reading habits. A feed reader pulls updates to you instead of a platform deciding what you see. These are the readers that keep your interests to yourself.
Why RSS is a privacy win
Following sites through a social platform or a logged-in aggregator means handing over a detailed record of what you read and when. RSS sidesteps that: your reader fetches updates directly from each site, so no central service builds a profile of your interests or reranks your feed for engagement. You see everything, in order, from the sources you chose.
What to look for
Local or self-hosted operation so your subscription list and read history stay on your device, open-source code, OPML import and export so you can move your feeds freely, and the option to fetch over your own connection rather than a third-party proxy that could log your requests.
A clean way to follow people
RSS also works as a privacy-friendly way to follow accounts elsewhere. Plenty of platforms expose feeds you can subscribe to without logging in, so you can keep up with a channel or a writer without an account quietly tracking everything you read.
Frequently asked
- What is RSS?
- RSS is a simple open format that lets a reader app pull new posts directly from the sites you follow. No account, no algorithm deciding what you see, just the latest from your chosen sources in order.
- Can I import my existing feeds?
- Yes. Feed readers use OPML, a standard file that lists your subscriptions, so you can export from one reader and import into another without losing anything.
- Can I follow YouTube or social accounts with it?
- Often, yes. Many platforms, including video and social sites, expose feeds you can subscribe to without an account, which makes RSS a clean way to keep up without signing in to anything.