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Replace today: Google Reader Feedly

Privacy RSS Feed Readers

Private alternatives to Google Reader, Feedly, vetted against our public criteria.

Everyday Anyone should use these
Hardened If you will trade some convenience
#3
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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.

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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.