04-10-2021

The news sites and blogs are always refreshing information every hour. If you aren't using RSS feeds to consume that content, you're certainly in for a treat to save your time and data to consume all kinds of content from a single app. Of course, the dedicated apps from media organizations are nice, but what if you're only interested in Markets, Business, Sports, or a combination of a few topics?

So instead of opening several tabs or keeping handful of news apps, RSS feeds from multiple sources allow you to enjoy content in a single app.

The RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds mostly fetch the title, photo, and some text (at times full article) and lets you read them without distractions. So you can follow the latest updates of your favorite blogs and websites all in one place instead of having to visit multiple sites on your Mac.

Here's a compilation of the best 5 RSS news reader apps that we found extremely useful.

Note:

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  • Best free RSS reader Mac 2021 13 Best RSS readers for Mac OS X as of 2021 - Slan. Feedly, Reeder, and Safari are probably your best bets out of the 13 options considered. Multi-platform RSS Monica is the primary reason people pick Feedly over the competition. This page is powered by a knowledgeable community that helps you make an informed.
  • # Free RSS Reader Create a personal news feed and read your favorite websites and blogs in a clean and intuitive format. # RSS Master It's a super-simple and powerful RSS reader and articles manager. Subscribe to Atom/ RSS news feeds and podcasts easily and simply. Free Rss Reader Mac # NewsFan NewsFan is the RSS Web news aggregator for Mac OS.
We've used these apps on macOS 11 Big Sur public beta and they worked without any issues. The screenshots were captured with macOS in dark mode.
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1. NetNewsWire

NetNewsWire is a free, open-source RSS feed reader app, and I bet you'd heard of it when trying to look for a dedicated RSS feeds app. The app's recent version deliversa fast and reliable RSS news reading experience. The RSS feedsenthusiasts can link their Feedbin account, which comes with a paidsubscription.

Best rss reader mac

And the Feedly users can keep their read items synced across devices as well. It does come with a handful of sources, and you can always import the OPML file from elsewhere.

Free rss reader mac os x latest

Its two-column, single pane interface will remind you of apps like MS Outlook. So will most apps on this list. Using a lot of keyboard shortcuts with the spiffy experience is fun. So is tinkering with a bevy of customizations and power-packed search. The only place this app falls shorts is the capability to share a few things. So if you seek an open-source app that you'll customize later as per your convenience, then NetNewsWire checks most of the right boxes.

Get NetNewsWire

2. Reeder 5

Freshly updated Reeder 5 carries one of the most polished interfaces of all the available RSS readers. The iPhone users will love the new iCloud sync feature to use it with their Macs.

Note: The screenshot is of Reeder 4 and it was taken before Reeder 5 was released.

Previously, the major updates took a while, and you should bethankful that they did. The developers proactively roll out app updatesimmediately after the new iOS version drops.

Read Later and Mark As Read on scroll will be extremely convenientfor the prolific readers who prefer RSS feeds to consume news. And itonly gets better with a bouquet of support for third-party services likeFeedbin, Feedly, FeedHQ, NewsBlur, Instapaper, Pocket, and others. Ofcourse, you can always import the OPML file from other services. If youlove polished interface and animations, then you'll have to buy Reeder 5from the Mac Store for $9.99

Get Reeder 5
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#google news
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3. ReadKit

ReadKit serves as a perfect no-nonsense newsreader app with supportfor several Read it later services like Instapaper, Readability, andPocket. Either of these services can really help you organize thelong-form or other content that you wish to read later at peace.Alternatively, you can star them as well.

The Smart Folder option lets you manage and organize your feed subscriptions into meaningful subjects and categories. For instance, I've sorted mine into Android, Apple, Gaming, and so on. Wondering how to add your feeds collection? Well, ReadKit supports a host of RSS feeds subscription services like Feedly, Feedbin, NewsBlur, Feed Wrangler, and even Fever.

Okay, I saved the best for the last - Focus mode and Search (self-explanatory). The Focus mode hides all the columns with folders and turns the window into a full screen to read the article. ReadKit is available for $9.99 from the Mac App Store.

Get ReadKit

4. News Explorer

One of the strong points of the News Explorer app is that it supports synching content from RSS, Atom, JSON, and even Twitter feeds. On top of that, it also supports Podcast RSS feeds so that you don't miss out on your favorite podcast episodes.

That's why News Explorer is my go-to RSS readers to catch up onPodcasts while I read and scroll through several feeds from differentsources. While it offers most features for customizing views andmanaging sources, there's one more reason to prefer News Explorer.

The app costs $9.99 if you want to purchase it from the Mac AppStore. However, if you buy SetApp's monthly subscription for the sameamount, you get News Explorer and several other paid apps for free - allincluded in the subscription amount. I think that's a pretty good dealif you just want to try out several paid apps for a month and thencontinue the subscription if you wish. So this app suits the best forthe folks looking for that value-for-money quotient with paid Mac apps.

Get News Explorer from SetApp
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5. Feedly

The Feedly app looks like a browser-wrapped version of its online appbut for Macs. So why is it on this list? Well, if the above four appscouldn't convince you, then Feedly is the best option to start.

It offers several popular RSS sources categorized by subjects - Technology, Startup, Business, Sports, Health, and more. So you pick the category that interests you and then select the sources that offer RSS feeds.

While the free version should work for most users, the Feedly Pro for $6 per month bundles more feed sources, lets you share over social networks, copy content to note-taking apps, and more. The Pro+ plan cost $8.25 per month includes Leo, an AI-powered digital assistant, the tweaks and prunes your collection to remove duplicates, classifies updates by topics, adds mute filters, summarizes, and more.

Get Feedly

To Read or Not

After Google Reader shut down, I moved the OPML file of the RSS feeds to Feedly, which really helped to subscribe to many similar sources and get rid of infrequent or overlapping ones. As a recovering RSS reading fan, I now prefer the ones with Read It Later services baked inside.

Most other apps on this list support a Feedly account. So transferring your curated lists and sections from Feedly to another app will be quite a breeze. Meanwhile, I shoutout to Netscape for gifting the world RSS to manage the information overload. So which RSS news feed readers do you use on your Mac, iPhone, Android, or Windows PC?

Next up:Want to try out some of the best RSS readers on your Windows PC? Click the next link to check our hand-picked 5 Best RSS Feed readers apps for Windows 10.


The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.

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by Martin Brinkmann on September 17, 2014 in Software - Last Update: September 17, 2014 - 36 comments

The Best Free RSS Reader for Mac OS X is NetNewsWire Sep 24, 2012 - 19 Comments OS X Mountain Lion may have removed the native ability to subscribe to RSS feeds from Safari in addition to the feed reader in Mail, but that doesn’t mean your RSS feed reading habits are toast on the Mac. NewsBar is somewhat bizarre amongst the Mac RSS readers since it demonstrates the news in a sidebar on your desktop screen which is redesigned continuously. There are many helpful elements, for example, single-tick to appear and read, or double tap to open the full story in the program. Google Reader Mac RSS feed reader provides us the comfort and flexibility to all the users.It is very simple and usable. It can be termed as a comprehensive web-based RSS feed reader. As the web trend is increasing RSS Feed is the best way to keep you updated to information of various fields without any need of web browser.

As is the case with many tools out there, I prefer a desktop RSS reader over an online solution. Sure, online services such as Feedly have advantages. You can access them for instance from any Internet capable device and they require less space than local solution.

On the downside, you depend on the service. If it goes down, has a bug or decides to become paid only, you may not be able to access the service for the time being or ever again.

Desktop RSS readers work similar to mail clients. You add one or multiple feeds to them and whenever you start them, see which sites have published new posts.

These information are stored in a local database so that you can access past records even without Internet connection. In addition, using a local client may be faster than using an online service and you are always in control of the data.

We start with the requirements that all RSS readers need to match first.

Requirements

  1. A free version needs to be available.
  2. The program has to be compatible with all recent 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows.
  3. The main feature of the program needs to be RSS reading.

Top RSS Readers

All readers listed below support the following set of features: import OPML files and notifications.

FeedDemon

FeedDemon is a long standing client for Windows. You can import an OPML file on start into the client or add individual RSS feeds manually to it. All feeds can be sorted into folders or tagged to improve the manageability of feeds.

Unlike other programs of its kind, FeedDemon embeds the contents in its interface which seems to take a bit longer and may pose more security risks than delivering a custom version of the page that is only displaying contents.

Powerful filters can be created which list items based on keywords being included or not included in articles. It is possible to add one or multiple keywords and define exactly where FeedDemon should search for those keywords.

Free Rss Reader Mac Os X Download

Feedreader

Feedreader has been one of the first desktop feed readers dating back as early as 2001. The program allows you to import an OPML feed or add individual feeds to it instead.

All feeds can be sorted into folders and tagged individually. Feedreader displays notifications automatically when new items are discovered and these items can be read directly in the program interface or in an external browser.

FTP server or local file synchronization is supported by the application. It ships with a small amount of other features of interest, for instance its enclosure browser which can be used to browse media directly embedded in feeds or the option to preload feeds.

Overall though, its features are straightforward.

GreatNews

The program seems to have been abandoned by its author. While that appears to be the case, it is working fine at the time of writing.

It displays the feed listing on the left and the actual contents on the right. Here you can select from different styles that define how contents are displayed on the screen.

The program lacks options to display individual feeds in a compact manner on the screen. The closest style available is called brief but it displays entries in two columns instead of just one.

Omea Reader

The light version of Omea Pro supports most of the features that you expect from a reader. It can import one or multiple OPML files, offers customizations to display news the way you want, and ships with a powerful search and filter engine as well.

On top of that, it can be used to browse bookmarked web pages, subscribe to newsgroups or manage podcasts that you are subscribed to.

Another interesting feature is the ability to create clippings that the program stores for you and a note taking module to take notes of your own in the program.

QuiteRSS

QuiteRSS is a full blown RSS reader for Windows that is in active development. The program ships with all the bells and whistles you'd except it to. You can import individual feeds or OPML files, define how and when feeds are updated, use filters or notifications, and customize how contents are displayed to you.

What makes QuiteRSS attractive is the impressive set of features that it offers and the fact that it works fine out of the box. While you can customize the program to your liking, for instance by configuring it to automatically clean the database and old entries on exit or modifying font styles, it is not mandatory to do so.

Many users will however appreciate that options are provided to do so.

RSS Bandit

RSSBandit development seems to have stopped in 2013 and while most program features work as advertised, some show the age of time. There is for instance still an option to synchronize feeds with Google Reader, Google's online service that the company retired in mid 2013.

The functionality that RSSBandit provides is for the most part quite good. You can import individual feeds or OPML files into the program, customize how contents are displayed in it, subscribe to newsgroups and make use of the top stories feature which tries to determine the most popular stories so that you can concentrate your attention on those.

You will notice however that the internal browser is not the fastest, especially when you compare it to other programs listed on this page.

RSSOwl

Netnewswire Download

RSSOwl requires the Java Runtime Environment so make sure it is installed on the system before you start the application. Feeds can be loaded using OPML files or individually into the program.

The default layout displays folders and feeds in a sidebar on the left, the selected folder or feed on the right, and the selected post underneath it.

How things are displayed can be modified in the options. Here you can also use the password manager, a feature missing from other applications of its kind, to save login information for sites that require authentication.

Other options provided are to configure the notifier in detail, define if an embedded or external browser should be used to display contents, and configure shortcut keys for fast access to program features.

Comparison table

Program nameCleanupFiltersCustomizeSearchSyncOther
FeedDemonyesyesyesyesnopreload feeds
Feedreaderyesnonoyesyespreload feeds, media browser
GreatNewsyesnonoyesno
Omea Readernoyesyesyesnonewsgroups, bookmarked web pages, podcast support,
QuiteRSSyesyesyesyesno
RSSBanditnonoyesyesyesnewsgroups, top stories finder
RSSOwlyesyesyesyesnorequires Java, save searches

Recommendation

The feed reader that I favor right now is QuiteRSS. It has been the main feed reader on my Windows system for quite a while. What I like about it is that it offers everything that I require. This includes a great interface that lets me browse feeds fast as well as excellent filter and search options.

It gets my vote but may be too barebones for some. If you require synchronization, you may want to pick another client supporting that for instance.

Now You: Have another favorite desktop client? Feel free to share it with everyone in the comment section below.

Description

Online Rss Reader

We take a look at the top free RSS feed readers for the Windows operating system. Check out short summaries of each program and check out a table to compare features.
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If you love to read information from a variety of websites and blogs online, you can customize and streamline your entire reading experience with the help of a good online RSS reader. This saves you the time and energy of having to visit each site individually.

All you need to do is choose an RSS reader that best fits your style and use it to subscribe to the RSS feeds of the sites you love reading. The reader will automatically pull recently updated posts from those sites that you can read directly in the reader or optionally on the source website by clicking the post link provided.

Feedly

Free Rss Feed Reader Yahoo

What We Like

Free Rss Reader Mac Os X Versions

  • Free to use.

  • Feeds are shareable.

  • Variety of layouts available.

  • Offers feeds based on interest.

What We Don't Like

  • Many advanced features are not free.

  • Difficult to sort or organize feeds.

  • Requires third party account.

Feedly is probably the most popular reader in use today, offering a beautiful reading experience (with images) for more than just simple RSS subscriptions. You can also use it to keep up with your YouTube channel subscriptions, receive keyword alerts directly from Google Alerts, create collections to organize to make lengthy information easier to get through and even use it to access your company's private business portals.

NewsBlur

What We Like

  • Available for web and mobile.

  • Free plan available.

  • Affordable premium plan.

  • Quality user interface.

What We Don't Like

  • Free plan is limited to 64 sites.

  • Interface can get cluttered.

  • Complicated to customize.

NewsBlur is another popular RSS reader that aims to bring your articles from your favorite sites while maintaining the style of the original site. Easily organize your stories with categories and tags, hide stories you don't like and highlight stories you do like. You can also take a look at some of the third-party apps NewsBlur can be integrated with for even more versatility.

Inoreader

What We Like

  • Easy to use.

  • Effective search feature.

  • Available mobile apps.

  • Automate tagging and organizing.

What We Don't Like

  • Advanced features are not free.

  • Free version has ads.

If you're really stressed for time and need a reader that's built for scanning and consuming information quickly, Inoreader is worth checking out. The mobile apps are designed with visual appeal in mind, so you don't waste your time reading through too much text. You can also use Inoreader to track specific keywords, save web pages for later and even subscribe to specific social feeds.

The Old Reader

What We Like

  • Simple to use.

  • Straightforward interface.

  • Beautiful reader pane.

  • Integrated social sharing.

What We Don't Like

  • No mobile app.

  • Not as customizable as other apps.

  • Limited features.

The Old Reader is another great reader that has a slick and minimal look. It's free to use for up to 100 RSS feeds, and if you decide to connect your Facebook or Google account, you can see if any of your friends are using it too so you can follow them.

G2Reader

What We Like

Best Rss Feed Reader For Mac

  • Free to use.

  • Supports multiple languages.

  • Modern interface.

  • Includes sharing feature.

What We Don't Like

  • Mobile only available for Android.

  • Performance can be slow at times.

Free Rss Feed Reader Downloads

For those who love the minimal luck but also love visual content, G2Reader delivers. Like The Older Reader, you can connect your Facebook or Google account to sign up and start subscribing to feeds. And although there only seems to be an Android app at the moment, the web version is completely responsive so iOS users can get away with simply adding a shortcut to their home screens.

Feeder

What We Like

Mac Rss Reader

  • Recommends feeds by interest.

  • Easy to use.

  • Embedded browser.

  • Folder-based organization.

What We Don't Like

Best Rss Reader

  • Free version includes ads.

  • Free version only updates every 2 hours.

  • Limited features.

Mac Rss Feed

Feeder is an RSS reader that has been praised for its easy reading experience. It also comes in the form of a Google Chrome extension and a Safari extension so you can subscribe and access feeds directly while you're browsing the web. It's also enhanced for mobile with a dedicated iOS app and a responsive web version for Android or Windows Phone users.