An unexpected amount of change has disrupted the RSS feed reading market. First Google Reader users got a warning that their service was on the outs (it then closed for good July 1). Then Digg (remember Digg?) out of nowhere launched a minimalist-designed RSS feed reader, with an iPhone app, too, putting a jaunty feather in its cap. And then, shockingly, users of The Old Reader had a scare when that service threatened to kill off any accounts created in the throes of the Google Reader panic, but that service appears to be run now by a new team entirely and reports to be alive and well. It's a lot of upheaval around a "really simple" service.
Finding the right RSS feed reader need not be a source of pain. I've found nine very good services that all offer something different. And there are dozens and dozens more options to explore, not least of which is giving up RSS altogether, which a few people have mentioned to me they're done. Alternatively, you could move to a more magazine-like experience, such as the Flipboard app provides, where content and sources can be curated, cultivated, and recommended to you. But if you want the basic RSS stuff of life, a simple scrolling list of updates from your favorite blogs, news sources, and sites of curiosities delivered to an inbox-like environment, then check out the services listed below.My personal quest for a new RSS feed reader led me to reevaluate what was important. Simplicity and a clean design came out on top. I also spent a long time looking at which readers included tools to help me organize my feeds. I don't use RSS for breaking news, so speed was a little lower on my list.
Support for OPML file uploads, on the other hand, seemed just as important as anything else, as that function is necessary for former Google Reader users to migrate at their own pace.
My colleagues and I at PCMag rigorously tested many alternatives to Google Reader. Two favorites came out on top, which became our Editors' Choices. But depending on what's important to you, a different service could fit your needs better.
The only piece missing is Google Alerts, which I recently learned have been unreliable for the past few weeks and do not appear to be functioning in any other RSS feed reader since Google Reader shut down (we'll have reviews of alternatives to Google Alerts on PCMag soon).
Take a look at these top services and our notes about their pros and cons to see which one will work best for you. And if nothing in this list tickles your fancy, see, "Top Free Picks: RSS Readers."
FEATURED IN THIS ROUNDUP
G2Reader
G2Reader is a simple and cleanly designed Web-based RSS feed reader that supports OPML uploads. Directly after the initial exodus of Google Reader users, G2Reader was a little sluggish, but the team recently upgraded its servers, and as a result, G2Reader is perfectly capable in terms of speed. It has a great feature that lets you enter keywords in the settings so that they appear highlighted any time they show up in your feed content. It's free, and available in multiple languages.
Read the full review ››
Feedly
Feedly does not support OPML files, and that may be it's one black mark because this Web-based feed reader is exceptional by almost every other measure. Feedly recently switched to using a cloud-based method of saving your account data, so it syncs between whichever devices you use to read your RSS content. The tools for organizing your feeds, meaning changing the order and grouping them into folders, are tops. It has a clean design that's customizable (with options to see a list, preview, or expanded entries), and Feedly suggests other content that may be of interest to you.
Read the full review ››
CommaFeed
CommaFeed is the RSS feed reader of choice for DIY folks. It's already one of the best alternatives to Google Reader, and it's getting better. Available as both a Web-based service and open-source project you can build on your own, CommaFeed makes the transition to a new reader relatively easy and painless. You can customize the look and feel of this feed reader with custom CSS. It also includes sharing features. The DIY instructions are a little rough, so don't dive headlong into using CommaFeed without having a little time on your side to troubleshoot.
Read the full review ››
Digg Reader
The brand-new Digg Reader is technically in beta, but it looks very promising. The public beta is free, though Digg's roadmap has on it premium features that will roll out later for a price. This Web-based RSS feed reader includes features that encourage exploration of new content, but it doesn't force you to read them in a magazine-like display, which more traditionalists with RSS feeds may prefer. It provides good ability to customize feed lists and folder organization. And while it sports a clean design and updates pretty quickly, it does not support OPML file uploads. There are some social features included, and some settings are set to public rather than private by default. You can use Digg Reader in the Digg app (for iPhone) , and more native apps are on the development team's radar for later this year.
Read the full review ››
The Old Reader
The Old Reader, built in response to Google Reader's nixing of social features a few years ago, remains among the best RSS feed readers for its simplicity and stability, and certainly the best option for social RSS fiends. You can "follow" other users' feeds and be followed in return. It operates almost identically to Google Reader circa 2010. It supports OPML uploads and is available in more than a dozen languages. The Old Reader does not have any mobile apps just yet. We also experienced some inconsistencies in feed items being marked as read, though it didn't mar the overall experience of the service.
Read the full review ››
Reeder (for Mac)
$4.99
Five-dollar Mac app Reeder brings your RSS feeds to the OS X desktop with a lot of bells and whistles not found in Google Reader. It's customizable and integrates seamlessly with Google Reader, but does not support OPML uploads. It has a free app for iPhone (newly made free, by the way) and one en route for iPad soon. You'll find numerous sharing options and a great search box, but no apps for Windows or Android.
Read the full review ››
Dotdotdot
Part Instapaper, part RSS reader, part ebook reader, Dotdotdot (dotdotdot.me) is an excellent tool for reading long-form articles and stories. This browser-based RSS feed reader also has dedicated apps for iPhone and iPad. It provides distraction-free Web reading, really intended for long-form articles, and lets you read and manage ebooks, too. Users can highlight, tag, and quote text, but Dotdotdot can't search article text, title, or authors. It does not support OPML files.
Read the full review ››
Feedspot
Feedspot is a freemium online RSS feed reader with straightforward implementation and design. It includes a number of ways to share content, both externally and within the service itself, as well as save content to other sources, such as Evernote, Pocket, and Instapaper. Tools for reorganizing feeds, however, don't work well, and some other limitations make Feedspot good but not great.
Read the full review ››
Taptu
Taptu could be a great magazine-like RSS feed reader and news compiler for those who appreciate sexy interface design and mobile apps, but the service has quite a few kinks to iron out. This free, Web-based RSS feed reader really strives to be more like a digital magazine, and it includes plenty of suggested feeds from major media outlets to that end. You'll find plenty of ways to customize feeds, including sorting them into columns (similar to how TweetDeck displays streams in multiple columns). You can't upload OPML files, though, and the tools provided to organize your feeds feel rough around the edges. Taptu is a great feed reader to use if you want to add your social media streams into your RSS reading life, though, as you can stream in content from to your Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks. Taptu has native mobile apps for Android, BlackBerry, and iPhone.
Read the full review ››
Tiny Tiny RSS
Tiny Tiny RSS is a DIY platform for building an RSS feed reader where you are in charge. It has some nice features that were never part of Google Reader, but performance issues take their toll on the experience. Tiny Tiny RSS is not for people looking for simplicity. And it can be painfully slow to load. On the other hand, it gives full control over how your RSS reader looks and feels. And there's an Android app.
Read the full review ››
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