Show HN: A Google Reader-inspired RSS reader

[1bent]

When Google ditched Reader, they told me how to export my OPML, so I did, and vowed to never again depend on a cloud service for something I could do with a local client app. I've moved from one to another over the years. At the moment I'm using Feeder on Android.

Likewise when they dropped Listen for podcasts, currently I'm on Antennapod. If I can get an app from f-droid, I prefer it.

I can live with backing up my OPML files whenever I add a blog or podcast, and having no web server for desktop use or tracking read/unread progress; I just only consume from my primary phone.

[croutonwagon]

I had a similar sentiment. I did briefly use feedly until they started messing with their login screens some time back.

See, I had a local feedly login (with randomized password etc) but they Sussed out it was a google workspace enabled account/domain and would constantly try to redirect me to googles oath.

I moved to miniflux and love it. Easy to manage and super lightweight.

The only “feature” I wish it had was a “mark all items older than 1 day as read”.

You can mark all as read. And you can inverse your sort date and expand how many articles are paginated to mark large swaths as read. But a simple button to do some cleaning if I hadn’t read feeds in a week (and likely wouldn’t care for week old content) would be great.

Still is amazing overall and even that is a nitpick. In fact I donated a bit to the maintainer just this month.

[notRobot]

Antennapod is an amazing podcast player! I'm using it at this very moment while in a long cab ride. Couldn't be happier :)

[Eddy0]

Can you send me opml file, i missed my opml file ,it stuck in my old phone,that is dead

[lionkor]

Definitely +1 for Feeder, it works great

[sp332]

I saw the title and thought "eh, I've seen RSS readers before". But darn if that isn't a comfortable interface to look at.

[imbnwa]

Haven't seen well-though-out information density like this in a minute

[russellbeattie]

I actually saw this submission via Inoreader. It's got everything I want and need in a news reader. Been using it for years now and there's little I'd change about it. Each person has their own preferences, of course, but I recommend it highly.

[snapplebobapple]

I like inoreader too but i dont miss it after switching to freshrss. I was tired of paying them each year. The mobile browser is really good i frshrss, atleast when added to the desktop via bravr in android.

[Euphorbium]

Google reader had to die, so the inoreader could thrive. It is so good.

[roldie]

Another +1 for Inoreader. So many great features

[EvanAnderson]

A shout out for Tiny Tiny RSS[1] for a self-hosted feed reader. I used a heavily modified fork from years ago but the current version looks pretty good.

(I made a couple of really simple contributions back in the day but decided maintaining my own fork was the easy path. The maintainer has a reputation for being a bit prickly to deal with. He wasn't uncivil or anything, but it was clearly his project and that's just fine.)

[1] https://tt-rss.org/

[strunz]

I used to use TT-RSS years ago, but switched to FreshRSS which is much more active and feature full - https://github.com/FreshRSS/FreshRSS

[sys_64738]

When Google killed Reader I stopped trusting them at that point as I realized they'd kill everything to maintain control. I hate GOOG nowadays and hope they become less influential on the internet.

[matthewfcarlson]

Granted, the audience here is a little skewed but I feel like the death of reader generated significant mistrust that I’m not sure google expected.

[xpil]

I was a heavy Google Reader user.

When it disappeared, I switched to NewsBlur.

NewsBlur is great but it lacks one particular feature: an RSS feed for a folder of blogs. (or a category of blogs, potato - potahto)

So I switched to self-hosted FreshRSS.

It has all the features I want (plus, unlike NewsBlur, it's free) but it is Docker-based and I am already like 10 versions behind and I am too lazy/scared to learn how to upgrade it without destroying the Universe.

BoredReading has a fantastic UI and I absolutely love the approach and organization of feeds. Key shortcuts are cool, too.

If there is ever a self-hosted version that I can feed with my own stuff from scratch (ideally via an OPML file), I'd go for it immediately.

[arepublicadoceu]

> but it is Docker-based and I am already like 10 versions behind and I am too lazy/scared to learn how to upgrade it without destroying the Universe.

You should be scared, the other day I messed a completely functioning miniflux docker by upgrading it. It's been so long since I set it all up that I lost the incantation necessary for the setup or the will to look it up, just went ahead and I'm using newsblur again. Sigh.

I'm getting old and loosing the will/patience to selfhost.

[wslh]

What had Google Reader that was amazing and no RSS existing today has is feed history: when you added a blog to Google Reader you could traverse the feed as if you added it from the beginning of the blog (intersection with the born of Google Reader).

BTW, I wrote something along the topic above in an article from 2011 [1].

[1] Extraction of Main Text Content Using the Google Reader NoAPI: http://blog.databigbang.com/extraction-of-main-text-content/

[qbasic_forever]

I forgot that and you're totally right. It was awesome to scroll (and search!) through a feed's entire history. Ugh it makes me so mad Google got rid of all that for nothing.

[voytec]

> no RSS existing today

Some sites are generating feeds with links to all articles, not just newest ones. But mostly smaller, personal blogs.

[dirtyid]

Pretty sure Feedly supports feed history, takes some time to pull archive onto their servers on obscure feeds though.

[1bent]

At the time they shut down Listen, some podcasts (e.g. Car Talk) were closing their back episodes and charging money for them; I figured that's why Google decided to stop the service.

[orcul]

My favorite web based rss reader https://bazqux.com/

[stanislavb]

For those interested in "alternative" RSS Readers, I'd welcome you giving a go to my opinionated RSS (not only) reader - https://lenns.io. It supports tracking articles by headlines in those cases when a blog or a website doesn't support RSS. Plus a few other goodies, like assigning priorities to your feeds (and topics) and limiting the number of posts per source.

Enjoy.

[paulirish]

I'm interested.. but is it possible to show a demo experience so I can get a taste before registering?

[O1111OOO]

One thing I didn't see listed on the home/feature page: ability to send a random article/link you might be reading to a 'read later" folder (like Pocket for Firefox).

It's a feature that naturally fits into RSS and helps keep everything in one place. This would probably require browser extensions for best integration/ease of use.

[AlbertCory]

I'm living with Feedly. Reluctantly. I don't think it's very sticky and I'd happily switch to this thing (which is giving me 504 Gateway Time-out right now) if it's any better.

[CharlesW]

> I'm living with Feedly. Reluctantly.

FYI, there are a bunch of apps that sync with Feedly and that you can use as an alternate front end. NetNewsWire (Mac, iOS) is one example that's worth checking out, but there are many options that cover every OS.

[seba_dos1]

I've been using a self-hosted CommaFeed instance for many many years now and it filled a Google Reader-shaped hole in my reading habits perfectly.

[morsch]

I tried Feedly for a couple of days, then I switched to Feeder and haven't looked back. Zero dependency on any central service, no user accounts, no upsell, no algorithms. I don't need any synchronization features, though apparently Feeder now has that. You're probably on iOS in which case this is no help to you.

On a sidenote, I was shocked to find that basically all sites I read still have RSS feeds.

[Arainach]

What would make an RSS reader sticky? If all you want is an ordered list there aren't many features to keep you attached.

I've been using Feedly since Reader shut down and it's been fine. Every time I want to add a new feed via URL I feel it's needlessly difficult and suspect they may have moved my cheese once again, but for reading the feeds I'm subscribed to it works great.

[suddenclarity]

Do you know how the Android app is now? I'm still on Feedly Classic since they removed a bunch of functionality while trying to push their "own" content. Unfortunately they broke the layout earlier this week so I'm questioning how long it will live on.

[petercooper]

Have a quick look at Feedbin. I've been using it for a few years now and it's the most Reader-ish of the options I've found so far. Feedly is too algorithm-y for me.

[dirtyid]

Stuck in feedly once I started adding notes.

Also very few readers has twitter/reddit support.

[xxdesmus]

Self hosting option? Looks great, but I’d rather avoid a SaaS service if possible.

[khet]

OP here: I'm considering it. Can you email me please? (email in profile)

Would love to figure out a way I can work out a self hosted version for those who want it, given there is enough interest in it. This goes to anyone else who's interested in self hosting, please email me! Thanks!

[butz]

I have a project on my backlog to build "Google Reader" how it might have looked today, but Google is very slow with their Material Design 3 implementation for Web.

[fiddlerwoaroof]

This is cool, but I’m a bit wary of closed source tools like this ever since Google Reader shut down. Is it possible to self-host this?

[khet]

If you could email me, I'm trying to see if self-hosting is doable. Thanks! https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35404958

[billconan]

I like it, but I hope

it can have a shortcut to dismiss a read article.

it has a dark mode.

[flas9sd]

looks very neat, your effort shows. Look forward to feed it with some of my urls.

[gareve]

Hug of Death?

[khet]

OP Here, I think so. Digging into why it's taking so long to load.