Free Feedly Alternatives: 7 Options Compared (2026)
Looking for a free Feedly alternative? All seven below are free to start: NetNewsWire and Fluent Reader are free, open-source RSS apps, Miniflux is free if you host it yourself, Inoreader and NewsBlur have free plans, and Reeder is a free download with a paid subscription. The seventh, Trace, is not an RSS reader: it is a free, open-source tech and AI news brief that groups each story once, however many outlets cover it, and can email it to you each morning.
Why Look for Feedly Alternatives?
Feedly is one of the most widely used RSS readers, and its free plan is enough for many people. The usual reasons to look elsewhere:
- The free plan stops at 100 sources and 3 folders
- Search is a paid feature
- The AI assistant, Leo, is only on the Pro+ plan
- Each outlet's version of the same story shows up separately
If you want more on a free plan, open-source software, or a summary instead of a feed, one of these should fit.
Quick Comparison Table
| App | Price | Best For | AI Summaries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trace | Free | Quick Catch-Up | ✓ Free, one per story |
| Inoreader | Free / €6.67/mo | Power Users | ✓ (Pro) |
| NewsBlur | Free / $36/year | Open Source Fans | ✓ (Archive plan) |
| Miniflux | Free (Self-hosted) | Self-Hosters | ✗ |
| Reeder | Free / $14.99/year | Apple Users | ✗ |
| NetNewsWire | Free | Mac/iOS Users | ✗ |
| Fluent Reader | Free | Desktop Users | ✗ |
1. Trace — Best Feedly Alternative for Quick Catch-Up
Price: Free
If you mostly use Feedly to keep up with tech and AI news and are tired of maintaining feeds, Trace takes a different approach. It reads 100+ sources for you and groups each story once, however many outlets cover it, with a short summary and links to every source. It does not import OPML or follow your own feeds, so it replaces Feedly only if a ranked brief suits you better than every post from your own list.
- No setup required: pick a few topics, or just open the brief
- Each story grouped once across 100+ sources, with a summary
- Optional daily email around 8:30am UK time
- Free for everyone, open source
Catch up on AI in 5 minutes — skip X and LinkedIn
Skip the RSS setup. Trace already reads 100+ tech sources and hands you one ranked briefing — model releases, company news, and what actually changed.
2. Inoreader — Best for Power Users
Price: Free tier | Pro from €6.67/month
Inoreader is like Feedly but with more advanced filtering and rules. It's the best Feedly alternative for power users who want fine-grained control.
- Advanced filtering rules
- Newsletter feeds
- AI summaries (Pro)
- Power-user features
3. NewsBlur — Best Open Source Option
Price: Free (64 sites, or self-hosted) | Premium $36/year | Premium Archive $99/year
NewsBlur is open source under the MIT license and can be self-hosted. The hosted free plan follows up to 64 sites, and the Premium Archive plan adds a full archive, Ask AI and a daily briefing. A good fit for privacy-conscious readers.
4. Miniflux — Best for Self-Hosters
Price: Free (self-hosted)
Miniflux is a minimalist RSS reader you can self-host. It's the best Feedly alternative for developers who want full control.
5. Reeder — Best for Apple Users
Price: Free download | subscription $1.99/month or $14.99/year (US App Store)
Reeder is a carefully designed reader for iPhone, iPad and Mac. The current app moved to a subscription in 2024; the older one-time-purchase version is still sold separately as Reeder Classic. A good fit if you are deep in the Apple ecosystem.
6. NetNewsWire — Best Free Mac/iOS Option
Price: Free
NetNewsWire is free, fast, and open source. It's the best free Feedly alternative for Mac and iOS users.
7. Fluent Reader — Best Desktop Option
Price: Free
Fluent Reader is a free, open-source desktop RSS reader for Windows and macOS with a clean interface. It is free to download from its GitHub releases. A good fit if you read on a desktop.
The Bottom Line
If you want the simplest Feedly alternative with AI summaries, try Trace's daily AI briefing (or start from the homepage). If you want power-user features, try Inoreader. If you want open source, try NewsBlur.
The best RSS reader is the one you actually use. Try a few and see what sticks.