These days, most people get their daily dose of news from Facebook posts, Twitter, Reddit threads, and more. However, if you don’t want to rely on social media as your only source for news, there are other ways to discover more popular content online.

There was a time when news aggregators and RSS Feeds were more common. These tools still have a place in the digital world despite the rise of social media. Here, we’ll be looking at a few of the best options.

1. Feedly

Feedly content aggregator

Feedly is a smart newsreader that syncs across all your devices. It combines the functionality of a news aggregator along with a powerful reader that features night mode, text-to-speech, and easy sharing functionality. The idea is that you can pick topics you are interested in, and Feedly will curate content for you based on that input.

It uses multiple sources available online, including blog posts, research papers, and even YouTube videos. There’s a lot more you can do with Feedly, such as bookmarking certain articles, connecting your Reddit or Twitter account, and customizing the reader’s appearance.

2. AllTop

AllTop content aggregator

AllTop is more of your traditional news aggregator. It has a homepage that automatically curates content daily from popular sites such as TechCrunch, Reddit, NPR, BBC, and more. It also allows you to sort through specific topics such as Tech, Sports, News, Businesses, etc.

You can also add your own sources, or create a custom RSS feed reader by creating an AllTop page that is catered to you. This can be done by creating a new RSS feed or importing your pre-existing one. All you need to do is sign up and get started.

3. Panda

Panda content aggregator

Much like Feedly, Panda is another smart newsreader. However, while Feedly focuses on the curation part more, this one instead goes a bit deeper on the reading side. For example, you have 9 different layouts to choose from. The idea is that it can replace the home page on your browser of choice.

It focuses more on design and tech-related content but also curates content on topics such as business, finance, and lifestyle. You can also add your own RSS feeds, to create a more specific reading experience. It also features dark mode and allows you to bookmark articles to read later.

4. Pocket

Pocket content aggregator

Pocket is arguably the best read-it-later app out there. It's available on almost any platform, so you can install it on your phone or add it as an extension for your browser. The next time you see an article that seems important, you can save it to Pocket and read it later. All of your saved content is synced across your devices.

The reading functionality is great, as it has a lot of accessibility features such as dark mode, text-to-speech, and different font styles. However, Pocket also learns from the content that you like to read and aggregates similar content from different sources online. This is a separate feature from the reading list and works quite well.

5. Google News

Google News content aggregator

Google News sports a recent design, and boasts some rather handy features. It works the same as any other aggregator, providing up-to-date coverage on topics that you are interested in. However, since Google News has access to your Google account, it already knows what type of news you’re looking for.

There’s a For You section that curates content based on your recent search activity. The Home page now prioritizes local news and personalized content. Finally, all of your saved searches, topics, sources, and stories now appear in the Following section. It is available as a website or as an app for iPhone and Android.

6. Flipboard

Flipboard content aggregator

Flipboard is often compared to Google News simply because they are quite similar. Both are great at aggregating news from different sources, and both allow you to save content to read it later. The difference is in the UI and navigation.

Flipboard functions more like a mini-magazine, and the interface mimics the experience of flipping through one. It’s also a more social app and allows you to create custom boards to share with friends or family.

You can also share your entire profile, so people can see what you’re interested in. Of course, you can also select specific topics that you want daily coverage on.

7. SmartNews

SmartNews content aggregator

SmartNews is a news aggregator website that is also available as an app for Android and iOS. Much like Google News, it prioritizes local content, but the app’s interface gives it a newspaper-like feel. For example, there’s a section that allows you to browse through headlines on any local breaking news.

Interestingly, the app also features a slider that allows you to browse through different perspectives from liberal and conservative news outlets. Apart from that, you can quickly browse through different sources, customize your channels, and save content to read it offline.

8. Techmeme

Techmeme content aggregator

Techmeme is a popular site that aggregates and curates the top technology-related news stories and discussions from across the web. While it uses the usual AI tools to curate this content, the site also has a team of editors that sifts through the content to provide resources that are valuable to people within the tech industry.

Apart from bringing up important articles, the site also links to similar articles covering the same news to provide you with a deeper perspective. It also includes Tweets from various accounts to supplement that information. This one is worth checking out if you are in the tech industry and don’t want the hassle of setting up your own RSS feed.

Use These Tools to Power Your Research and Gain Deeper Insights

While there’s nothing wrong with relying on social media for discovering popular online content, sometimes it's healthy to unplug from all the noise and focus on what matters. These tools provide you with an alternate way of staying informed, without information overload.

Of course, if you are someone who reads a lot and also happens to spend a lot of time on your phone, there are certain apps that might be worth checking out. Apps such as Blinkist and Libby are great examples.