RSS or Really Simple Syndication is a web feed that keeps you up to date with the latest updates from your favorite websites on the internet. However, to read these feeds, you need what's called an RSS reader.
An RSS reader is a feed curator, which aggregates content from your favorite sources on the internet and organizes it into a digestible feed, so you don't have to visit those sources manually to keep up with what's new.
If you're on Linux, here are our picks for the best RSS feed reader apps you can use to improve your content consumption.
1. Akregator
Akregator is an RSS feed reader based on KDE and comes as a part of their Kontact Suite. It allows you to add feeds from various online sources (websites and blogs) easily. Plus, you can also categorize these sources to keep your feed organized.
Among other features, Akregator also lets you import feeds from your backups via the OPML file format, so you don't have to curate your feed when you switch devices.
Talking about usability, Akregator offers a user-friendly interface, which lets you browse through data sources in your feed quickly and efficiently. The UI constitutes a three-paned view featuring a list of feeds on the left, post entries in the upper right-hand, and the post content in the lower-right pane.
How to Install Akregator
On Ubuntu and Debian-based distros:
sudo apt install akregator
To install Akregator on Arch Linux:
sudo pacman -S akregator
On Fedora, CentOS, and other RHEL-based systems:
sudo dnf install akregator
2. Fluent Reader
Fluent Reader is a cross-platform news aggregator with a modern look and minimal design. It offers a clutter-free reading experience, which allows you to consume content without any distractions. Moreover, you also get a dark mode, should that be your preference.
As for content curation, Fluent Reader lets you sync content from Inoreader, Feedbin, or any other service compatible with Fever or Google Reader API. Plus, you also have the option to import your sources from an OPML file to read locally.
The app includes support for content categorization with groups to help you organize your sources systematically, and you also have the freedom to move them between computers using backup.
Download: Fluent Reader (AppImage)
or
Install via Snap Store by running:
sudo snap install fluent-reader --candidate
3. Raven Reader
Raven Reader is another minimal RSS feed reader with a modern design. It's open-source and doesn't require a login to use, so you can simply curate your feed from various sources, including popular cloud newsreaders like Feedbin and Inoreader, and enjoy them right away.
While the app's minimal UI is a nice touch in itself, it goes even further to strip away all the distracting content within the original articles to offer a better reading experience. Not just that, it also lets you configure a few of its elements, such as the layout, font, and theme, to customize it to suit your preference.
Additionally, Raven Reader offers the ability to group your feeds by category and save your favorite articles to read them when you're offline.
Download: Raven Reader (AppImage)
or
Install it via Snap Store using:
sudo snap install raven-reader
4. Liferea
Liferea is one of the popular feed aggregators for Linux. What's unique about this RSS reader is that not only does it help you curate content from RSS and Atom feeds, but it also lets you aggregate your favorite podcasts, all in one place. Moreover, if required, you get the option to run custom scripts to perform specific actions automatically, as well.
As for the interface, it's pretty basic and intuitive. Similar to other RSS feed readers, Liferea also provides you the option to keep your feed organized using categories. Plus, you can save articles to read them offline.
Besides, Liferea also offers an advanced feature set that includes the ability to save headlines in news bins, match items using search folders, extend reader's functionality using plugins, and perform web scraping on websites that don't offer a feed.
How to Install Liferea
To install Liferea on Ubuntu/Debian:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/apps
sudo apt update
sudo apt install liferea
To install Liferea on Arch Linux, you'll first need to uncomment the extra repository source in the pacman.conf file. Then, run the following commands:
sudo pacman -Syyu
sudo pacman -S liferea
On Fedora and CentOS:
sudo dnf install liferea
5. QuiteRSS
QuiteRSS is another open-source feed reader with support for RSS and Atom feeds. It's one of the more feature-rich and advanced RSS readers for Linux that comes with features such as proxy configuration, ad blocker, and automatic feed cleanup.
In terms of usability, the app is pretty easy to use, and the features on offer are accessible right upfront, which helps you make the most of your feeds. You can import your feeds—even OPML files—using the import assistant without undergoing much hassle. And when required, export them too.
When it comes to organizing your feeds, QuiteRSS gives you the option to star your articles or add labels to them so that it's easier to find them to read again. Among other features, the reader comes with multiple theme options, feed and news filters, an embedded browser, and quick search functionality.
How to Install QuiteRSS
On Ubuntu and Debian:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:quiterss/quiterss
sudo apt update
sudo apt install quiterss
On Arch Linux:
sudo pacman -S quiterss
To install QuiteRSS on Fedora, CentOS, and other RHEL-based distros:
sudo yum install quiterss
6. FeedReader
FeedReader is an RSS feed reader with a sleek look and feel that complements the design of modern Linux distros. It gets you pretty much the entire slate of features you'd get on other RSS readers with a few distinct additional features.
Essentially, you get all the customization options and the flexibility to tweak the reader's appearance as you seem fit, along with essential features such as filters, tagging, and quick search to keep your feed organized and find relevant posts with ease.
Moving to advanced features, FeedReader also lets you curate your favorite podcasts and listen to them from within the app. You can use it to import your feeds from numerous sources (Feedbin, Feedly, Inoreader, Tiny Tiny RSS, etc.) and push your favorite posts from the feed to a read-it-later service like Instapaper or Pocket.
How to Install FeedReader
FeedReader is available as a Flatpak package, and so you can install it using:
flatpak install flathub org.gnome.FeedReader
7. RSS Guard
RSS Guard is another open-source RSS reader that also doubles up as a podcast aggregator. It has a pretty simple UI that offers a quick and easy way to perform various feed operations. Moreover, since it's built using Qt, it fits with the interface of different operating systems.
The reader supports feeds in RSS, Atom, and JSON formats, and you can also use it to sync data with several online RSS services such as Tiny Tiny RSS, Inoreader, Feedly, and more. As for usability, besides using the reader in standard mode with all features, you can also use it in the lightweight version, which offers a text-based viewer.
Besides, RSS Guard provides a few advanced features. To name a few, it has a recycle bin to prevent accidental loss of saved articles, a file downloader to help you download items from your feed, and an advanced network proxy configuration to retrieve content from sites that are difficult to fetch.
Download: RSS Guard (AppImage)
Stay Updated With the Latest Information
Using the RSS feed readers above, you can stay up-to-date with the latest information across different online portals (news, blogs, etc.) on your Linux machine, all within one app. And in turn, stay updated with the latest information across websites quickly and efficiently.
So go ahead, download any of these feed readers to your computer and curate your feed on it with your favorite news and podcast sources to keep up with what's new.
If you're wondering which sources to include in your feed, check out our recommendations for the best new sites you can trust for credible stories.