CommaFeed vs Coldsweat
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted rss & news readers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
CommaFeed
Google Reader-inspired self-hosted RSS reader
VS
Coldsweat
Web RSS aggregator and reader with a Fever API
| Feature | CommaFeed | Coldsweat |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 5 · At risk |
| Category | RSS & News Readers | RSS & News Readers |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Java | SCSS |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker | bare-metal, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,626 | ★ 146 |
| First released | 2013 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Feedly, Google Reader | Google Reader, Feedly |
What are CommaFeed and Coldsweat?
CommaFeed
CommaFeed is a self-hosted RSS reader inspired by the look and feel of the discontinued Google Reader. It targets users who miss the classic Google Reader experience. It is deployed via Docker.
- Google Reader-style interface
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Multi-user support
- REST API
Coldsweat
Coldsweat is a self-hosted, web-based RSS aggregator and reader designed as a Google Reader replacement. It implements the Fever API so that compatible mobile clients can connect.
- Fever API compatibility
- Works with mobile apps
- Lightweight aggregator
CommaFeed vs Coldsweat: key differences
CommaFeed is written in Java, while Coldsweat is built with SCSS. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for CommaFeed versus MIT for Coldsweat. Coldsweat is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for CommaFeed. CommaFeed has the considerably larger community, at 3,626 GitHub stars versus 146.
Why pick each one
Choose CommaFeed if…
- Familiar classic layout
- Easy to deploy
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Java runtime overhead
- Fewer advanced features
Choose Coldsweat if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in SCSS
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is CommaFeed or Coldsweat better?
CommaFeed is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Coldsweat if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are CommaFeed and Coldsweat free and open-source?
Yes. CommaFeed is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Coldsweat under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run CommaFeed and Coldsweat with Docker?
CommaFeed: yes. Coldsweat: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, CommaFeed or Coldsweat?
Coldsweat has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for CommaFeed. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.