CommaFeed vs Stringer
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
Stringer
Anti-social, self-hosted RSS reader
| Feature | CommaFeed | Stringer |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 86 · Excellent |
| Category | RSS & News Readers | RSS & News Readers |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Java | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,626 | ★ 4,133 |
| First released | 2013 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Feedly, Google Reader | Feedly, Google Reader |
What are CommaFeed and Stringer?
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
Stringer
Stringer is a self-hosted, anti-social RSS reader with no external dependencies on third-party services. It targets users who want a private, no-frills feed reader. It is deployed via a Ruby stack or Docker.
- No third-party dependencies
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Simple unread-focused view
- Self-contained
CommaFeed vs Stringer: key differences
CommaFeed is written in Java, while Stringer is built with Ruby. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for CommaFeed versus MIT for Stringer.
Why pick each one
Choose CommaFeed if…
- Familiar classic layout
- Easy to deploy
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Java runtime overhead
- Fewer advanced features
Choose Stringer if…
- Private and minimal
- Easy reading flow
- No external services
Watch out for
- Slow development
- Basic feature set
Frequently asked questions
Is CommaFeed or Stringer better?
Neither is universally better. Stringer has the larger community, while CommaFeed is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are CommaFeed and Stringer free and open-source?
Yes. CommaFeed is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Stringer under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run CommaFeed and Stringer with Docker?
CommaFeed: yes. Stringer: yes.