CommaFeed vs yarr
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
yarr
Yet another RSS reader as a single binary
| Feature | CommaFeed | yarr |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 89 · Excellent |
| Category | RSS & News Readers | RSS & News Readers |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Java | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker | binary, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,626 | ★ 4,046 |
| First released | 2013 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Feedly, Google Reader | Feedly, Google Reader |
What are CommaFeed and yarr?
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
yarr
yarr is a minimal, self-contained RSS and Atom feed aggregator that runs as a single binary with an embedded web UI. It targets users wanting the simplest possible feed reader. It is deployed as a binary or via Docker.
- Single self-contained binary
- Embedded web interface
- SQLite storage
- Cross-platform
CommaFeed vs yarr: key differences
CommaFeed is written in Java, while yarr is built with Go. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for CommaFeed versus MIT for yarr. Yarr is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for CommaFeed. CommaFeed is the more established project (first released 2013), while yarr arrived in 2020.
Why pick each one
Choose CommaFeed if…
- Familiar classic layout
- Easy to deploy
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Java runtime overhead
- Fewer advanced features
Choose yarr if…
- Extremely simple to run
- Tiny footprint
- No dependencies
Watch out for
- Single-user only
- Minimal feature set
Frequently asked questions
Is CommaFeed or yarr better?
Neither is universally better. yarr has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are CommaFeed and yarr free and open-source?
Yes. CommaFeed is licensed under Apache-2.0 and yarr under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run CommaFeed and yarr with Docker?
CommaFeed: yes. yarr: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, CommaFeed or yarr?
yarr has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for CommaFeed. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.