Feeder vs Fusion
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted rss & news readers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Feeder | Fusion |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 86 · Excellent |
| Category | RSS & News Readers | RSS & News Readers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Kotlin | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,045 | ★ 2,184 |
| First released | 2015 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Feedly | Feedly, Inoreader |
What are Feeder and Fusion?
Feeder
Feeder is an open-source, lightweight RSS and Atom feed reader for Android that works fully offline. It can also synchronize with self-hosted backends and import OPML feed lists.
- Fully offline Android reader
- OPML import and export
- Optional backend sync
Fusion
Fusion is a lightweight, self-hosting-friendly RSS reader with a fast reading workflow, unread tracking, bookmarks, and full-text search. It can extract full article content and deploys as a single binary or Docker container.
- Full-text article extraction
- Unread tracking and bookmarks
- Built-in search
- Single-binary or Docker
Feeder vs Fusion: key differences
Feeder is written in Kotlin, while Fusion is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Feeder versus MIT for Fusion. Feeder is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Fusion. Feeder is the more established project (first released 2015), while Fusion arrived in 2024. Fusion lists first-class Docker deployment; Feeder does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Feeder if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (3k GitHub stars)
- Written in Kotlin
Choose Fusion if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.2k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Feeder or Fusion better?
Neither is universally better. Feeder has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Feeder and Fusion free and open-source?
Yes. Feeder is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Fusion under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Feeder and Fusion with Docker?
Feeder: check the project docs for container support. Fusion: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Feeder or Fusion?
Feeder has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Fusion. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.