Feeder vs Miniflux
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted rss & news readers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Miniflux
Minimalist and opinionated RSS feed reader
| Feature | Feeder | Miniflux |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | ≈5-minute setup |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 93 · Excellent |
| Category | RSS & News Readers | RSS & News Readers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Kotlin | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,045 | ★ 9,729 |
| First released | 2015 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Feedly | Feedly, Inoreader |
What are Feeder and Miniflux?
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
Miniflux
Miniflux is a minimalist and opinionated feed reader focused on speed, simplicity, and a distraction-free reading experience. It targets users who want a no-nonsense RSS reader. It is deployed via Docker or a binary.
- Minimal distraction-free reading
- Single-binary deployment
- Compatible APIs for mobile apps
- Keyboard-driven interface
Feeder vs Miniflux: key differences
Feeder is written in Kotlin, while Miniflux is built with Go. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Feeder versus Apache-2.0 for Miniflux. Feeder is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Miniflux. Miniflux has the considerably larger community, at 9,729 GitHub stars versus 3,045. Miniflux 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 Miniflux if…
- Very fast and lightweight
- Easy to deploy
- Clean reading experience
Watch out for
- Requires PostgreSQL
- Intentionally minimal features
Frequently asked questions
Is Feeder or Miniflux better?
Neither is universally better. Miniflux has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Feeder and Miniflux free and open-source?
Yes. Feeder is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Miniflux under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Feeder and Miniflux with Docker?
Feeder: check the project docs for container support. Miniflux: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Feeder or Miniflux?
Feeder has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Miniflux. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.