Feeder vs selfoss
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 | selfoss |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 68 · Good |
| Category | RSS & News Readers | RSS & News Readers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Kotlin | HTML |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,041 | ★ 2,470 |
| First released | 2015 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Feedly | Google Reader, Feedly |
What are Feeder and selfoss?
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
selfoss
selfoss is a multipurpose RSS reader and aggregation web application. It pulls in content from feeds, Twitter, and other sources, presenting them in a clean unified stream.
- Unified content stream
- Mobile-friendly interface
- Plugin sources beyond RSS
Feeder vs selfoss: key differences
Feeder is written in Kotlin, while selfoss is built with HTML. Feeder is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for selfoss. Selfoss is the more established project (first released 2012), while Feeder arrived in 2015. Selfoss 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 selfoss if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.5k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Feeder or selfoss 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 selfoss free and open-source?
Yes. Feeder is licensed under GPL-3.0 and selfoss under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Feeder and selfoss with Docker?
Feeder: check the project docs for container support. selfoss: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Feeder or selfoss?
Feeder has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for selfoss. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.