FreshRSS vs QuiteRSS
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted rss & news readers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
FreshRSS
Free, self-hostable RSS feed aggregator
VS
QuiteRSS
Open-source cross-platform RSS and Atom news aggregator
| Feature | FreshRSS | QuiteRSS |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | ≈5-minute setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 95 · Excellent | 14 · At risk |
| Category | RSS & News Readers | RSS & News Readers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 16,126 | ★ 1,090 |
| First released | 2013 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Feedly, Inoreader, Google Reader | Feedly |
What are FreshRSS and QuiteRSS?
FreshRSS
FreshRSS is a free, self-hostable RSS and Atom feed aggregator that is fast, lightweight, and highly customizable. It targets users who want full control over their news reading. It is deployed via Docker or a PHP stack.
- Fast feed aggregation
- Multi-user support
- Mobile app API compatibility
- Extensions and themes
QuiteRSS
QuiteRSS is a free and open-source news aggregator for RSS and Atom feeds. It is cross-platform, includes an ad blocker, and offers a familiar three-pane reading interface.
- Three-pane reading layout
- Built-in ad blocker
- Cross-platform Qt app
FreshRSS vs QuiteRSS: key differences
FreshRSS is written in PHP, while QuiteRSS is built with C++. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for FreshRSS versus GPL-3.0 for QuiteRSS. QuiteRSS is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for FreshRSS. FreshRSS has the considerably larger community, at 16,126 GitHub stars versus 1,090. FreshRSS lists first-class Docker deployment; QuiteRSS does not.
Why pick each one
Choose FreshRSS if…
- Lightweight and fast
- Works with many mobile apps
- Actively maintained
Watch out for
- Requires a database
- Interface is functional, not flashy
Choose QuiteRSS if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
Frequently asked questions
Is FreshRSS or QuiteRSS better?
Neither is universally better. FreshRSS has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are FreshRSS and QuiteRSS free and open-source?
Yes. FreshRSS is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and QuiteRSS under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run FreshRSS and QuiteRSS with Docker?
FreshRSS: yes. QuiteRSS: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, FreshRSS or QuiteRSS?
QuiteRSS has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for FreshRSS. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.