FreshRSS vs RSS-Bridge
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
RSS-Bridge
Generate RSS feeds for websites that lack them
| Feature | FreshRSS | RSS-Bridge |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | ≈5-minute setup | ≈5-minute setup |
| Health score | 95 · Excellent | 83 · Excellent |
| Category | RSS & News Readers | RSS & News Readers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Unlicense |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 16,126 | ★ 9,249 |
| First released | 2013 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Feedly, Inoreader, Google Reader | Feedly |
What are FreshRSS and RSS-Bridge?
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
RSS-Bridge
RSS-Bridge is a PHP project capable of generating RSS and Atom feeds for websites that do not provide them. It includes hundreds of bridges for social networks, news sites, and more.
- Creates feeds for feedless sites
- Hundreds of built-in bridges
- No database required
FreshRSS vs RSS-Bridge: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for FreshRSS versus Unlicense for RSS-Bridge. RSS-Bridge is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for FreshRSS.
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 RSS-Bridge if…
- Released under the Unlicense license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 9.2k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is FreshRSS or RSS-Bridge 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 RSS-Bridge free and open-source?
Yes. FreshRSS is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and RSS-Bridge under Unlicense. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run FreshRSS and RSS-Bridge with Docker?
FreshRSS: yes. RSS-Bridge: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, FreshRSS or RSS-Bridge?
RSS-Bridge 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.