FreshRSS vs osmos::feed
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
osmos::feed
Build an RSS reader as a static site with GitHub Actions
| Feature | FreshRSS | osmos::feed |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 16,116 | ★ 989 |
| First released | 2013 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Feedly, Inoreader, Google Reader | Feedly |
What are FreshRSS and osmos::feed?
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
osmos::feed
osmos::feed is a tool that turns a list of feeds into a self-hosted static RSS reader website using GitHub Actions. It requires no server and rebuilds the reader on a schedule.
- Static site RSS reader
- Runs on GitHub Actions
- No server required
FreshRSS vs osmos::feed: key differences
FreshRSS is written in PHP, while osmos::feed is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for FreshRSS versus MIT for osmos::feed. Osmos::feed is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 256 MB for FreshRSS. FreshRSS is the more established project (first released 2013), while osmos::feed arrived in 2021. FreshRSS has the considerably larger community, at 16,116 GitHub stars versus 989. FreshRSS lists first-class Docker deployment; osmos::feed 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 osmos::feed if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 32 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is FreshRSS or osmos::feed 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 osmos::feed free and open-source?
Yes. FreshRSS is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and osmos::feed under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run FreshRSS and osmos::feed with Docker?
FreshRSS: yes. osmos::feed: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, FreshRSS or osmos::feed?
osmos::feed has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for FreshRSS. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.