Miniflux 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.
Miniflux
Minimalist and opinionated RSS feed reader
VS
QuiteRSS
Open-source cross-platform RSS and Atom news aggregator
| Feature | Miniflux | QuiteRSS |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | ≈5-minute setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 93 · Excellent | 14 · At risk |
| Category | RSS & News Readers | RSS & News Readers |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 9,729 | ★ 1,090 |
| First released | 2014 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Feedly, Inoreader | Feedly |
What are Miniflux and QuiteRSS?
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
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
Miniflux vs QuiteRSS: key differences
Miniflux is written in Go, while QuiteRSS is built with C++. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Miniflux versus GPL-3.0 for QuiteRSS. QuiteRSS is the more established project (first released 2012), while Miniflux arrived in 2014. Miniflux has the considerably larger community, at 9,729 GitHub stars versus 1,090. Miniflux lists first-class Docker deployment; QuiteRSS does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Miniflux if…
- Very fast and lightweight
- Easy to deploy
- Clean reading experience
Watch out for
- Requires PostgreSQL
- Intentionally minimal features
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 Miniflux or QuiteRSS 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 Miniflux and QuiteRSS free and open-source?
Yes. Miniflux is licensed under Apache-2.0 and QuiteRSS under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Miniflux and QuiteRSS with Docker?
Miniflux: yes. QuiteRSS: check the project docs for container support.