QuiteRSS vs RSSHub
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted rss & news readers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
RSSHub
Generate RSS feeds for sites that lack them
| Feature | QuiteRSS | RSSHub |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 14 · At risk | 100 · Excellent |
| Category | RSS & News Readers | RSS & News Readers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | C++ | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,090 | ★ 46,308 |
| First released | 2012 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Feedly | Feedly |
What are QuiteRSS and RSSHub?
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
RSSHub
RSSHub is an extensible feed generator that creates RSS feeds for thousands of websites and services that do not provide one. It targets users who want feeds from feedless sites. It is deployed via Docker.
- Feeds for thousands of sources
- Hundreds of community routes
- Pairs with any RSS reader
- Highly extensible
QuiteRSS vs RSSHub: key differences
QuiteRSS is written in C++, while RSSHub is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for QuiteRSS versus MIT for RSSHub. QuiteRSS is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for RSSHub. QuiteRSS is the more established project (first released 2012), while RSSHub arrived in 2018. RSSHub has the considerably larger community, at 46,308 GitHub stars versus 1,090. RSSHub lists first-class Docker deployment; QuiteRSS does not.
Why pick each one
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++
Choose RSSHub if…
- Feeds from feedless sites
- Huge route catalog
- Active community
Watch out for
- Some routes break over time
- Not a reader itself
Frequently asked questions
Is QuiteRSS or RSSHub better?
Neither is universally better. RSSHub has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are QuiteRSS and RSSHub free and open-source?
Yes. QuiteRSS is licensed under GPL-3.0 and RSSHub under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run QuiteRSS and RSSHub with Docker?
QuiteRSS: check the project docs for container support. RSSHub: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, QuiteRSS or RSSHub?
QuiteRSS has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for RSSHub. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.