QuiteRSS vs Tiny Tiny RSS
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted rss & news readers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Tiny Tiny RSS
Web-based news feed reader and aggregator
| Feature | QuiteRSS | Tiny Tiny RSS |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | RSS & News Readers | RSS & News Readers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,090 | ★ 3,000 |
| First released | 2012 | 2005 |
| Replaces | Feedly | Feedly, Google Reader |
What are QuiteRSS and Tiny Tiny RSS?
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
Tiny Tiny RSS
Tiny Tiny RSS is a free and open-source web-based news feed reader and aggregator with powerful filtering and plugins. It targets power users who want a highly configurable RSS reader. It is deployed via Docker.
- Powerful filtering rules
- Plugin ecosystem
- Multi-user support
- Mobile app available
QuiteRSS vs Tiny Tiny RSS: key differences
QuiteRSS is written in C++, while Tiny Tiny RSS is built with PHP. QuiteRSS is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Tiny Tiny RSS. Tiny Tiny RSS is the more established project (first released 2005), while QuiteRSS arrived in 2012. Tiny Tiny RSS has the considerably larger community, at 3,000 GitHub stars versus 1,090. Tiny Tiny RSS 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 Tiny Tiny RSS if…
- Highly configurable
- Mature and stable
- Strong filtering
Watch out for
- Dated interface
- Setup is opinionated
Frequently asked questions
Is QuiteRSS or Tiny Tiny RSS better?
Neither is universally better. Tiny Tiny RSS has the larger community, while QuiteRSS is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are QuiteRSS and Tiny Tiny RSS free and open-source?
Yes. QuiteRSS is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Tiny Tiny RSS under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run QuiteRSS and Tiny Tiny RSS with Docker?
QuiteRSS: check the project docs for container support. Tiny Tiny RSS: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, QuiteRSS or Tiny Tiny RSS?
QuiteRSS has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Tiny Tiny RSS. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.