How to Choose an RSS Reader from ALL-about-RSS

ALL-about-RSS (rss.tips) is a curated directory of RSS-related tools, services, communities, and tutorials. To choose a reader from it, start by deciding two things: which device you read on, and whether you want a hosted service or software you run yourself. The site organizes readers into categories that map directly onto those decisions — Apps, WeChat Mini Apps, Hosted Readers, Self Hosted Readers, RSS Reader in Email System, and Terminal-based / programmable RSS Readers — and uses icons to flag platform support, open-source status, and free web services.

What the directory actually covers

The page is not a ranked review list. Its own description states that any service or tool that functions well and is maintained well can be listed, and that entries are in no particular order. That means the directory is useful for discovery and filtering, not for picking a winner.

Its reader-related sections are:

Filter by platform first

The directory marks platform support with icons, each linking to the relevant store or download page. The platforms covered are:

• Windows
• macOS
• Linux
• iOS / iPadOS
• Android
• Chrome app or extension
• Firefox Add-on
• Greasemonkey

If you read on one device only, filter to that platform's icon and ignore the rest. If you read across phone and desktop, look for entries carrying icons for both — this is faster than reading descriptions, because the icons are the directory's own structured signal.

Decide hosted vs. self-hosted

This is the single biggest fork in the list, and the directory separates it explicitly.

Hosted Readers — the service runs the server. Choose this if you don't want to maintain anything and just want to add feeds and read.

Self Hosted Readers — you run the server. Choose this if you want control over your data, your own domain, or integration with infrastructure you already run. The directory also lists a Server / Backend section and a Free Servers section (including RSSHub, TTRSS, FreshRSS, RSS-Bridge, and Full-Text RSS), which matter mainly if you go the self-hosted route or want to generate feeds that don't exist.

A practical middle path the directory also documents: RSS services powered by utilizing GitHub, Notion, or Obsidian. These let you keep reading inside a platform you already use rather than adopting a separate reader app.

Use the icons as your shortlist criteria

The directory's icon legend encodes the attributes most people filter on:

• Open-source software — icon links to the source repository
• Totally free web service — icon links to the official webpage
• Platform icons — link to download pages or app stores
• Podcast episode, Video/Vlog, AI integrated — flags for entries with those characteristics

So a concrete shortlist procedure is: pick your platform icons, then decide whether the open-source flag matters to you, then check whether the entry is a free web service or something you host. Note that the directory's pricing signal is limited to the presence of the word "subscription" — it does not publish prices, so treat cost as something to verify on each tool's own page.

When the directory is the wrong tool

ALL-about-RSS is a list, not a comparison. It does not rank readers, does not benchmark them, and explicitly does not follow the "Awesome list" curation model. If you already know which reader you want and need setup instructions, go to that project's own documentation. Use rss.tips when you are still at the stage of "what exists for my platform, and which of these do I run myself versus sign up for."

Two adjacent sections help once you've picked: RSS Feed Validator for checking a feed works, and Services that support RSS plus Other Lists that Collect RSS Things if you want to go beyond this one directory.