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Google Reader Alternatives

Contents

  • Google Reader Alternatives
    • How I used Google Reader
    • Web Services
      • The Old Reader
      • BazQux Reader
      • Bloglovin'
      • Good Noows
      • Bloglines
    • Host yourself
      • Selfoss
      • Tiny Tiny RSS
    • Tried, but no alternative
    • More alternatives
    • A short survey

On July 1, 2013, Google will retire Google Reader (source). A first step should be to save your data (especially your subscriptions). You can do that with Google Takeout. You could also sign a petition against closing Google Reader, but I doubt that this will have any effect. Currently, 106,712 people support this petition, though.

How I used Google Reader

Most important for me was the Chrome plugin:

  • Google Reader in Chrome - Icon indicates number of new items
  • Google Reader in Chrome - Show all new items

The website offered a nice, clean way to administrate my 109 Feeds. Last (and least) the Android App. I don't have my smartphone long enough to really use this app, but it is one of 10 Apps I've currently installed.

  • Google Reader Website
  • Google Reader Android App

Now, I am interested in alternatives. They should

  • allow me to import my subscriptions,
  • have a Google Chrome Extension (in Chrome Web Store)
  • have an Android App (in Android Market)
  • have export options
  • sync my feeds, as I would like to read my feeds on several computers and my smartphone
  • allow me to login via Google OpenID

Web Services

The Old Reader

The Old Reader is a web service that wants to provide the same service as Google did before.

The Old Reader
The Old Reader

Looks pretty good, doesn't it? But it currently displays the message "There are 27283 users in the import queue ahead of you."

BazQux Reader

BazQux Reader seemed to be a real alternative. It allowed me to sign in with Google, import my subscriptions and it looked familiar:

BazQux Reader
BazQux Reader

Another point for BazQux: It supports OPML-Export (Click on the icon at the top right corner → Subscriptions → Export OPML)

But now the drawbacks:

  • 9 $/year
  • no Chrome plugin
  • no Android App

Bloglovin'

Bloglovin sends you emails with your feeds. Those emails don't have an unsubscribe link.

Bloglovin' is another WebService that looks very nice and is free, seems to be a real alternative. While importing my subscriptions, I got a 504 Gateway Time-out, but it imported my feeds anyway.

bloglovin
bloglovin

The service seems to be free, they have an Android App and an iPhone App, but no Google Chrome App and I can't sign in with Google.

Bloglovin' does not provide an export function.

Good Noows

It seems to get better. Good Noows lets me sign in with Google, offers an import function and has a Chrome App. I seems to be free.

Good Noows
Good Noows

However, it has no Android App and seems not to support export.

Bloglines

Bloglines offers an export function! I can't login with Google, but I can import my 109 Feeds.

It looks like this: bloglines

It has no Chrome App and the Android App is possibly not official.

Host yourself

Selfoss

Selfoss gives you the possibility to host your RSS-Aggregator by yourself. It looks quite good, requires only PHP 5.3 and MySQL and mobiles are supported.

Screenshot of selfoss
Screenshot of selfoss
  • Selfoss: GitHub, Download

Tiny Tiny RSS

TT-RSS allows you to host a service similar to Google Reader. This could be an interesting alternative, but currently the demo page is disabled. I'm waiting for reviews of this one.

  • Tiny Tiny RSS: GitHub, Issue Tracker, Download, Demo
  • Android Client: Market

Tried, but no alternative

  • Pulse: Where can I add RSS-Feeds in this service?
  • FeedAFever: Why should I pay for this, when there are free services?
  • Feedly: What is this? Is it a Web service? Is it a standalone software? Do I have to host it myself?
  • Hivemined: Not ready yet
  • NewsBlur: I could not sign in.
  • Rolio.com: No import

More alternatives

Here is an article that lists lots of alternatives.

A short survey

I'm interested in your experiences. Would you please participate in this five minute survey?


Published

Mär 15, 2013
by Martin Thoma

Category

The Web

Tags

  • Google 9
  • RSS 2

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