BazQux Reader vs The Old Reader
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
BazQux Reader
Paid web RSS reader that shows article comments and full text
Free trial · from $30/yr
Where they differ
- The Old Reader has a free plan. BazQux Reader does not, though it has a free trial.
In commonWebPublic APIRSS reader
At a glance
| BazQux Reader | The Old Reader | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $30 per year | Not published |
| Free plan | None | Free accounts show ads and keep up to 2 months of unread posts, capped at 300 posts per feed. Premium removes ads and adds search and up to 500 feeds; its price could not be read. |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial | 14-day Premium trial offered at sign-up |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Vladimir Shabanov | The Old Reader, Inc. |
| Price read from | bazqux.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
BazQux Reader
- Readers who want article comments next to the articles
- People following Facebook, Telegram or VK pages alongside blogs
- Users of clients such as Reeder or NetNewsWire who need a sync service
The Old Reader
- Readers who want a plain web-based feed reader with folders
- Groups of friends who share and comment on the posts they read
- People who pair a web reader with a third-party app such as Reeder
Worth knowing
BazQux Reader
- There is no free plan: the FAQ says free accounts will not be added, and only paying and trial users have their feeds updated.
- BazQux offers desktop and mobile web interfaces but no apps of its own; apps and offline reading come from third-party clients.
- An account can hold up to 3,000 feeds, and each feed keeps at most 500 articles, read and unread together.
- The service is a one-person project, and VAT or GST may be added to the listed price depending on country.
The Old Reader
- The Premium price is not shown on the public pages; the terms say fees are stated at the time of purchase.
- Free accounts show ads and keep unread posts for up to 2 months, capped at 300 posts per feed.
- Full-text search, faster feed refreshes and Instapaper integration are limited to Premium.
- There are no first-party mobile or desktop apps; the apps page lists third-party clients that use the API.
Key features
BazQux Reader
- Comments inside the reader
- Article comments are shown in the reader itself, and new comments can be followed in the same way as new articles, so there is no need to open the site to check them.
- Social pages as feeds
- Facebook, Telegram and VK pages can be followed by entering the page URL, and they then sit alongside ordinary websites and blogs.
- Full-text articles
- Truncated articles and linked pages can be expanded to their full content inside the reader, and summary-only feeds can be converted to full-text ones.
- Filters and smart streams
- Filters hide unwanted articles and smart streams collect the ones to watch, with up to 500 of the two combined. Search covers feeds and tagged articles.
- View modes, themes and typography
- Each feed can use a list, mosaic, magazine or expanded view, and feeds with different views can be read together in a mixed view. Colors, fonts and layout are adjustable.
- Google Reader and Fever APIs
- Third-party apps connect through Google Reader compatible and Fever APIs. The apps page lists clients such as Reeder, NetNewsWire, Fiery Feeds and FeedMe, which also provide offline reading.
The Old Reader
- Feeds and folders
- Add a feed by entering a site's address, or import an OPML file with its folders intact. Feeds and folders are rearranged by drag and drop.
- List view and keyboard shortcuts
- A list view collapses posts to their titles so only the interesting ones need opening, and keyboard shortcuts cover navigation.
- Sharing with friends
- Follow friends to see the posts they share, like posts, and comment on shared items. Shared, liked and commented posts are stored permanently.
- Send To and bookmarklet
- The Send To button passes a post's title and address to a sharing service you configure, and a bookmarklet adds posts from any site.
- API for third-party apps
- A Google Reader-style API lets outside apps sync with an account. The apps page lists clients such as Reeder, Vienna, Liferea and FeedMe.
- Premium extras
- Premium removes ads and adds full-text search, faster feed refreshes, up to 500 subscriptions, a year of post storage and Instapaper integration.
Plans
BazQux Reader
Annual$30
per year
The full service: up to 3,000 feeds, filters and smart streams, full-text articles and API access. VAT or GST may be added depending on country.
Annual, supporter price$50
per year
Identical to the $30 option. The FAQ describes the higher price as a way to give the developer more support.
Lifetime$249
one-time payment
A lifetime subscription to the same service for a single payment.
The Old Reader
Pricing could not be confirmed. See theoldreader.com.
Ways to pay less
BazQux Reader
- Lifetime license
Lifetime subscription for $249
The FAQ lists a one-time $249 lifetime subscription as an alternative to paying $30 or $50 a year.
The Old Reader
No public discounts listed.
