CommaFeed vs selfoss (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CommaFeed grades higher than selfoss: 2.6 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
CommaFeed grades higher on value for money and ease of use. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick CommaFeed if
- Fits if you want a plain web reader and are happy to let a volunteer project host it
- Works for people who run their own server and read through a Fever-compatible phone app
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want an official iPhone or Android app, because there isn't one
- Tight if you rely on the public instance, since its limits aren't spelled out in the README and it's funded by donations
- Not for you if you want to follow newsletters or social accounts, as it reads feeds only
- Watch out: self-hosting means you run and update it yourself, on your own server
Pick selfoss if
- Fits if you already run a PHP server and want your feeds on it
- Works for someone who wants to own their reading data
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you do not want to install and update software yourself
- Skip it if you want a hosted service: there is none
- Watch out: it needs a PHP web server and a database
- Watch out: the Android app is third party, not from the selfoss project
How we grade them
| 2.6GPACommaFeedGood | 2.0GPAselfossFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree on the public instance, with no ads or tracking, and free to self-host under Apache 2.0, so it undercuts the $2.50 that a cheap reading app starts at. | CThe software is free, but only if you host it yourself, which needs a server, so it sits at the ordinary C. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe public instance is free for good and one person could live on it, though the README says it comes with limits compared with self-hosting and doesn't list them itself. | BFree and open source, with no paid plan. You pay only for your own hosting, and there is no hosted version to try. |
| Features | CFour layouts, keyboard shortcuts, auto-read rules, OPML and a REST API. The gaps the listing shows: no mobile app of its own and a public instance with unnamed limits. | CAggregates feeds, takes plug-in sources, imports and exports OPML and has a JSON API. It does the reader job with a light install, but nothing in the listing shows reading extras like search across a library. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. You sign up on the public instance and add feeds, which is quick, but the self-hosted route means Docker or a JVM build. | DNo store rating on record, and it needs a PHP web server, a database, setup and your own updates. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only. Phones use the responsive site or a third-party app through the Fever or Google Reader APIs, and there is no desktop or phone app from the project. | CA web app only. The Android app is third party, not from the selfoss project, and no other integrations are listed. |
| Best for | a free web RSS reader you can host yourself | a self-hosted RSS reader you run yourself |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: CommaFeed and selfoss. How we grade
Price against what you get
CommaFeed has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. selfoss has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
CommaFeed scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other read-later and bookmark apps on the chart, none scores higher than CommaFeed for less, and none scores higher than selfoss for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
At a glance
| CommaFeed | selfoss | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | None | Everything: the software is free and open source; you pay only for your own hosting. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | CommaFeed project | Tobias Zeising |
| Price read from | raw.githubusercontent.com | selfoss.aditu.de |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
CommaFeed
- The public instance has limits compared with self-hosting; the README points to a discussion thread that lists them.
- The public instance is funded by donations, so continued availability depends on them.
- There is no first-party mobile app; phones use the responsive web app or a Fever-compatible app.
selfoss
- There is no hosted service: you install, configure and update it yourself.
- It needs a PHP web server and a database.
- The Android app is third party, not from the selfoss project.
Key features
CommaFeed
- Layouts and themes
- Four layouts, light and dark themes, and a responsive design that the README says works on mobile and desktop.
- Keyboard and rules
- Shortcuts for almost everything, plus user-defined rules that mark matching articles as read automatically.
- Native app support
- Fever and Google Reader APIs let outside mobile apps connect, and a REST API is available.
- Import and export
- Moves subscriptions in and out with OPML, and sends push notifications when new articles are published.
- Customizable
- Custom CSS and JavaScript change the look and behavior, and a separate browser extension is published for it.
selfoss
- Universal aggregator
- Collects feeds, tweets and other posts into a single stream.
- Light install
- A PHP application of around 25 MB that you upload and run, with MySQL, PostgreSQL or SQLite as the database.
- Plug-in sources
- An open plug-in system lets you write your own data connectors, called spouts.
- OPML import and export
- Bring feeds from other readers by importing an OPML file.
- JSON API
- A RESTful JSON API for developers; the site also lists a third-party Android app.
Plans
CommaFeed
Public instance$0
Free hosted instance with no ads or tracking, funded by donations, with a few limits compared with self-hosting.
Self-hosted$0
Apache 2.0 software you run yourself with Docker, a native package or a JVM build; you pay only for your own server.
selfoss
Self-hosted$0
Download the release and run it on your own PHP server; there is no hosted version.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, CommaFeed or selfoss?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both CommaFeed and selfoss are free to use.
Which has a free plan, CommaFeed or selfoss?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both CommaFeed and selfoss have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.