FreshRSS vs Vienna RSS (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, FreshRSS and Vienna RSS share a 3.0 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on whether you care more about platforms, where FreshRSS grades higher, or ease of use, where Vienna RSS does.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick FreshRSS if
- Fits if you want your feeds on a server you control and will look after it
- Works for households or groups, since one installation serves several users
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you've never set up a web server, because it needs PHP 8.1, a database and you to maintain them
- Not for you if you want an official phone app, as native apps are third-party clients using its API
- Not for you if you want the makers to host it, since hosted instances come from independent providers at their own prices
- Watch out: the README says a few features don't work in a mobile browser
Pick Vienna RSS if
- Fits if you read feeds on a Mac and like a mail-style layout
- Works for people who sync through FreshRSS, Inoreader or BazQux
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows, Linux or a phone, because it's macOS only
- Not for you if you run an older Mac, as 3.11.x needs macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or newer
- Watch out: it has no sync of its own, so syncing needs another service that supports the Open Reader API
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAFreshRSSVery good | 3.0GPAVienna RSSVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and substantial: AGPL software with no paid plan anywhere, in a category whose middle plan is $3.33 a month. All you pay for is the server. Hosted instances exist, but they come from independent providers at their own prices. | AFree under Apache 2.0, with no paid plans listed, against a $2.50 start for the cheaper quarter of reading apps. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with nothing held back, because there is no paid tier to hold it back for. One install even serves several users, so a household can share it. | AThe whole app is free and nothing is held back. |
| Features | BIt covers the whole job: websites, podcasts and video channels, search with saved queries, custom tags, themes and extensions, feeds scraped out of pages with XPath for sites that publish none, instant updates where a source supports WebSub, and OpenID Connect logins. | BDirect feed reading, a mail-style layout, plug-ins, custom display styles and Open Reader API sync. Nothing in the listing is missing for feed reading. |
| Ease of use | DYou host it yourself, which is what pins this down: a web server, PHP 8.1 or newer, a PostgreSQL, SQLite, MariaDB or MySQL database, and then keeping the lot patched. Fine if servers are your hobby, a wall if they aren't. | BNo rating on record. Download it, add feeds and read, with nothing else to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, and the README admits a few features don't work in a mobile browser, but Google Reader and Fever compatible APIs bring in third-party apps on Android, iOS, Linux, macOS and Windows. There's a command-line interface too. | DmacOS only, and 3.11.x needs macOS 10.15 or newer. No iOS, Windows, Android or web version. |
| Best for | running your own RSS reader on your own server | a free RSS reader for the Mac |
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: FreshRSS and Vienna RSS. How we grade
Price against what you get
FreshRSS has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Vienna RSS has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other read-later and bookmark apps on the chart, none scores higher than FreshRSS for less, and none scores higher than Vienna RSS 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
- FreshRSS is self-hostable, according to its own site.
In commonFree planOpen sourceRSS reader
At a glance
| FreshRSS | Vienna RSS | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free software under the GNU AGPL 3 license, installed on your own server. The project has no paid plan; hosted instances come from independent providers. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Made by | FreshRSS community | ViennaRSS Project |
| Price read from | freshrss.org | vienna-rss.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
FreshRSS
- You install and maintain it yourself: it needs a web server, PHP 8.1 or newer and a PostgreSQL, SQLite, MariaDB or MySQL database.
- The project runs no hosted service of its own; public and managed instances come from independent providers with their own prices.
- Reading in a native app depends on third-party clients that connect through the Google Reader or Fever API.
- The README says the web interface works on mobile browsers except for a few features.
Vienna RSS
- It runs on macOS only; no iOS, Windows, Android or web version is listed.
- Releases 3.11.x need macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or newer, per the README.
- Syncing needs a separate service that supports the Open Reader API; Vienna has no sync of its own.
Key features
FreshRSS
- Feeds, podcasts and video channels
- Follows websites, podcasts and video channels in one place, imports and exports OPML, and receives instant updates from sources that support the WebSub standard.
- Web scraping and generated feeds
- Creates feeds for sites that offer none by scraping pages with XPath or reading JSON documents, and can generate new feeds from your own filters.
- Search, saved queries and tags
- Articles can be searched, searches can be saved as queries for quick access, and custom tags organize what you want to keep.
- Multi-user with several login methods
- One installation serves several users and offers an anonymous reading mode, with login by web form, HTTP authentication or OpenID Connect.
- APIs for mobile and desktop apps
- Google Reader and Fever compatible APIs let third-party apps on Android, iOS, Linux, macOS and Windows sync with a FreshRSS server. A command-line interface is included.
- Themes, extensions and sharing
- Themes and extensions from a dedicated repository customize the reader, and selections of articles can be reshared as HTML, RSS or OPML.
Vienna RSS
- Direct feed reading
- Connects straight to the sites you track and reads RSS, Atom and JSON feeds without needing an account.
- Mail-style layout
- Scan article summaries in a list, then open a single article in a simplified browser view for deeper reading.
- Open Reader API sync
- Syncs with cloud services using the Open Reader API. The README lists BazQux, FreshRSS, FeedHQ, Inoreader and The Old Reader as tested.
- Plug-ins
- XML-based plug-ins add menu and toolbar actions, and the vendor says one can be built by editing a property list file.
- Custom display styles
- Articles can be shown in different styles, each an HTML template plus a stylesheet, and new ones can be written.
Plans
FreshRSS
FreshRSS$0
The complete aggregator, self-hosted on a web server with PHP and a PostgreSQL, SQLite, MariaDB or MySQL database.
Vienna RSS
Free$0
The whole app is free and released under the Apache 2.0 license; no paid plans are listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, FreshRSS or Vienna RSS?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both FreshRSS and Vienna RSS are free to use.
Which has a free plan, FreshRSS or Vienna RSS?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both FreshRSS and Vienna RSS have a free plan.
Which platforms do FreshRSS and Vienna RSS run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only FreshRSS lists a web app and only Vienna RSS lists a macOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.