# CommaFeed review (2026): is it any good? > Self-hostable RSS reader inspired by Google Reader Checked Nov 12, 2026 ยท graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA. CommaFeed is an open-source feed reader you can run on your own server, or use on a free public instance run by the project. It offers four layouts, keyboard shortcuts for most actions and rules that mark articles read automatically. Fever and Google Reader APIs let native mobile apps connect to it. - **Category:** Read Later & Bookmarks - **Made by:** CommaFeed project - **Website:** https://www.commafeed.com - **Runs on:** Web - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you want an official iPhone or Android app, because there isn't one. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 12, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 12, 2026, CommaFeed is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** None. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | 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. | Read from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Athou/commafeed/master/README.md on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with CommaFeed before buying. ## Key features - **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. ## Good for - Self-hosters who want a lightweight, Google Reader style web app - People who want a free hosted reader without ads or tracking - Users who read through a third-party mobile app via the Fever API ## Worth knowing - 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.6 out of 4**, graded Nov 12, 2026. CommaFeed is an RSS reader that runs as a web app, either on the project's free public instance or on a server of your own. It has four layouts, keyboard shortcuts and rules that mark articles read for you. But there's no first-party phone app, the public instance has limits the README only points to, and it lives on donations. - **Value for money: A.** Free 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. - **Free plan and trial: B.** The 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. - **Features: C.** Four 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. - **Ease of use: C.** No 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. - **Platforms and integrations: C.** Web 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. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from CommaFeed's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among read-later and bookmark apps - CommaFeed's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 21 of the 52 other read-later and bookmark apps we grade, and level with 6. - It stands best on value for money (A, above 34 of 52) and worst on features (C, above 0). - CommaFeed has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/reading ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** CommaFeed is free, so making your own would save you nothing. - You could make: RSS reader: an app builder makes this well. - You could not: An API that other software can build on. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. **Tags:** RSS reader, Open source, Self-hostable, Keyboard-first, Public API ## Alternatives - [Miniflux](https://toolgpa.com/tools/miniflux): Minimalist open-source feed reader, self-hosted or hosted. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/commafeed-vs-miniflux) - [FreshRSS](https://toolgpa.com/tools/freshrss): Free, self-hosted RSS and Atom feed aggregator. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/commafeed-vs-freshrss) - [Tiny Tiny RSS](https://toolgpa.com/tools/tiny-tiny-rss): Free, self-hosted web feed reader with filters and plugins. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/commafeed-vs-tiny-tiny-rss) - [Feedbin](https://toolgpa.com/tools/feedbin): Paid RSS reader for feeds, newsletters, podcasts and YouTube. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/commafeed-vs-feedbin) - [The Old Reader](https://toolgpa.com/tools/the-old-reader): Web-based RSS reader with sharing among friends. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/commafeed-vs-the-old-reader) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026: - https://www.commafeed.com - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Athou/commafeed/master/README.md - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Athou/commafeed/master/LICENSE Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/commafeed Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).