The Miniflux Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Miniflux in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Miniflux
The Insider’s Guide
Minimalist open-source feed reader, self-hosted or hosted
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among read-later and bookmark apps, read from Miniflux’s own pages.
Made by Frédéric Guillot · checked Oct 6, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Miniflux’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Miniflux’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.2
GPA, above 32 of the 36 other read-later and bookmark apps we grade
Miniflux is a minimalist feed reader that runs in the browser and is built around readability, speed and privacy. It can fetch the original article when a feed carries only a summary, strips trackers from content and is driven largely by keyboard shortcuts. The software is free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license for self-hosting, and its developer also sells a hosted version for a flat yearly fee.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Miniflux, taken from its own pages and our grades.
The hosted version has no password reset either.
- 1
Best for a plain, private feed reader for $15 a year
Miniflux is a plain feed reader that strips trackers, fetches full articles from summary-only feeds and is driven mostly from the keyboard.
- 2
Paid plans start at $1.25 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $15 per year (hosted version).
- 3
There is a free plan
The software is free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license when run on your own server. The hosted version has no free plan, only a 15-day trial.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Feed reading
Reads Atom, RSS and JSON Feed, imports and exports OPML, handles podcast, video and image enclosures, and plays YouTube videos inside the reader.
- 6
Original article fetching
When a feed shows only a summary, Miniflux can fetch the original page and extract the article with a local Readability parser. Custom scraper and rewrite rules are supported.
- 7
Privacy protections
Removes pixel trackers and tracking parameters from URLs, proxies media, blocks external JavaScript and sends no referrer. There is no telemetry or advertising.
- 8
A 3.2 GPA, above 32 of 36
That is against the other read-later and bookmark apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Your call
A read-later list at its plainest is saved links with tags.
Miniflux at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $15 per year (hosted version)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 15-day free trial of the hosted version; the account and its data are removed if you do not subscribe
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Frédéric Guillot, since 2013
- Category
- Read Later & Bookmarks
- Our grade
- 3.2 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for a plain, private feed reader for $15 a year
Miniflux is a plain feed reader that strips trackers, fetches full articles from summary-only feeds and is driven mostly from the keyboard. Host it yourself for free with PostgreSQL, or let its developer host it for $15 a year. It has no apps of its own, the hosted version deletes read articles after 30 days and unread ones after 60, and it has no password reset.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | The hosted version is $15 a year, which is $1.25 a month. Reading apps here start at $2.42 a month in the cheapest quarter, so it's under almost every price in the category, and it isn't renewed automatically. Run it on your own server and the software costs nothing. |
| Free plan and trial | A | The whole reader is free and open source under Apache 2.0, with nothing held back for payers. The catch is where you put it: there's no free hosted plan, only a 15-day trial, and that account is removed if you don't subscribe. |
| Features | B | It covers the feed-reading job: RSS, Atom and JSON Feed, OPML in and out, original-article fetching when a feed is summary-only, your own scraper and rewrite rules, tracker stripping, full-text search, regex filters and saving to 25-odd services. No apps of its own, though, and hosted only keeps starred articles. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. The hosted version is sign up and read, but self-hosting means running PostgreSQL, the only database it works with, and either way you lean on a third-party phone app because Miniflux has none. The hosted version has no password reset either. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | A web app with no native apps, which is what keeps it off an A. What it has is the plumbing: a REST API with Go and Python clients, webhooks, Fever and Google Reader compatibility so phone apps can sync, and saving on to Instapaper, Wallabag, Notion and Pinboard. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Miniflux is for
- Fits if you want a plain reader with no ads, tracking or telemetry, driven from the keyboard
- Works for people who'd rather pay $15 a year than look after a server
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want native apps, as it runs in a browser and leans on third-party phone apps
- Not for you if you keep old articles, since the hosted version removes read ones after 30 days and unread after 60
- Too light for you if you want a reader you never administer, because the free route is a PostgreSQL server you run
- Watch out: hosted accounts have no password reset and are deleted 30 days after a subscription lapses
- Watch out: the 15-day hosted trial account is removed if you don't subscribe, and hosted feeds refresh every 1 to 2 hours
Good to know
Good for
- Readers who want a fast, plain RSS reader with no ads or tracking
- Self-hosters comfortable running a server with PostgreSQL
- People who navigate their feeds with keyboard shortcuts
- Anyone looking for a low-cost hosted RSS reader
Worth knowing
- There are no native apps: Miniflux runs in a browser and relies on third-party mobile apps through the Fever or Google Reader API.
- Self-hosting requires PostgreSQL, the only database Miniflux works with.
- On the hosted version, read articles are removed after 30 days and unread ones after 60; only starred articles are kept.
- The hosted version has no password reset feature, and accounts are deleted 30 days after a subscription lapses.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$1.25
A month to start, paid by the year. There is a free plan too
Miniflux has a free plan. Paid plans start at $15 per year (hosted version).
Run it on your own server and the software costs nothing.
Self-hosted
Free
The complete open-source reader on your own server, shipped as a single binary, Debian and RPM packages or a Docker image.
Paid Hosting
$15
per year, not renewed automatically
Run by Miniflux's developer on a server in Finland, with feeds refreshed every 1-2 hours and email support in English or French.
The free plan
The software is free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license when run on your own server. The hosted version has no free plan, only a 15-day trial.
Trying it first
15-day free trial of the hosted version; the account and its data are removed if you do not subscribe
Read from miniflux.app on Oct 6, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Minimalist open-source feed reader, self-hosted or hosted. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, public API, keyboard-first, rSS reader.
No apps of its own, though, and hosted only keeps starred articles.
- Feed reading
- Reads Atom, RSS and JSON Feed, imports and exports OPML, handles podcast, video and image enclosures, and plays YouTube videos inside the reader.
- Original article fetching
- When a feed shows only a summary, Miniflux can fetch the original page and extract the article with a local Readability parser. Custom scraper and rewrite rules are supported.
- Privacy protections
- Removes pixel trackers and tracking parameters from URLs, proxies media, blocks external JavaScript and sends no referrer. There is no telemetry or advertising.
- Keyboard-driven interface
- A minimal, responsive web interface with a wide range of keyboard shortcuts, optional touch gestures, light, dark and system themes, and custom stylesheets.
- Categories, search and filters
- Articles are organized with categories and bookmarks, searched in full text through Postgres, included or excluded by regex filters, and can be shared publicly one at a time.
- Integrations and API
- Saves articles to more than 25 services, sends webhooks, offers a REST API with Go and Python clients, and works with mobile apps that support the Fever or Google Reader API.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Instapaper
- Wallabag
- Readwise Reader
- Notion
- Pinboard
- Linkding
- Linkwarden
- Telegram
Who makes Miniflux
Miniflux is a feed reader developed by Frédéric Guillot and released under the Apache 2.0 licence, free to self-host. The money comes from Miniflux Hosting, a managed version of the same code at $15 a year, and from donations through Liberapay and PayPal.
- Founded
- 2013miniflux.app
- Ownership
- Privately held. Privately held: the hosting page describes Miniflux as a small, independent business rather than a large corporation or a startup backed by venture capitalists, and says it has been operating since 2013.miniflux.app
- Funding
- No funding is announced, and the hosting page says it is not a startup backed by venture capitalists. Income is the $15-a-year hosted subscription, with donations taken through Liberapay and PayPal.miniflux.appminiflux.app
- Team
- No headcount is given; the hosting page calls it a small, independent business where support comes directly from the main developerminiflux.app
- Founders and leaders
- Frédéric Guillot, Developerminiflux.app
- Lately
- Miniflux 2.3.3 · Jul 24, 2026
- Miniflux 2.3.2 · Jun 26, 2026
- Miniflux 2.3.1 · May 29, 2026
- Miniflux 2.3.0 · May 15, 2026
Read on Oct 18, 2026 from the company’s own pages and from news reports. What is not stated there is left out.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
32/36
Other read-later and bookmark apps it is graded above
Miniflux's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 32 of the 36 other read-later and bookmark apps we grade, and level with 4.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 26 of 36) and worst on ease of use (C, above 4).
Its paid plans start at $1.25 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $3 for the category: 1 of the 24 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 37 read-later and bookmark apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Miniflux’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 23 of 36
- AFree plan and trialAbove 26 of 36
- BFeaturesAbove 10 of 36
- CEase of useAbove 4 of 36
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 10 of 36
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 33 read-later and bookmark apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Miniflux is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Your call
A read-later list at its plainest is saved links with tags.
You could make the core of Miniflux for yourself: rSS reader. What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. At $15 a year it costs less than the weekend it would take to replace, which is the argument for keeping it. Miniflux is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- RSS reader: an app builder makes this well.
- It runs in a browser, which is where something home-made would run too.
What you could not
- It plugs into other products, Instapaper, Wallabag and Readwise Reader among them, and has an API.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Miniflux’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
FreshRSS, Tiny Tiny RSS, Feedbin, NewsBlur and Inoreader
The 5 tools Miniflux is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.0GPA
FreshRSS
Free
- 2.8GPA
Tiny Tiny RSS
Free
Free, self-hosted web feed reader with filters and plugins.
- 2.4GPA
Feedbin
Free trial · from $7/mo
Paid RSS reader for feeds, newsletters, podcasts and YouTube.
- Miniflux has a free plan. Feedbin does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Feedbin lists an iOS app.
- Only Feedbin lists a browser extension.
- 3.0GPA
NewsBlur
Free plan · from $36/yr
Open-source RSS reader with trainable story filters.
- Only NewsBlur lists iOS and Android apps.
- NewsBlur also covers read later.
- 3.0GPA
Inoreader
Free plan · from $7.50/mo
RSS reader with rules, filters and keyword monitoring.
- Only Inoreader lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Inoreader lists a browser extension.
- Miniflux is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Miniflux free?
Miniflux has a free plan. The software is free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license when run on your own server.
How much does Miniflux cost?
Miniflux lists 2 plans. Self-hosted: Free.
What platforms does Miniflux work on?
Miniflux is available on Web.
Does Miniflux have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Miniflux is listed for Web.
Does Miniflux have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Miniflux is listed for Web.
Is Miniflux open source?
Yes. Miniflux is open source, according to its own site.
Does Miniflux have an API?
Yes. Miniflux offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Miniflux integrate with?
Miniflux's listing names Instapaper, Wallabag, Readwise Reader, Notion, Pinboard, Linkding, Linkwarden and Telegram.
Does Miniflux have a free trial?
Yes. 15-day free trial of the hosted version; the account and its data are removed if you do not subscribe.
Who makes Miniflux?
Miniflux is made by a company of the same name. Privately held: the hosting page describes Miniflux as a small, independent business rather than a large corporation or a startup backed by venture capitalists, and says it has been operating since 2013.
What are the alternatives to Miniflux?
The closest alternatives to Miniflux in our directory are FreshRSS, Tiny Tiny RSS, Feedbin, NewsBlur and Inoreader.
How does Miniflux compare with other read-later and bookmark apps?
Miniflux's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 32 of the 36 other read-later and bookmark apps we grade, and level with 4.
Is Miniflux good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Miniflux A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $1.25 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $3 for the category: 1 of the 24 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Miniflux?
A read-later list at its plainest is saved links with tags. You could make the core of Miniflux for yourself: rSS reader.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Miniflux’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Miniflux's own pages on 6 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-08-03.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Frédéric Guillot. Prices change, so check miniflux.app before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Miniflux, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/miniflux
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Miniflux: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/miniflux
Know someone choosing between read-later and bookmark apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/miniflux/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded read-later and bookmark apps after Miniflux, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Read Later & Bookmarks Insider's GuideEvery one of the 37 read-later and bookmark apps we grade, compared
- FeedFlow Insider's GuideFree, open-source RSS reader for mobile and desktop3.2 GPA
- Flipboard Insider's GuideFree news aggregator built around topics and shared Magazines3.2 GPA
- Raindrop.io Insider's GuideBookmark manager with collections, tags and highlights3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Miniflux’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Miniflux is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Frédéric Guillot. Prices and plans change: check miniflux.app before you buy.