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The selfoss Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about selfoss 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.

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ToolGPANovember 2026

selfoss

The Insider’s Guide

Self-hosted PHP web app for reading RSS feeds

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among read-later and bookmark apps, read from selfoss’s own pages.

Made by Tobias Zeising · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com

2.0GPA

Contents

  1. 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
  2. 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
  3. 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
  4. 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
  5. 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
  6. 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
  7. 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from selfoss’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on selfoss’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

2.0

GPA, above 0 of the 66 other read-later and bookmark apps we grade

selfoss is an open-source RSS reader and feed aggregator that you upload to your own web server. It gathers feeds and other sources into one stream, with a layout that adapts to phones and tablets. It is free to use.

To get you started, here are 8 things to know about selfoss, taken from its own pages and our grades.

No store rating on record, and it needs a PHP web server, a database, setup and your own updates.
From our grade for ease of use
  1. 1

    Best for a self-hosted RSS reader you run yourself

    selfoss is a free, open-source PHP web app for reading RSS feeds, with plug-in sources, OPML import and export and a JSON API.

  2. 2

    It is free

    selfoss has no paid plan at all. Everything: the software is free and open source; you pay only for your own hosting.

  3. 3

    It runs on Web

    Web.

  4. 4

    Universal aggregator

    Collects feeds, tweets and other posts into a single stream.

  5. 5

    Light install

    A PHP application of around 25 MB that you upload and run, with MySQL, PostgreSQL or SQLite as the database.

  6. 6

    Plug-in sources

    An open plug-in system lets you write your own data connectors, called spouts.

  7. 7

    A 2.0 GPA, above 0 of 66

    That is against the other read-later and bookmark apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.

  8. 8

    Keep it

    selfoss is free, so making your own would save you nothing.

selfoss at a glance

Pricing
Free
Free plan
Yes
Free trial
None stated
Runs on
Web
Made by
Tobias Zeising
Category
Read Later & Bookmarks
Our grade
2.0 GPA, fair

The report card

Best for a self-hosted RSS reader you run yourself

selfoss is a free, open-source PHP web app for reading RSS feeds, with plug-in sources, OPML import and export and a JSON API. There is no hosted version, so you install, configure and update it yourself on a PHP server with a database, and the Android app is third party.

ToolGPA report cardselfossGraded Nov 13, 2026
SubjectGradeComment
Value for moneyCThe software is free, but only if you host it yourself, which needs a server, so it sits at the ordinary C.
Free plan and trialBFree and open source, with no paid plan. You pay only for your own hosting, and there is no hosted version to try.
FeaturesCAggregates 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 useDNo store rating on record, and it needs a PHP web server, a database, setup and your own updates.
Platforms and integrationsCA web app only. The Android app is third party, not from the selfoss project, and no other integrations are listed.
Grade point averageFair, out of 4.02.0

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 selfoss is for

  • Fits if you already run a PHP server and want your feeds on it
  • Works for someone who wants to own their reading data

Who it is not for

  • 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

Good to know

Good for

  • People comfortable running a small PHP application on their own server
  • Readers who want to keep their feed data on hardware they control

Worth knowing

  • 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.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

Free

No paid plan at all

selfoss is free to use.

The software is free, but only if you host it yourself, which needs a server, so it sits at the ordinary C.
From our grade for value for money

  • Self-hosted

    $0

    Download the release and run it on your own PHP server; there is no hosted version.

The free plan

Everything: the software is free and open source; you pay only for your own hosting.

Read from selfoss.aditu.de on Nov 13, 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

Self-hosted PHP web app for reading RSS feeds. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, public API, rSS reader.

Aggregates feeds, takes plug-in sources, imports and exports OPML and has a JSON API.
From our grade for features
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.

Where it runs

  • Web

What it works with

Its own pages name no integrations.

selfoss is made by Tobias Zeising.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

0/66

Other read-later and bookmark apps it is graded above

selfoss's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 0 of the 66 other read-later and bookmark apps we grade, and level with 5.

It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 26 of 66) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).

selfoss has no paid plan.

On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 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 67 read-later and bookmark apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. selfoss’s own letter is outlined.

  • CValue for moneyAbove 10 of 66
  • BFree plan and trialAbove 26 of 66
  • CFeaturesAbove 0 of 66
  • DEase of useAbove 0 of 66
  • CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 of 66

Price against what you get

Each dot is one of 60 read-later and bookmark apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. selfoss is the marked dot.

D1.0C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$1$2$5$10$20More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessselfossReadwiseCuboxRaindrop.ioFlipboardFeedFlow

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.

Keep it

selfoss is free, so making your own would save you nothing.

That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 61 of the 66 other read-later and bookmark apps grade higher.

What you could make

  • RSS reader: an app builder makes this well.

What you could not

  • An API that other software can build on.

What this rests on. selfoss’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

Miniflux, FreshRSS, Tiny Tiny RSS, CommaFeed and Feedbin

The 5 tools selfoss is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

Part 06 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

12

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 selfoss free?

Yes. selfoss is free to use. Everything: the software is free and open source; you pay only for your own hosting.

How much does selfoss cost?

selfoss lists one plan. Self-hosted: $0.

What platforms does selfoss work on?

selfoss is available on Web.

Does selfoss have an Android app?

No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. selfoss is listed for Web.

Does selfoss have an iPhone app?

No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. selfoss is listed for Web.

Is selfoss open source?

Yes. selfoss is open source, according to its own site. It can also be run on a server of your own.

Does selfoss have an API?

Yes. selfoss offers a public API, according to its own site.

Who makes selfoss?

selfoss is made by Tobias Zeising.

What are the alternatives to selfoss?

The closest alternatives to selfoss in our directory are Miniflux, FreshRSS, Tiny Tiny RSS, CommaFeed and Feedbin.

How does selfoss compare with other read-later and bookmark apps?

selfoss's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 0 of the 66 other read-later and bookmark apps we grade, and level with 5.

Is selfoss good value for money?

ToolGPA grades selfoss C for value for money. selfoss has no paid plan.

Could I make my own version of selfoss?

selfoss is free, so making your own would save you nothing. That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 61 of the 66 other read-later and bookmark apps grade higher.

Where this guide comes from

The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from selfoss’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from selfoss's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.

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 Tobias Zeising. Prices change, so check selfoss.aditu.de before you buy.

Part 07 · About

About ToolGPA

Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

7,721

Tools graded, in 95 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.

  • 7,721

    tools graded

  • 95

    categories

  • 739

    price changes on record

  • 579

    apps priced in 12 countries

What else is on toolgpa.com

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, "selfoss: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/selfoss

Know someone choosing between read-later and bookmark apps?

Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/selfoss/guide

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See our other guides

The best-graded read-later and bookmark apps after selfoss, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

ToolGPA

Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.

Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›

Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what selfoss’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. selfoss is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Tobias Zeising. Prices and plans change: check selfoss.aditu.de before you buy.