# The Old Reader

> Web-based RSS reader with sharing among friends

The Old Reader is a web-based RSS reader with folders, a list view and keyboard shortcuts. It adds a social layer: readers can follow friends, share posts, and like and comment on what others share. Free accounts are supported by ads, and a Premium subscription removes them and adds full-text search, faster feed refreshes and room for more subscriptions.

- **Category:** Read Later & Bookmarks
- **Made by:** The Old Reader, Inc. (since 2012)
- **Website:** https://www.theoldreader.com
- **Runs on:** Web
- **Facts last checked:** Oct 5, 2026

## Pricing

The Old Reader's current pricing could not be confirmed from its own site.


## Key features

- **Feeds and folders:** Add a feed by entering a site's address, or import an OPML file with its folders intact. Feeds and folders are rearranged by drag and drop.
- **List view and keyboard shortcuts:** A list view collapses posts to their titles so only the interesting ones need opening, and keyboard shortcuts cover navigation.
- **Sharing with friends:** Follow friends to see the posts they share, like posts, and comment on shared items. Shared, liked and commented posts are stored permanently.
- **Send To and bookmarklet:** The Send To button passes a post's title and address to a sharing service you configure, and a bookmarklet adds posts from any site.
- **API for third-party apps:** A Google Reader-style API lets outside apps sync with an account. The apps page lists clients such as Reeder, Vienna, Liferea and FeedMe.
- **Premium extras:** Premium removes ads and adds full-text search, faster feed refreshes, up to 500 subscriptions, a year of post storage and Instapaper integration.

## Good for

- Readers who want a plain web-based feed reader with folders
- Groups of friends who share and comment on the posts they read
- People who pair a web reader with a third-party app such as Reeder

## Worth knowing

- The Premium price is not shown on the public pages; the terms say fees are stated at the time of purchase.
- Free accounts show ads and keep unread posts for up to 2 months, capped at 300 posts per feed.
- Full-text search, faster feed refreshes and Instapaper integration are limited to Premium.
- There are no first-party mobile or desktop apps; the apps page lists third-party clients that use the API.

## Works with

Reeder, Vienna, Liferea, FeedMe, Instapaper

**Tags:** RSS reader, Public API

## Alternatives

- [Inoreader](https://toolgpa.com/tools/inoreader): RSS reader with rules, filters and keyword monitoring. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/inoreader-vs-the-old-reader)
- [Feedly](https://toolgpa.com/tools/feedly): News reader for RSS feeds, with AI filtering on paid plans. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/feedly-vs-the-old-reader)
- [NewsBlur](https://toolgpa.com/tools/newsblur): Open-source RSS reader with trainable story filters. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/newsblur-vs-the-old-reader)
- [Feedbin](https://toolgpa.com/tools/feedbin): Paid RSS reader for feeds, newsletters, podcasts and YouTube. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/feedbin-vs-the-old-reader)
- [BazQux Reader](https://toolgpa.com/tools/bazqux-reader): Paid web RSS reader that shows article comments and full text. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/bazqux-reader-vs-the-old-reader)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 5, 2026:

- https://www.theoldreader.com/en/
- https://www.theoldreader.com/en/tour/
- https://www.theoldreader.com/en/apps/
- https://www.theoldreader.com/en/tos/
- https://theoldreader.com/users/sign_up
- https://theoldreader.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/146275-how-often-are-feeds-updated
- https://theoldreader.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/146276-how-many-posts-per-feed-do-you-store
- https://theoldreader.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/294010-list-of-sharing-service-urls

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/the-old-reader
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).