The The Old Reader Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about The Old Reader 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.
The Old Reader
The Insider’s Guide
Web-based RSS reader with sharing among friends
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among read-later and bookmark apps, read from The Old Reader’s own pages.
Made by The Old Reader, Inc. · checked Oct 5, 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 The Old Reader’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on The Old Reader’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 3 of the 36 other read-later and bookmark apps we grade
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.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about The Old Reader, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No store rating on record, as it has no app of its own, so we go on the listing: there's nothing to set up.
- 1
Best for sharing what you read with friends
Search needs Premium, whose price isn't on any public page, and there are no apps from the maker, only third-party clients.
- 2
There is a free plan
Free accounts show ads and keep up to 2 months of unread posts, capped at 300 posts per feed. Premium removes ads and adds search and up to 500 feeds; its price could not be read.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
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.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
A 2.4 GPA, above 3 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.
- 8
Your call
A read-later list at its plainest is saved links with tags.
The Old Reader at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 14-day Premium trial offered at sign-up
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- The Old Reader, Inc., since 2012
- Category
- Read Later & Bookmarks
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for sharing what you read with friends
The Old Reader is a plain web RSS reader with folders, a list view and a social side: you can follow friends, share posts and comment on them. Free accounts show ads, keep unread posts for 2 months and cap each feed at 300 posts. Search needs Premium, whose price isn't on any public page, and there are no apps from the maker, only third-party clients.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Nobody can tell you what Premium costs. The price isn't on the public pages and the terms say fees are stated at the time of purchase, so it gets the ordinary middle mark we give an unpublished price. What the money buys is no ads, full-text search, faster refreshes and up to 500 feeds. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free accounts work, with ads, and the caps are ones you'll meet: unread posts kept for 2 months only and 300 posts per feed, so a busy feed quietly loses the older items. There's a 14-day Premium trial at sign-up. |
| Features | C | It does the basics and the listing shows where it stops: folders, OPML import, a list view of titles, keyboard shortcuts and a bookmarklet, with no filters, rules or article extraction on record. Full-text search and faster refreshes need Premium. The social side, following, likes and comments, is the unusual bit. |
| Ease of use | B | No store rating on record, as it has no app of its own, so we go on the listing: there's nothing to set up. You sign up, type a site's address or import an OPML file, and drag feeds and folders into the order you want. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | A web app with a Google Reader-style API, and no first-party mobile or desktop apps at all, which is what keeps it off an A. The apps page lists third-party clients like Reeder, Vienna, Liferea and FeedMe that sync with your account. |
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 The Old Reader is for
- Fits if you want a plain web feed reader with folders and not much else
- Works for groups of friends who share and comment on the posts they read
Who it is not for
- Not for you if you want the price before you sign up, as Premium's isn't on the public pages
- Skip it if you want apps from the maker, because the phone and desktop apps are all third-party
- Tight if you stay free and fall behind: ads, unread posts kept 2 months, 300 posts per feed
- Watch out: full-text search, faster refreshes and the Instapaper link are Premium only
- Too light for anyone who needs filters, rules or article extraction, none of which the listing shows
Good to know
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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
The Old Reader's current pricing could not be confirmed from its own site.
We could not confirm The Old Reader’s current prices from its own site, so this guide lists no plans. theoldreader.com has them.
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
Web-based RSS reader with sharing among friends. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, rSS reader.
Full-text search and faster refreshes need Premium.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Reeder
- Vienna
- Liferea
- FeedMe
- Instapaper
The Old Reader is made by The Old Reader, Inc., and has been around since 2012.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
3/36
Other read-later and bookmark apps it is graded above
The Old Reader's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 3 of the 36 other read-later and bookmark apps we grade, and level with 7.
It stands best on ease of use (B, above 15 of 36) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 37 read-later and bookmark apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. The Old Reader’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 6 of 36
- CFree plan and trialAbove 2 of 36
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 36
- BEase of useAbove 15 of 36
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 10 of 36
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 The Old Reader for yourself: rSS reader. What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call.
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, Reeder, Vienna and Liferea among them, and has an API.
- Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
What this rests on. The Old Reader’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
Inoreader, Feedly, NewsBlur, Feedbin and BazQux Reader
The 5 tools The Old Reader is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 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.
- Inoreader also covers read later and highlights.
- 2.6GPA
Feedly
Free plan · from $6.99/mo
News reader for RSS feeds, with AI filtering on paid plans.
- Only Feedly lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Feedly lists a browser extension.
- Feedly also covers read later and highlights.
- 3.0GPA
NewsBlur
Free plan · from $36/yr
Open-source RSS reader with trainable story filters.
- Only NewsBlur lists iOS and Android apps.
- NewsBlur is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- NewsBlur also covers read later.
- 2.4GPA
Feedbin
Free trial · from $7/mo
Paid RSS reader for feeds, newsletters, podcasts and YouTube.
- The Old Reader 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.
- 2.4GPA
BazQux Reader
Free trial · from $30/yr
Paid web RSS reader that shows article comments and full text.
- The Old Reader has a free plan. BazQux Reader does not, though it has a free trial.
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 The Old Reader free?
The Old Reader has a free plan. Free accounts show ads and keep up to 2 months of unread posts, capped at 300 posts per feed.
What platforms does The Old Reader work on?
The Old Reader is available on Web.
Does The Old Reader have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. The Old Reader is listed for Web.
Does The Old Reader have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. The Old Reader is listed for Web.
Is The Old Reader open source?
The Old Reader is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Does The Old Reader have an API?
Yes. The Old Reader offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does The Old Reader integrate with?
The Old Reader's listing names Reeder, Vienna, Liferea, FeedMe and Instapaper.
Does The Old Reader have a free trial?
Yes. 14-day Premium trial offered at sign-up.
Who makes The Old Reader?
The Old Reader is made by The Old Reader, Inc. It dates from 2012.
What are the alternatives to The Old Reader?
The closest alternatives to The Old Reader in our directory are Inoreader, Feedly, NewsBlur, Feedbin and BazQux Reader.
How does The Old Reader compare with other read-later and bookmark apps?
The Old Reader's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 3 of the 36 other read-later and bookmark apps we grade, and level with 7.
Could I make my own version of The Old Reader?
A read-later list at its plainest is saved links with tags. You could make the core of The Old Reader for yourself: rSS reader.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from The Old Reader’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from The Old Reader's own pages on 5 October 2026. Its Premium price is not on its public pages, so the value grade is the one we give when a listing can't say. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-07-03.
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 The Old Reader, Inc. Prices change, so check theoldreader.com before you buy.
- theoldreader.com/en/
- theoldreader.com/en/tour/
- theoldreader.com/en/apps/
- theoldreader.com/en/tos/
- theoldreader.com/users/sign_up
- theoldreader.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/146275-how-often-are-feeds-updated
- theoldreader.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/146276-how-many-posts-per-feed-do-you-store
- theoldreader.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/294010-list-of-sharing-service-urls
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
- The Old Reader, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/the-old-reader
- 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, "The Old Reader: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/the-old-reader
Know someone choosing between read-later and bookmark apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/the-old-reader/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded read-later and bookmark apps after The Old Reader, 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
- Miniflux Insider's GuideMinimalist open-source feed reader, self-hosted or hosted3.2 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 The Old Reader’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. The Old Reader is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by The Old Reader, Inc. Prices and plans change: check theoldreader.com before you buy.