# Vienna RSS review (2026): is it any good? > Free open-source RSS and Atom feed reader for macOS Checked Nov 12, 2026 ยท graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA. Vienna is a feed reader for the Mac that reads RSS, Atom and JSON feeds directly from the sites you follow. Its layout is modeled on Apple Mail, with a list of article summaries and a simplified browser view for reading. It can also sync with online feed services that support the Open Reader API. - **Category:** Read Later & Bookmarks - **Made by:** ViennaRSS Project - **Website:** https://www.vienna-rss.com - **Runs on:** macOS - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you use Windows, Linux or a phone, because it's macOS only. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 12, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 12, 2026, Vienna RSS is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** None. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Free | $0 | The whole app is free and released under the Apache 2.0 license; no paid plans are listed. | Read from https://www.vienna-rss.com on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Vienna RSS before buying. ## Key features - **Direct feed reading:** Connects straight to the sites you track and reads RSS, Atom and JSON feeds without needing an account. - **Mail-style layout:** Scan article summaries in a list, then open a single article in a simplified browser view for deeper reading. - **Open Reader API sync:** Syncs with cloud services using the Open Reader API. The README lists BazQux, FreshRSS, FeedHQ, Inoreader and The Old Reader as tested. - **Plug-ins:** XML-based plug-ins add menu and toolbar actions, and the vendor says one can be built by editing a property list file. - **Custom display styles:** Articles can be shown in different styles, each an HTML template plus a stylesheet, and new ones can be written. ## Good for - Mac users who want a free, local feed reader - People who like the Apple Mail layout - Readers who sync through a feed service they already use ## Worth knowing - It runs on macOS only; no iOS, Windows, Android or web version is listed. - Releases 3.11.x need macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or newer, per the README. - Syncing needs a separate service that supports the Open Reader API; Vienna has no sync of its own. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 3.0 out of 4**, graded Nov 12, 2026. Vienna is a free, open-source RSS and Atom reader for macOS with a mail-style layout, plug-ins and sync through the Open Reader API. It runs on macOS only, from Catalina up, and has no sync of its own. If you want it on a phone or Windows, it isn't there. - **Value for money: A.** Free under Apache 2.0, with no paid plans listed, against a $2.50 start for the cheaper quarter of reading apps. - **Free plan and trial: A.** The whole app is free and nothing is held back. - **Features: B.** Direct feed reading, a mail-style layout, plug-ins, custom display styles and Open Reader API sync. Nothing in the listing is missing for feed reading. - **Ease of use: B.** No rating on record. Download it, add feeds and read, with nothing else to set up. - **Platforms and integrations: D.** macOS only, and 3.11.x needs macOS 10.15 or newer. No iOS, Windows, Android or web version. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Vienna'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 - Vienna RSS's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 35 of the 52 other read-later and bookmark apps we grade, and level with 12. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 38 of 52) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0). - Vienna RSS has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 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.** Vienna RSS is free, so making your own would save you nothing. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 35 of the 52 other read-later and bookmark apps we grade. - You could make: RSS reader: an app builder makes this well. - You could not: A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page. - You could not: The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. ## Works with BazQux Reader, FreshRSS, Inoreader, The Old Reader **Tags:** RSS reader, Open source, Keyboard-first ## Alternatives - [NetNewsWire](https://toolgpa.com/tools/netnewswire): Free, open-source RSS reader for Mac, iPhone and iPad. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/netnewswire-vs-vienna-rss) - [Reeder](https://toolgpa.com/tools/reeder): Feed reader for Apple devices with a synced timeline. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/reeder-vs-vienna-rss) - [Newsify](https://toolgpa.com/tools/newsify): RSS reader with a newspaper-style layout for Apple devices and web. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/newsify-vs-vienna-rss) - [News Explorer](https://toolgpa.com/tools/news-explorer): RSS reader with iCloud sync across Apple devices, bought once. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/news-explorer-vs-vienna-rss) - [FreshRSS](https://toolgpa.com/tools/freshrss): Free, self-hosted RSS and Atom feed aggregator. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/freshrss-vs-vienna-rss) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026: - https://www.vienna-rss.com - https://github.com/ViennaRSS/vienna-rss - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ViennaRSS/vienna-rss/master/README.md Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/vienna-rss Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).