News sites and blogs are always updated information every hour. If you are not using an RSS feed to consume this content, you are definitely doing something wrong. Sure, dedicated apps from media organizations are fine, but what if you’re only interested in markets, business, sports, or a combination of a few topics?
So instead of opening multiple tabs or keeping a handful of news apps, RSS feeds from multiple sources let you enjoy content in one app.
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds mainly retrieve title, photo, and text (sometimes the full article) and allow you to read them without distraction. So you can keep up with the latest updates from your favorite blogs and websites in one place instead of having to visit multiple sites on your Mac.
Here is a compilation of the 5 best RSS news reader apps that we have found extremely useful.
Note: We used these apps on the public beta of macOS 11 Big Sur and they worked without any issues. The screenshots were captured with macOS in dark mode.
1. NetNewsWire
NetNewsWire is a free, open source RSS reader application, and it would be really weird if you haven’t heard of it. The recent version of the app offers a fast and reliable reading experience for RSS news. RSS feed enthusiasts can link their Feedbin account, which comes with a paid subscription.
And Feedly users can also sync their read items across all devices. It comes with a handful of sources, and you can always import the OPML file from elsewhere.
Its two-column, single-pane interface will remind you of apps like MS Outlook. The same will be true for most of the applications on this list. Using many keyboard shortcuts with the mind blowing experience is fun. The same goes for a host of powerful customizations and searches. The only place this app falls short is the ability to share a few things. So if you are looking for an open source application that you later customize to your liking, NetNewsWire ticks most of the right boxes.
2. Reeder 5
The newly updated Reeder 5 features one of the finest interfaces of any RSS reader available. IPhone users will love the new iCloud sync feature for use with their Macs.
Note: The screenshot is from Reeder 4 and it was taken before Reeder 5 was released.
Previously, major updates would take a while, and you should thank yourself for that. Developers are proactively rolling out app updates immediately after the new iOS version is released.
Read Later and Mark As Read on scrolling will be extremely handy for prolific readers who prefer RSS feeds for news consumption. And it only gets better with a bunch of third-party service support like Feedbin, Feedly, FeedHQ, NewsBlur, Instapaper, Pocket, and more. Of course, you can still import the OPML file from other services. If you like the refined interface and animations, you will have to purchase Reeder 5 from the Mac Store for $ 9.99
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3. ReadKit
ReadKit is a perfect and handy newsreader app with support for multiple Read it later services like Instapaper, Readability, and Pocket. Each of these services can really help you organize long or other content that you want to read later with peace of mind. You can also feature them.
The Smart Folder option allows you to manage and organize your feed subscriptions into meaningful topics and categories. For example, I sorted mine into Android, Apple, Gaming, etc. Wondering how to add your feed collection? Well, ReadKit supports a plethora of RSS feed subscription services like Feedly, Feedbin, NewsBlur, Feed Wrangler, and even Fever.
Okay, I saved the best for the last one – Focus & Seek Mode (Self-explanatory). Focus mode hides all columns with folders and turns the window into full screen for reading the article. ReadKit is available for $ 9.99 on the Mac App Store.
4. News explorer
One of the strengths of the News Explorer app is that it supports syncing content from RSS, Atom, JSON, and even Twitter feeds. On top of that, it also supports podcast RSS feeds so you don’t miss out on your favorite podcast episodes.
That’s why News Explorer is my go-to RSS reader for catching up with podcasts as I read and scroll through multiple feeds from different sources. While it offers most of the view customization and source management features, there is one more reason to prefer News Explorer.
The app costs $ 9.99 if you want to buy it from the Mac App Store. However, if you buy the SetApp monthly subscription for the same amount, you get News Explorer and several other paid apps for free, all included in the subscription amount. I think it’s a pretty good deal if you just want to try out multiple paid apps for a month and then continue with the subscription if you want. So this app is best suited for people looking for that value for money quotient with paid Mac apps.
5. Feedly
The Feedly app looks like a wrapped in a browser version of its online app, but for Macs. So why is he on this list? Well if the above four apps can’t convince you, Feedly is the best option to start.
It offers several popular RSS feeds categorized by topics: tech, startup, business, sports, health, etc. You therefore choose the category that interests you and then select the sources that offer RSS feeds.
While the free version should work for most users, the Feedly Pro for $ 6 per month bundles more feed sources, lets you share on social media, copy content to note-taking apps, and more. . The Pro + plan costs $ 8.25 per month includes Leo, an AI powered digital assistant, tweaks and pruning your collection to remove duplicates, categorizes updates by topics, adds mute filters, sums it up, and more.
To read or not
After stopping Google Reader I moved the OPML file from the RSS feeds to Feedly which really helped to subscribe to a lot of similar sources and get rid of overlapping or infrequent ones. As a recovering RSS reader fan, I now prefer the ones with the Read It Later services built in.
Most of the other apps on this list support a Feedly account. So moving your lists and organized sections from Feedly to another app will be a snap. Meanwhile, I cry out to Netscape for offering the world RSS to handle the information overload. So which RSS feed readers are you using on your Mac, iPhone, Android, or Windows PC?
Then:
Want to try some of the best RSS readers on your Windows PC? Click the following link to check out our 5 best RSS reader apps for Windows 10.
Last updated on Oct 29, 2020
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