FreshRSS review: a feed reader on your server

FreshRSS is a free, self-hosted RSS reader. It collects new posts from the websites you choose and shows them in one list, on a server you control. It is for anyone who would rather keep that reading list in their own database than in an account at a company. You read it in a browser, or in a phone app that connects to your copy.

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

What it is: A self-hosted RSS and Atom reader you open in a web browser.¹

Works on: A server with PHP 8.2 or newer and SQLite, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, or MySQL. Browsers include phones. Separate apps connect from Android, iPhone, Linux, Windows, and macOS.²

Price: Free. You supply the server, or use a host the project lists.¹²

Licence: GNU AGPL version 3.¹²

Best for: One private reading list for many websites, on a server you control.

Official site: freshrss.org

What FreshRSS does (and how it protects your privacy)

Many sites publish an RSS or Atom feed, a simple file of their latest posts. FreshRSS reads those feeds. You follow websites, podcasts, and video channels in one place, and you can read the articles inside FreshRSS.¹ The project’s site asks “Wonder about your data?” and tells you to download the code and install it on your server.¹

Articles sit in a database you choose: SQLite, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, or MySQL.² The data folder holds all personal data, so only the public p folder should be on the web. The other folders contain personal and sensitive data.²⁴ FreshRSS fetches feeds with requests that start on your server.⁷ The site sees that request coming from the server. You can mark an article as a favourite in that same copy.⁶

One copy can have several users, so a household can share the server and keep separate lists. There is also an anonymous reading mode.² WebSub lets compatible sites, such as WordPress, push a new post as soon as it is published.² Logs stay on the server, and you can open them from the interface.²

Key features of FreshRSS

One reading list for websites, podcasts, and video channels, read inside FreshRSS.¹
Favourites and search, including searches you can save and run again.¹⁶
Custom tags, plus separate accounts for friends or family on one server.²⁶
OPML import and export, so you can move a list of feeds in a common file format.¹
Feeds from ordinary pages. If a site has no feed, FreshRSS can scrape one with XPath (a way to point at part of a page), and it can read JSON.²
WebSub lets compatible sites push new items instead of waiting for the next check.¹
Phones and other apps. The site fits a small screen. Apps for Android, iPhone, Linux, Windows, and macOS connect through an API, a door those apps use to fetch your list.²⁵
Themes, extensions, and translations in 20 or more languages.²⁶

Pros and cons

Pros

Free software under the GNU AGPL version 3, so you can run it yourself.¹
Subscriptions and stored articles stay in the database on your server.²
OPML import and export let you leave with your feed list.¹
The website works on a phone, and apps are listed for Android, iPhone, and desktops.⁵
A household can share one installation, with a login for each person.⁶

Cons

You need a web server. The install guide starts by setting one up if the computer does not already have one.⁴
A manual install needs PHP 8.2 or newer and a database. Apache is recommended; nginx and lighttpd are also listed.²
The site works on mobile except for a few features.²
The slower release channel is more stable, but fixes are not copied back, so it has less security.²
The Fever API, one of the two app connections, is more limited, less efficient, and less safe.²
With no login, anyone who can open the site could change it as an administrator. The documentation says not to use that option outside your home network.⁷

Is FreshRSS safe and private?

You run FreshRSS yourself. If you wonder where the data goes, the project tells you to install the code on your server.¹ Articles sit in your database, and personal files sit in the data folder, which should not be published on the web.²⁴ Sign-in can be a web form (it needs JavaScript), HTTP authentication from the web server, or OpenID Connect, a login shared with an account you already have.²⁷ The project says that turning authentication off is dangerous outside your home network.⁷

FreshRSS can fetch a feed on your own network as well as on the public web. It blocks requests to internal addresses by default. On a shared server, the guide suggests a firewall, and it says not to expose FreshRSS on the open internet unless you trust every user.⁷ Phone apps use a separate API password. It may be used in less safe places than your main password, and it opens less of the account.⁵ Prefer the Google Reader API. The project calls the Fever API less safe.²

The numbered release is 1.30.4, published on 21 October 2026.⁹ The project calls it a security release and recommends the edge channel for faster fixes.³ The code and the AGPL licence are in the project’s GitHub repository, which also publishes the releases.²³

How to get started with FreshRSS

For a first look, open the official demo at demo.freshrss.org with the username demo and the password demodemo.⁶ That copy is public, so keep personal feeds off it.
For your own copy, use a web server, PHP 8.2 or newer, and SQLite, PostgreSQL 10+, MariaDB 10.6+, or MySQL 8.0+. Apache 2.4 or newer is recommended.²
Download the latest zip. Use the latest branch for the numbered release, or edge for security fixes sooner.²³
Put the files on the server, give the web server user write access to the data folder, and publish only the p folder.²⁴
Open the address in your browser and finish the setup screen: database, username, and password.⁴ The ordinary web form needs nothing beyond that.⁷
Add a feed by hand, import an OPML or JSON file, or use the bookmarklet. Then pick the normal view, the global view, or the reader view.⁸
On a phone, use the website.⁵ For an app, turn on “Allow API access”, set an API password, and connect with the Google Reader API.²⁵

Who should use FreshRSS (and who might prefer something else)

FreshRSS suits someone with a small server, a home computer that stays on, or a host, who wants one list for blogs, news, and podcasts. A household can share it, with a login for each person.⁶ To keep one article rather than a whole feed, wallabag saves pages for later. FreshRSS can pass a link on to another service.⁶

For a smaller self-hosted reader, Miniflux follows feeds on a server you run. With no server, and only an Android phone, Feeder keeps the feeds on the device.

Frequently asked questions

Is FreshRSS free?

Yes. It is free software under the GNU AGPL version 3.¹ You still need a computer to run it, or a host from the list the project publishes.²

Is FreshRSS safe for private reading?

Feeds and stored articles stay on the server you set up.²⁴ Use a login if anyone outside your home can open the site.⁷ Version 1.30.4, from 21 October 2026, is a security release, and the edge channel gets fixes sooner.³⁹

Does FreshRSS work on iPhone?

Yes. The website fits a small screen, and the project lists iOS apps that connect to your server.²⁵ The app reads the copy you already run. It does not replace the server.

Do I need my own server?

Yes. FreshRSS needs a web server, PHP, and a database.² The project links to outside hosts if you would rather not run the machine.² The demo login above is only for a first look.⁶