Miniflux review: a private self-hosted RSS reader

Miniflux is a free, open-source, self-hosted RSS reader.¹² It gathers posts from the sites you choose into one list in a web browser. It is for anyone who wants that list on a computer they run, or on the creator’s paid host.⁵ The project strips trackers from articles, and it says there is no telemetry and no advertising.¹

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

What it is: A minimalist feed reader for Atom, RSS, and JSON Feed.²

Works on: Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, and Windows, with PostgreSQL 11 or newer. You read it in Firefox, Chrome, Safari, or Edge.³

Price: Free to install yourself, under the Apache 2.0 licence. Official hosting is a paid subscription with a trial, paid by PayPal or card.¹⁵

Licence: Apache License 2.0.¹

Best for: A private reading list on a server you look after, or on the official host.

Official site: miniflux.app

What Miniflux does (and how it protects your privacy)

Many sites publish a feed, a simple file of their latest posts. Miniflux reads Atom, RSS, and JSON Feed, three formats for that file.² New articles land in one list, and categories and bookmarks group what you keep.² A short feed can be filled in from the original page.²

While it prepares a page, Miniflux removes pixel trackers, tiny images that can report a page was opened, and tracking labels on links such as utm_source and fbclid.² Pictures load through a media proxy, which the project says avoids tracking.² Links go out without a referrer (the note naming the page you came from).² YouTube can play through youtube-nocookie.com, and JavaScript from other sites is blocked.² The project says there is no telemetry, meaning no automatic usage reports, and no advertising.¹

It is one program for a server, and it works only with PostgreSQL.² The official host runs the same code, and feed data there has been in Finland since 2023.⁵

Key features of Miniflux

One list for many sites. Atom, RSS, and JSON Feed share the reader, including podcast and video attachments.²
OPML import and export. OPML is a file of your subscriptions, so you can move the list in or take it with you.²
Categories, bookmarks, and full-text search stored in PostgreSQL.²
A simple reading layout, with light and dark themes, keyboard shortcuts, and a phone-sized page you can add to the home screen.²
Send an article onward to another service, including wallabag and ntfy.²
Phone apps are optional. You do not need the Apple App Store or Google Play. Other apps can connect through the Fever or Google Reader API, a shared way to fetch your list.²
Several ways to sign in: a password, a passkey (sign-in stored on your device), Google, OpenID Connect, or the web server in front.²

Pros and cons

Pros

Free software under the Apache 2.0 licence, so you can run your own copy.¹
The project says it has no telemetry and no advertising, and it strips trackers from articles.¹²
An OPML file lets you leave with your subscription list.²
The website works on a phone without a store app.²
Version 2.3.4 came out on 19 October 2026, so updates are still shipping.⁴

Cons

Your own copy works only with PostgreSQL 11 or newer.²³
It is primarily tested on Linux. Windows is listed as supported. The 2.3.4 files are builds for Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, and OpenBSD, plus Debian and RPM packages.³⁴
On the official host, unread articles are removed 60 days after they are added, and read articles 30 days after they are added. Starred articles stay.⁵
That host has no password-reset button. A forgotten password means an email to support.⁵
Hosted feed data is in Finland, and feeds may also be fetched through proxies in the United States and Germany.⁵

Is Miniflux safe and private?

Miniflux is developed by Frédéric Guillot.¹ On a copy you install, PostgreSQL is the only database.² The program can turn on HTTPS with Let’s Encrypt, which encrypts the connection between your browser and the server.² Sign-in can be a username and password or a passkey.² The API can create another user, and the request can mark that account as an administrator.⁸

The homepage says Miniflux removes pixel trackers, drops tracking parameters from addresses, proxies media, does not forward a referrer, and has no telemetry or advertising.¹ It also blocks JavaScript from other sites, and it can play YouTube through youtube-nocookie.com.² It can share one article publicly, so use that only when you want other people to open the piece.²

Release 2.3.4, dated 19 October 2026, blocks reserved IP address ranges against server-side request forgery, a trick that makes the server fetch an address it should not. It also hardens passkey sign-in against open redirects.⁴ On the official host, the project says it does not collect or share personal information, does not track usage, uses no analytics, and deletes data after you cancel. Feeds there refresh about every one to two hours. If you skip the subscription, the trial account is removed.⁵

How to get started with Miniflux

Use your own computer, or the official host at reader.miniflux.app. A new hosted account gets an email with a link to pay, by PayPal or by card through Stripe.⁵
For your own copy, install and configure PostgreSQL 11 or newer. That is the only database Miniflux supports.⁶³²
Download 2.3.4 from the release page. It links Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, and OpenBSD builds, plus Debian and RPM packages.⁴ Or use the Docker image docker.io/miniflux/miniflux, and pin the version.⁷
With the binary, copy it to the server, run chmod +x miniflux, set DATABASE_URL if needed, run miniflux -migrate, then miniflux -create-admin, and start miniflux.⁶
With Docker, set DATABASE_URL, RUN_MIGRATIONS=1, and CREATE_ADMIN=1, plus the admin username and password. The first start creates the account. Remove the admin settings after that.⁷
Open the site in Firefox, Chrome, Safari, or Edge and sign in.³ Add a feed, import an OPML file, or subscribe with the bookmarklet.²
On a phone, use the website and add it to the home screen.² A separate app can connect if it speaks the Fever or Google Reader API.²

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

Miniflux suits a short reading list on PostgreSQL you run, or on the creator’s host.²⁵ The API can add another user account.⁸ To keep one page, send it to wallabag.²

For a self-hosted reader with more options, FreshRSS is the closer match. With no server, and only an Android phone, Feeder follows sites on the device.

Frequently asked questions

Is Miniflux free?

The software is free and open source, under the Apache 2.0 licence.¹ You provide the computer and PostgreSQL, or you subscribe to the official host. That host takes PayPal or a card and includes a trial. If you never subscribe, the trial account is removed.⁵

Is Miniflux safe?

On your server, PostgreSQL is the database, and the connection can use HTTPS.² The project says there is no telemetry or advertising, and that trackers are removed.¹ Use a password or a passkey if other people can open the address.² Version 2.3.4, from 19 October 2026, makes it harder to trick the server into fetching a private address.⁴

Does Miniflux work on iPhone?

Yes. The site fits a phone, and you can put it on the home screen. There is no App Store download.² Safari is one of the browsers the project tests.³ Another iPhone app can connect if it supports the Fever or Google Reader API.²

Do I need my own server?

The free software needs a machine and PostgreSQL 11 or newer.³ The official host handles updates, certificates, and backups for you.⁵ Feed data there is stored in Finland. Unread articles are removed 60 days after they are added, and read articles 30 days after they are added. Starred articles stay.⁵