12 Google Reader Alternatives

The scramble is on. With news today that Google Reader is shutting down on July 1st, its users are on the hunt for a solid RSS reader alternatives. Here are some options you might want to consider if you’re a Google Reader user.

Postscript: Also see our follow-up post from June 26, 2013: The Big Comparison Of Google Reader RSS Feed Alternatives

1.) Newsblur

This is a top choice from one of our corresponding editors, Gary Price. It’s accessible via the Web and also appears to have iOS and Android versions. There’s even a Google Reader import tool that will no doubt prove popular.

Newsblur has a basic version that’s free, but limits the number of feeds you can follow, and news stories show up in the reader. The premium version is only $1 per month and has no such limits.

The site may be down or slow when you visit. As founder Sam Clay said on Twitter not long ago, “this is definitely a third cup of tea kind of day.”

See Gary’s full review on our sister site, Search Engine Land: Need A Google Reader Alternative? Meet Newsblur.

2.) Feedly

Feedly is one of several magazine-style services that functions like an RSS reader. (I’ll list some more below.) It’s free and works on iOS and Android devices, as well as on the desktop via browser plugins for Chrome and Firefox.

It offers a few extra features, like social sharing and a read later function.

In a blog post today, Feedly says it’s been expecting the Google Reader shutdown for some time now and has been working on a project called “Normandy” that is a clone of the Google Reader API and will allow for a seamless transition when Reader shuts down.

Postscript (March 16) From Danny Sullivan: I tried Feedly today and found it allowed me to sign-in using my Google account and imported all my Google Reader feeds wonderfully, in only a few seconds, and into a nicer look-and-feel than Google Reader has.

3.) thru 7.) Magazine-style readers

There are several magazine-style services that function as a sort of RSS reader. The list includes Flipboard, Pulse, Google Currents (if it doesn’t get shut down, too!), Zite, Taptu and others. Generally speaking, these let you subscribe to either topics, specific sites, or both. Some only function on mobile devices.

8.) FeedReader

This is a free service that offers both a desktop Windows client and an online version.

9.) FeedDemon

FeedDemon claims to be the “most popular RSS reader for Windows.” The tool offers synchronization with Google Reader, which could be nice in the short term, but may not be a long-term solution unless it actually imports feeds while synchronizing.

There appears to be a cost for FeedDemon, though the website makes no mention what it is.

Update: As Thomas Ally points out in the comments below, FeedDemon’s creator has announced that Google Reader’s shutdown means his product will also shutdown. Cross this one off the list.

10.) NetNewsWire

This is a long-running RSS reader for Mac users. Never used it myself, but it gets mentioned fairly frequently on the Mac sites and magazines that I read.

11.) Bloglines

Seriously. Bloglines. The once-popular RSS reader still has a product called “Reader” that lets you track news from your favorite sites. Bloglines was thought to be dead a couple years ago, but now we have the irony of listing it as an option to the soon-to-be-dead Google Reader.

12.) NewsIsFree

This is a primarily Web-based news aggregator that doesn’t even require an account to use — you can go and read current news right now if you want.

NewsIsFree also offers an RSS service with almost 36,000 sources at the moment that you can subscribe to. But it looks like the premium services are required if you want to be able to add your own RSS feeds to NewsIsFree.

No doubt there are other Google Reader alternatives out there that we’re not aware of. Feel free to let us know if you have a favorite in the comments below. And some new ones are likely to come. See our related story, Digg: We’re Building A Google Reader Replacement.

Postscript: Also see our follow-up post from June 26, 2013: The Big Comparison Of Google Reader RSS Feed Alternatives

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• Need A Google Reader Alternative? Meet Newsblur
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