The 5 Best RSS Reader Apps for Android

Stop surfing the web and get straight to reading the articles

Really Simple Syndication (RSS), sometimes also called Rich Site Summary, has been a popular way to deliver website updates since around 2000. These RSS readers for Android allow you to access your favorite online content whenever and wherever you want.

These apps are available in the Google Play Store. Check the system requirements to make sure they are compatible with your device.

01
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Inoreader

Screenshots of Inoreader's interface.
What We Like
  • Handy widgets for the home screen.

  • Simplifies following Reddit communities.

  • Includes collection of premade feeds.

What We Don't Like
  • Some features appear free until you try to use them.

Inoreader has a clean and very straightforward user interface. It won’t take you long to get familiar with adding new feeds and reading articles from all the news sources you’re interested in. 

This app is incredibly handy for a few reasons: quick signup, premade feed collections, and widgets. 

You can log in with your Google or Facebook account to get started in just a few seconds. The screen where you search for feeds has a variety of feeds already configured for you, so you’re just a few taps away from following tech news, investing articles, science content, and more. There are a few widget options, but our favorites are the large panels that show an always up-to-date list of all the recent articles in any feed of our choosing.

02
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Feedly

Screenshots of Feedly's interface.
What We Like
  • Responsive, with useful swipe gestures.

  • Customize the view mode and sort criteria.

What We Don't Like
  • Shows features available only to paying users.

  • Free users can’t search through feeds.

Feedly has been downloaded on millions of Android devices, and for good reason. The app is amazingly fast and just all-around easy to look at, which is necessary when you’re dealing with loads of content. 

Managing a huge list of stories can easily become overwhelming. Feedly’s simple technique that eases some of that is swipe gestures. As you’re scrolling through a list of articles, swipe left or right on anything to mark it as read or send it to your Read Later pile. You can also put your feeds into separate folders to organize everything.

Like other RSS readers, this one not only lets you add feeds by name or URL, but it also includes topics to get you started. Browse the politics, comics, design, and marketing sections, for example, to see all the top feeds in those categories. Following them just takes a single tap. 

Evernote, Instapaper, and Pocket integration is supported, but only if you pay for Pro or Pro+.

03
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Feeder

Screenshots of Feeder's interface.
What We Like
  • Doesn’t require a user account.

  • Unique advanced settings.

  • Can read text aloud.

  • Completely free with zero ads.

What We Don't Like
  • Can’t search for feeds, must know the exact URL.

  • Doesn’t provide widgets.

Feeder looks very basic at first, but if you dive into the settings, you’ll find that it includes features not found in most RSS readers. 

For example, the app can check for new articles as frequently as every 15 minutes or only when your device is charging, you can be notified of new feed items, and the block list lets you hide articles that contain certain words in the title.

You can’t search for feeds within the app, so you’ll need to type out the full RSS feed URL to start following any source. However, Feeder does let you import feeds from an OPML file.

User accounts aren’t supported, but “device sync” is included. This is basically the same as an account, but instead of a username and password, you’re given a unique sync code you can enter on your other devices.

04
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Best Open Source RSS Reader: Flipboard

Flipboard app for Android
What We Like
  • Easy-to-navigate interface.

  • Suggests new feeds based on your interests.

  • Share your feeds with others.

What We Don't Like
  • Not compatible with VPNs.

  • Comment sections can be toxic.

Best described as a smart magazine, Flipboard is a popular social news app for Android. It displays the top news stories from all your feeds on one screen by default. However, you can customize the layout and share your personal Flipboard with the world. In addition to articles, you can also get videos, podcasts, and more.

05
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Best RSS Reader for News: News Break

News Break RSS feed reader for Android
What We Like
  • Automatically pulls from more than 10,000 local news sources.

  • Keep tabs on local businesses.

  • Share comments on news stories.

What We Don't Like
  • No national news.

  • Incessant notifications.

News Break is an AI-driven RSS feed reader that collects news stories and videos from around the globe. When you enter your zip code, the app populates with local news feeds. It also provides real-time updates and breaking news on other topics in addition to what's on your feed.

FAQ
  • Is RSS still used?

    Some sites still support RSS feeds, but they're falling out of fashion thanks to the difficulty in serving ads to them. You may not find them on larger, more corporate sites, but they're still around.

  • Is there a replacement for RSS?

    Instead of RSS feeds, sites are offering newsletters and notifications to help you stay up to date on their new posts. You'll usually receive a prompt to sign up as soon as you navigate to the site; otherwise, look for a "newsletter" or "digest" link somewhere on the page.

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