The Old Reader alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave The Old Reader: dated design and slow feature development, and no newsletter, AI or advanced filtering features. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces The Old Reader, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Inoreader currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#	App	Pricing	Open source	Platforms	Verified facts	Score
1	NewsBlur	Free plan + paid	Yes	Web, iOS, Android +1	5 of 5	59.6

1. NewsBlurTop pick
Best for: Readers who want to train their feed to surface favourite topics and hide the rest
Free plan + paidOpen sourceSelf-hostableWeb, iOS, Android, Self-hosted
59.6
score / 100
Why switch from The Old Reader
Also has social sharing, plus training and native apps.
Pros
Training by author, tag, title and text
Open source and self-hostable
Native iOS and Android apps
Affordable yearly Premium
Cons
Busy interface with many panes
Free plan is limited
Archive and AI features need the pricier tiers
Visit NewsBlur Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.377
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.1585
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is NewsBlur a good The Old Reader alternative?
Verified facts
5 of 5 verified
License
MIT
Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
Premium price
$36/year
Checked Oct 25, 2026newsblur.com(opens source in a new tab)
Premium Archive
$99/year
Checked Oct 25, 2026newsblur.com(opens source in a new tab)
Intelligence training
By author, tag, title and text
Checked Oct 25, 2026newsblur.com(opens source in a new tab)
Native apps
iOS and Android
Checked Oct 25, 2026newsblur.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best The Old Reader alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Best The Old Reader alternative for most people

Inoreader

Far more features, including rules and newsletters, with a bigger free plan.

Best The Old Reader alternative for a free option

CommaFeed

Google Reader-inspired and self-hosted, if you'd rather run it yourself.

Best The Old Reader alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Feedly

More modern hosted reader with native mobile apps.

Best The Old Reader alternative for open source

NewsBlur

Also has social sharing, plus training and native apps.

Best The Old Reader alternative for self-hosting

NewsBlur

Also has social sharing, plus training and native apps.

Best The Old Reader alternative for iPhone and Android

Inoreader

Far more features, including rules and newsletters, with a bigger free plan.

Best The Old Reader alternative for working in the browser

Feedbin

Clean paid service with newsletters, podcasts and YouTube.

The Old Reader alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to The Old Reader?

Inoreader ranks first right now. Far more features, including rules and newsletters, with a bigger free plan. Feedly and NewsBlur follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to The Old Reader?

Yes. Inoreader (free plan + paid), Feedly (free plan + paid), NewsBlur (free plan + paid) and CommaFeed (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to The Old Reader?

Yes: NewsBlur and CommaFeed. NewsBlur and CommaFeed can also be self-hosted.

Why do people switch from The Old Reader?

The complaints we hear most: dated design and slow feature development; no newsletter, AI or advanced filtering features; pricing details are only shown at purchase.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces The Old Reader, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.