Alternatives to Google Reader - Find the Best Google Reader Replacement

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Google did another round of ‘spring cleaning’ last month, and one of the services to get the axe was our much loved Google Reader. Sad news indeed, but it’s not the end of the world. There exist a number of alternative ways to consume RSS feeds, and Google Reader’s untimely demise has shifted the focus to these alternatives, for whom this is a golden opportunity to fill the void that Reader will leave behind.

Cross-Platform Alternatives (Web + Mobile App/ Desktop + Mobile)

    

Feedly lets you browse your
feeds in a magazine format.

≡Feedly 

One of the  first services to respond to the news of Reader’s imminent shutdown was the popular magazine-style reader Feedly. One of the more comprehensive alternatives. It uses a ranking algorithm to push the most popular or relevant stories to the top, and lets you switch between different layouts, from a traditional list-based interface (similar to reader) to one with large-tiles similar to a magazine. Check it out here: http://feedly.com

   

≡Reeder (Mac/iOs) 

Reeder is a wonderful example of the great design and polished looks iOS and Mac apps are known for. Sporting a clean, minimalistic look, Reeder offers a traditional folder-based organization of  feeds by importing your Google Reader subscriptions. It can purse the text of the feed through Readability to provide a great reading experience. Check it out here: http://reederapp.com

  

Reeder for Mac sports a clean, minimalistic look

≡Newsblur 

Newsblur is a true alternative to Reader, in that it doesn’t use the Google Reader API at all. An independent RSS aggregator, it offers a similar interface to Google reader but with better sharing features and the ability to switch between different “views” of a feed for the better context. Check it out here: http://newsblur.com

  

≡NetNewsWire 

This is similar to Reeder in that it supports only Mac/iPhone/iPad, is a feature-filled RSS reader with support for Instapaper, tabbed-browsing, keyboard shortcuts, multiple sharing options including Twitter and Delicious and is scriptable  using AppleScript/Ruby/Phython. Check it out here: http://netnewswireapp.com

   

≡Magazine style news curation reader/apps

If you’re the kind who only wants to skim over the headlines while on the move rather than take time out to review all your 100+ feeds, then one of the magazine-style news apps should fit the bill. Pulse [http://pulse.me], Flipboard [http://flipboard.com], Zite [htpp://www.zite.com] and News360 [http://news360.com] are all free apps available on Android and iOs (News360 and Zite are also available on Windows Phone), and you start off with a selection of curated content across different categories like News, technology, Arts, Politics etc.

Web-Based Readers

For those who prefer to sit down at their desks and quickly sift through hundreds of feeds every day, one of my web-based alternatives is worth it.

   

≡TheOldReader 

As the name suggests, this is a clone of Google Reader before its last update which removed many of the sharing feature that Reader users had come to love. It represents a familiar, if improved interface to those migrating from Google Reader, and lets social network of your choice and discuss feed with your friends. Check it out here: http://theoldreader.com

   

The Old Reader preserves many of the Google Reader's best features, while adding a few of its own

≡1kpl.us 

Once again, as the name suggests, 1kpl.us is designed to manage hundreds (if not thousands) of RSS feeds in a very Google Reader-esque interface with folders, tagging and sharing options. Check it out here: http://1kpl.us

   

≡Netvibes 

  Netvibes isn’t strictly an RSS feed aggregator and more of an analytics tool, it lets you pin your favourite RSS feeds along with your Twitter timeline onto a virtual dashboard accessed from an iOs device. Check it out here: http://www.netvibes.com/en

    

≡Tiny Tiny RSS 

If the Google Reader fiasco left you shaken and you’re sworn not to trust a free service ever again (or if you’re a little geeky with time to spare) then Tiny Tiny RSS is an Open Source RSS reader that you can configure on your own webhost, and use the browser / android client to read your feeds anywhere Check it out here: http://tt-ss.org

Desktop Readers

Download and Install FeedDemon 4.1
to stay on top of your feeds

Desktop-based standalone RSS aggregators may be out of fashion, but they still pack a punch and are indispensable to die-hard RSS ninja. While some of these offer Google Reade sync, they al let  you import your Google Reader subscriptions in an XML format and offer the advantage of being able to read your feeds even offline.

   

≡ FeedDemon (Windows) 

≡ RSSOwl Feedemon (Win/Mac/Linux) 

≡ Liferea Akregator and Newsbeuter (Linux)