4 RSS apps to stay in the know

In the era of online information explosion, massive video, audio and text emerge, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with information in time. However, RSS, a technology that has been born for more than 20 years, can effectively solve this problem.

RSS, full name resource description framework site summary (RDF Site Summary), resource-rich site summary (Rich Site Summary) or Really Simple Syndication, its core function is: When your favorite website When new articles are published, RSS will notify you and display them in a concise chronological format. No need to worry about the algorithm, nor do you need to read everything by the deadline.

If you think RSS is exactly what you need, here are a few excellent applications you can choose from.

RSS working principle

RSS is organized by website administrators and publishers. Whenever they push new content to a website, they are also pushed to a dedicated RSS feed.

In addition to the main feeds that contain all newly published content, many sites offer dedicated RSS feeds for specific topics or story types, such as news, feature stories, operating guides, and comments, and more. The purpose is to give you the freedom to choose to subscribe only to what you want.

If you open an RSS feed in your browser, it will most likely look like a bunch of meaningless garbled code – that's where RSS apps come into play. They convert feeds into understandable content, often showing a brief version of the story, including the title, the main image, and the first paragraph or two of the article. Depending on how the feed is built, sometimes you can read the entire article in an RSS app, while other times you need to return to the website to complete the reading.

[Related content: Subscribe to PopSci's RSS feed]

Concentrating everything you want to read in one place is not the only advantage of RSS applications. They also offer additional features such as bookmarking articles, categorizing feeds, and making browsing daily headlines easier without having to deal with ads and other distractions.

Sites usually show their RSS feeds very eye-catching and make them relatively easy to find and subscribe. But if you can't find them, a quick web search can usually solve the problem.

When browsing the website, look for a small orange icon with curved white lines – this is an RSS icon that may guide you to the feed you are looking for. If you find that your favorite website does not offer an RSS feed, some apps can generate it for you so you don’t miss anything.

RSS App: Select your fighter

Feedly

Feedly is one of the best and most popular options, with features including bookmarking, filtering, and feed notes. And it looks great, too. The app is available for free on the web, Android, and iOS, and if you need extra features like advanced search and support for over 100 feeds, the price starts at $6 per month.

NewsBlur

NewsBlur is not as concise and clear as Feedly, but it still has a lot to watch out for – from story tags and filtering to a comprehensive search tool, and extensive support for third-party integration. You can also get many page layout choices, as well as freely organizing on-screen feeds. NewsBlur is available on the web, Android and iOS, and provides up to 64 free feeds for websites. If you need to exceed this amount (or just want to support the app), a premium account costs $36 per year.

[Related content: Chrome's latest features resurrect the ghost of Google Reader]

Inoreader

For managing social media and podcasts and RSS feeds simultaneously, Inoreader is a one-stop portal for all your online daily content. You can organize and categorize feeds according to your needs, and use a comprehensive search tool to find stories you don’t have time to complete. You can find Inoreader on the web, Android, and iOS and it can be started for free. If you need more than 150 feeds and advanced features such as alerts for specific keywords in your article, paid plans start at $7 per month.

The Old Reader

The Old Reader has been around since 2012, taking over some of the users left behind after Google Reader shut down in 2013. It's one of the simplest RSS apps, but that's definitely not a bad thing - The Old Reader presents your feed in a concise and clear manner, with features like a feed folder and simplified sharing tools. The platform is accessible only through a browser, but the website is well adapted to mobile screens. Free use of up to 100 feeds, with premium plans starting at $3 per month.

Reeder

Our last recommendation is Reeder, which looks beautiful and features rich. The downside is that it only works on Apple devices, priced at $5 on mobile and $10 on Mac. But for many, the investment is worth it: it offers many other useful options such as layout selection, iCloud integration, easy feed sorting, and focused reading modes.

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