How to Self-Host FreshRSS: Feature-Rich RSS Reader 2026

TL;DR

FreshRSS (AGPL 3.0, ~9K GitHub stars, PHP) is a self-hosted RSS aggregator that supports the Google Reader API, making it compatible with every major RSS client app. It has more customization than Miniflux — themes, extensions, user management, custom CSS — while still being lightweight and easy to deploy. Feedly charges $8/month for "Pro" features. FreshRSS gives you unlimited feeds, multi-user support, and full-text fetching for free.

Key Takeaways

FreshRSS: AGPL 3.0, ~9K stars, PHP — RSS with Google Reader API, themes, extensions
Google Reader API: Compatible with Reeder, Readably, News+, and all GR-compatible apps
Multi-user: Create users with different feeds and settings
Extensions: 50+ community extensions (reading time, full-text, custom CSS, etc.)
Stats: Track reading habits, articles per feed, unread counts
vs Miniflux: FreshRSS is more feature-rich; Miniflux is more minimal and opinionated

Part 1: Docker Setup

# docker-compose.yml
services:
  freshrss:
    image: freshrss/freshrss:latest
    container_name: freshrss
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    volumes:
      - freshrss_data:/var/www/FreshRSS/data
      - freshrss_extensions:/var/www/FreshRSS/extensions
    environment:
      TZ: America/Los_Angeles
      CRON_MIN: "*/20"           # Update feeds every 20 minutes
      FRESHRSS_ENV: production
      # Auto-create first user:
      FRESHRSS_INSTALL: |
        --api_enabled
        --db-base freshrss
        --db-host db
        --db-user freshrss
        --db-password ${DB_PASSWORD}
        --db-type pgsql
        --base_url https://rss.yourdomain.com
        --user admin
        --password ${ADMIN_PASSWORD}
        --email admin@yourdomain.com
    depends_on:
      db:
        condition: service_healthy

  db:
    image: postgres:15-alpine
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      POSTGRES_DB: freshrss
      POSTGRES_USER: freshrss
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: "${DB_PASSWORD}"
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U freshrss"]
      interval: 5s
      start_period: 20s

volumes:
  freshrss_data:
  freshrss_extensions:
  db_data:

docker compose up -d

Visit http://your-server:8080 — log in with admin / your password.

Part 2: HTTPS with Caddy

rss.yourdomain.com {
    reverse_proxy localhost:8080
}

Part 3: Add Feeds

Via web UI

+ Subscribe → paste feed URL
Or enter website URL — FreshRSS auto-detects the RSS feed

Import OPML

Subscriptions → Import/Export → Import subscriptions
Upload .opml file from previous RSS reader

Discover feeds by website

FreshRSS can find RSS feeds from any URL:

Enter: https://arstechnica.com
→ FreshRSS finds: https://feeds.arstechnica.com/arstechnica/index

Part 4: Categories and Labels

Labels

Tag individual articles:

Article → Add label
Labels: to-read, interesting, work, share
Filter by label in sidebar

Part 5: Google Reader API

FreshRSS implements the Google Reader API for client app compatibility:

Enable API

Settings → Authentication → Allow API access: Enable
Settings → Profile → API password: Set a password (can differ from login)

API endpoint:

https://rss.yourdomain.com/api/greader.php

Compatible apps

App	Platform	Notes
Reeder 5	iOS/macOS	Best iOS RSS client, GR native
News+	iOS	GR + Fever support
Readably	Android	Material You design
FeedMe	Android	Feature-rich, GR support
NetNewsWire	iOS/macOS	Free, open source
Fluent Reader	Windows/Linux/macOS	Cross-platform
Vienna	macOS	Classic macOS RSS client

Reeder setup

Reeder → + → FreshRSS
URL: https://rss.yourdomain.com
Username: your FreshRSS username
Password: your API password (not login password)

Part 6: Extensions

Install extensions to add features:

# Popular FreshRSS extensions:
# Available at: https://github.com/FreshRSS/Extensions

# Install via UI:
# Settings → Extensions → + Install extension
# Upload .zip or enter GitHub URL

# Or via volume mount:
docker cp MyExtension.zip freshrss:/var/www/FreshRSS/extensions/

Notable extensions

Extension	Function
Reading time	Shows estimated reading time per article
Full-text RSS	Fetches full content from truncated feeds
Keyboard shortcuts	Customize keyboard navigation
Trending	Shows trending articles across subscriptions
Dark theme	Solarized Dark, Gruvbox themes
Auto unsubscribe	Remove dead feeds automatically

Part 7: Full-Text Fetching

For feeds with truncated content:

Using the Full-text RSS extension

1. Install the Full Text RSS extension
2. Feed settings → Use full-text RSS feed:
   → Enable for truncated feeds

Manual per-feed scraper

Feed settings → Scraper rules:
CSS selector for main content:
article, .post-content, .article-body, main .content

External full-text RSS service

# Use FiveFilters or similar:
# Original feed: https://example.com/feed/
# Full-text: https://ftr.fivefilters.org/makefulltextfeed.php?url=https://example.com/feed/&max=10

Part 8: Filtering and Rules

Keyword filters (per feed)

Feed settings → Filters:
Mark as read if: Title contains "sponsored"
Star if: Title contains "security" OR "vulnerability"

Search and filter

In the main view:

# Search across all feeds:
kubernetes                    → articles mentioning kubernetes
intitle:kubernetes            → only in titles
author:linus torvalds         → by author
date:<2026-01-01              → before date
#tag-name                     → by label

Maintenance

# Update:
docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

# Backup:
docker exec freshrss-db-1 pg_dump -U freshrss freshrss \
  | gzip > freshrss-db-$(date +%Y%m%d).sql.gz

tar -czf freshrss-data-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz \
  $(docker volume inspect freshrss_freshrss_data --format '{{.Mountpoint}}')

# Force feed refresh:
docker exec freshrss php /var/www/FreshRSS/app/actualize_script.php

# Logs:
docker compose logs -f freshrss

See also: Miniflux — more minimal, keyboard-driven alternative

See all open source RSS tools at OSSAlt.com/categories/productivity.

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