CommaFeed Hosting

How CommaFeed works

CommaFeed periodically requests subscribed RSS or Atom feeds, stores retrieved entries, and presents them through a responsive web interface. Users organise subscriptions into folders, mark items read or starred, search entries, apply display preferences, and navigate with keyboard shortcuts. OPML import and export support migration, while documented APIs can connect compatible external clients.

Feed quality depends on the publisher. A source can return malformed XML, change its address, reduce article content, require authentication, reject the server, or disappear. CommaFeed does not create missing articles or grant access to restricted material. The application also protects its feed fetcher from local-address requests by default, so it should not be presented as a tool for reading arbitrary internal endpoints.

Key CommaFeed features

Rules can organise or act on matching entries, and sharing options can expose selected items through supported workflows. Browser push and client APIs add access patterns beyond the main page when configured. Each external client, browser notification permission, and authenticated feed requires separate setup and should be tested with non-sensitive subscriptions.

The catalogue persists CommaFeed data and constrains the Java heap for the mapped installation. It does not provision PostgreSQL or MariaDB; upstream supports an embedded database for the standard deployment. Application email is disabled, so mail-based password recovery or notifications cannot be sent from the hosted reader.

CommaFeed vs Feedly

CommaFeed and Feedly both aggregate feeds, organise sources, and support reading workflows across a large subscription list. CommaFeed is a self-hosted reader inspired by Google Reader, with folders, rules, search, APIs, and operator-controlled data. Feedly is a provider-hosted service with official applications, managed synchronisation, boards, notes, integrations, and paid research features.

Feedly may suit people who want maintained clients, discovery, collaboration, and provider-managed advanced features. CommaFeed is more attractive when the priority is a private self-hosted reader and the operator accepts responsibility for feed retrieval, accounts, storage, updates, and source failures.

Who uses CommaFeed

Readers follow blogs and publications, researchers monitor specialist sources, and teams collect industry feeds into folders. An OPML file can move a subscription set into or out of the service, while rules help manage repeated topics across a large stream.

CommaFeed is less suitable as a permanent article archive, paywall bypass, compliance record, dependable full-text extractor for every source, or monitor for private network resources. Important material should be preserved through an authorised archival workflow outside the feed reader.

Self-hosting CommaFeed: requirements and cost

CommaFeed resource use grows with subscription count, polling frequency, entry volume, retained history, search, rules, API clients, browser push, and concurrent readers. The catalogue provisions no PostgreSQL or MariaDB service and persists /commafeed/data. The software itself is free to run; large feed lists and long retention require more storage and processing than a small personal reader.

On AvaHost, CommaFeed uses Plan 1 at €2. The hosted CommaFeed package includes one-click deployment, a custom domain with automated HTTPS, automatic application updates, and scheduled backups. Source subscriptions, publisher accounts, authenticated feed credentials, browser notification permissions, external clients, permanent archives, paywall access, application email, content licences, and uninterrupted source retrieval are not included. Export OPML periodically and review feeds that repeatedly fail or change behaviour.