FreshRSS Hosting

How FreshRSS works

FreshRSS periodically fetches RSS and Atom sources, stores article metadata and content supplied by those feeds, and presents unread counts, categories, favourites, tags, searches, and reading views. Users can import or export subscriptions through OPML, create filters and generated feeds, and connect compatible mobile clients through supported APIs.

The application is multi-user, so each account can maintain separate subscriptions and reading state. Feed availability remains dependent on external publishers. A source may change its address, block automated requests, publish incomplete content, enforce authentication, or disappear, and the hosting service cannot repair or license that external feed.

Key FreshRSS features

Extensions and themes customise the reader, while WebSub can reduce delay for sources that support it. Mobile access depends on compatible third-party clients and API configuration. Administrators should test extensions after upgrades and avoid installing unmaintained code that can affect security or performance.

The catalogue does not provision PostgreSQL or MariaDB, so the requirements table records Not required for an external relational service. FreshRSS can use local application storage according to its deployment. Application email is disabled, so mail-based recovery or notifications cannot be assumed; administrators must preserve account access through other supported controls.

FreshRSS vs Feedly

FreshRSS is a self-hosted feed reader whose users, subscriptions, filters, reading state, extensions, and availability remain under local administration. Feedly is a provider-operated service with maintained web and mobile experiences, plan-based reading features, sharing options, and separate AI products for prioritising and analysing information from many sources.

Feedly may suit people who want provider-managed applications, commercial support, and AI-assisted research without operating a server. FreshRSS fits users who prefer a conventional RSS and Atom reader on their own domain, accept responsibility for source failures and maintenance, and value OPML portability and multi-user control.

Who uses FreshRSS

Individuals consolidate blogs and news sites, analysts monitor industry sources, researchers group publications by topic, and small teams maintain separate accounts on one reader. Filters and generated feeds help narrow a large subscription set without relying entirely on algorithmic ranking.

FreshRSS is not a licensed news database, webpage archiver, fact-checking service, paywall bypass, or guarantee that a publisher will continue exposing a feed. Users remain responsible for source terms, account credentials, and the interpretation of collected material.

Self-hosting FreshRSS: requirements and cost

FreshRSS usage grows with user count, feed count, refresh frequency, article volume, retained history, searches, filters, extensions, API clients, and concurrent readers. FreshRSS is catalogued without PostgreSQL or MariaDB. A lightweight reader can nevertheless grow substantially when it polls many high-volume feeds and preserves extensive article history.

On AvaHost, FreshRSS uses Plan 1 at €2. The hosted FreshRSS package includes one-click deployment, a custom domain with automated HTTPS, automatic application updates, and scheduled backups. The package does not include paid news subscriptions, source credentials, mobile applications, publisher licences, AI research products, or continuous feed availability. Application email is disabled. Administrators should retain secure access, export OPML periodically, review extensions, and monitor feeds that repeatedly fail or return excessive data.