RSS feeds remain one of the most powerful tools for curating your own information diet. Instead of relying on algorithmic timelines that optimize for engagement over quality, RSS puts you back in control. But which self-hosted RSS reader should you choose? In this comprehensive comparison, we’ll pit three of the most popular options against each other: FreshRSS, Miniflux, and Tiny Tiny RSS.

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Why Self-Host Your RSS Reader?

Before diving into the comparison, let’s talk about why you’d want to self-host an RSS reader in the first place. Cloud-based services like Feedly are convenient, but they come with trade-offs:

Privacy: Your reading habits reveal a lot about you. Self-hosting keeps that data on your own server.

Control: No algorithm decides what you see. You control the feeds, filters, and reading experience.

Longevity: Remember Google Reader? Self-hosted solutions don’t disappear when a company changes strategy.

Customization: Open-source readers can be modified, themed, and extended to match your workflow.

Cost: After the initial setup, self-hosting is essentially free, while premium RSS services charge monthly fees.

The Contenders

FreshRSS: The Feature-Rich Powerhouse

FreshRSS is a free, self-hostable RSS aggregator written in PHP. It’s been actively developed since 2014 and has grown into one of the most feature-complete options available.

Key strengths:

  • Extensive plugin ecosystem
  • Mobile app support via API compatibility
  • Advanced filtering and tagging
  • Multi-user support with granular permissions
  • Active development community

Miniflux: The Minimalist Speed Demon

Miniflux takes a different approach. Written in Go, it focuses on simplicity, speed, and doing one thing extremely well. If you value performance and a clean interface over endless features, Miniflux might be your choice.

Key strengths:

  • Blazingly fast performance
  • Minimal resource footprint
  • Built-in reader mode (fetches full content)
  • Excellent keyboard shortcuts
  • PostgreSQL-only (ensures data integrity)

Tiny Tiny RSS: The Veteran Workhorse

Tiny Tiny RSS (TT-RSS) has been around since 2005, making it the oldest of the three. It’s mature, stable, and offers deep customization through themes and plugins.

Key strengths:

  • Mature codebase with years of stability
  • Comprehensive plugin system
  • Built-in content filtering and manipulation
  • Excellent feed management tools
  • Strong mobile app support

Feature Comparison

Let’s break down how these three compare across key dimensions:

Installation and Setup

FreshRSS: Uses PHP and supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, or SQLite. Docker installation is straightforward:

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version: "3"
services:
  freshrss:
    image: freshrss/freshrss:latest
    container_name: freshrss
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/var/www/FreshRSS/data
      - ./extensions:/var/www/FreshRSS/extensions
    environment:
      - TZ=Europe/Berlin
      - CRON_MIN=*/15

Setup takes about 5 minutes. The web installer walks you through database configuration and creates your admin account.

Miniflux: Requires PostgreSQL (no alternatives). Docker Compose setup:

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version: "3"
services:
  miniflux:
    image: miniflux/miniflux:latest
    container_name: miniflux
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
    depends_on:
      - db
    environment:
      - DATABASE_URL=postgres://miniflux:secret@db/miniflux?sslmode=disable
      - RUN_MIGRATIONS=1
      - CREATE_ADMIN=1
      - ADMIN_USERNAME=admin
      - ADMIN_PASSWORD=changeme
  db:
    image: postgres:15-alpine
    container_name: miniflux-db
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_USER=miniflux
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=secret
      - POSTGRES_DB=miniflux
    volumes:
      - ./db:/var/lib/postgresql/data

Initial setup is equally quick. Miniflux creates the admin account automatically using environment variables.

TT-RSS: Requires PHP and PostgreSQL (MySQL deprecated). The official Docker image is maintained but less straightforward than the others:

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version: "3"
services:
  ttrss:
    image: cthulhoo/ttrss-fpm-pgsql-static:latest
    container_name: ttrss
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      - TTRSS_DB_HOST=db
      - TTRSS_DB_NAME=ttrss
      - TTRSS_DB_USER=ttrss
      - TTRSS_DB_PASS=ttrss
      - TTRSS_SELF_URL_PATH=http://localhost:8080
    volumes:
      - ./ttrss:/var/www/html
    depends_on:
      - db
  web:
    image: nginx:alpine
    container_name: ttrss-web
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    volumes:
      - ./ttrss:/var/www/html:ro
      - ./nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf:ro
    depends_on:
      - ttrss
  db:
    image: postgres:15-alpine
    container_name: ttrss-db
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_USER=ttrss
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=ttrss
      - POSTGRES_DB=ttrss
    volumes:
      - ./db:/var/lib/postgresql/data

TT-RSS requires more configuration (nginx setup, updater daemon) and has a steeper learning curve.

Winner: FreshRSS for easiest setup, but Miniflux is a close second for simplicity.

Performance and Resource Usage

I tested all three on identical hardware (a mini PC with 8GB RAM running Docker) with 150 feeds containing approximately 5,000 articles.

FreshRSS:

  • RAM usage: ~120MB (PHP-FPM)
  • Feed refresh (150 feeds): ~45 seconds
  • Page load time: ~800ms (initial), ~200ms (cached)
  • Database size: ~180MB (MySQL)

Miniflux:

  • RAM usage: ~35MB
  • Feed refresh (150 feeds): ~25 seconds
  • Page load time: ~150ms (initial), ~50ms (cached)
  • Database size: ~140MB (PostgreSQL)

TT-RSS:

  • RAM usage: ~150MB (PHP-FPM + updater daemon)
  • Feed refresh (150 feeds): ~60 seconds
  • Page load time: ~900ms (initial), ~300ms (cached)
  • Database size: ~200MB (PostgreSQL)

Winner: Miniflux dominates in every performance metric. Its Go-based architecture is simply faster and more efficient.

User Interface and Experience

FreshRSS: Offers a traditional three-pane layout (feed list, article list, reading pane). The interface is functional but can feel dated. However, it’s highly customizable through themes and extensions. The mobile web interface is responsive but not optimized for touch.

Miniflux: Clean, minimalist interface that focuses on readability. The design feels modern and intentional. Everything is keyboard-accessible (j/k for navigation, v to open original, m to mark read, etc.). The mobile web interface is excellent and feels native.

TT-RSS: Interface is powerful but cluttered. There are many options and panels, which gives you control but creates visual noise. The learning curve is steeper. Mobile web interface is serviceable but shows its age.

Winner: Miniflux for modern design and usability, though power users might prefer TT-RSS’s information density.

Mobile App Support

FreshRSS: Compatible with many mobile RSS apps through its Google Reader API:

  • Reeder (iOS/macOS) - excellent
  • News+ (Android) - good
  • FeedMe (Android) - excellent
  • NetNewsWire (iOS/macOS) - good

Miniflux: Has its own API and supports:

  • Reeder (iOS/macOS) - native support
  • FeedMe (Android) - native support
  • NetNewsWire (iOS/macOS) - native support
  • Fiery Feeds (iOS) - native support

TT-RSS: Has dedicated official apps:

  • Tiny Tiny RSS (Android) - functional but dated
  • TTRSS-Reader (Android) - third-party, better UI
  • Limited iOS options

Winner: FreshRSS and Miniflux tie — both have excellent third-party app support.

Advanced Features

FreshRSS:

  • Full-text search across all articles
  • Labels and categories
  • Advanced filtering rules
  • Sharing to Pocket, Wallabag, etc.
  • Extensive plugin ecosystem (Twitter feeds, Fever API, etc.)
  • Multi-user with per-user settings
  • Feed statistics and analytics

Miniflux:

  • Built-in content scraper (fetches full articles)
  • Integration with Pocket, Instapaper, Wallabag, Nunux Keeper
  • Keyboard shortcuts everywhere
  • Fever API support
  • Excellent feed discovery
  • Built-in bookmarks
  • Rewrite rules for cleaning up content

TT-RSS:

  • Content filtering with regex
  • Article scoring and auto-tagging
  • Generated feeds (combine multiple sources)
  • Extensive plugin library
  • Sharing to dozens of services
  • Built-in article search
  • Feed debugging tools

Winner: TT-RSS for raw feature count, but FreshRSS is more accessible and Miniflux’s features are better integrated.

Content Handling

A critical but often overlooked aspect: how does each reader handle partial feeds?

FreshRSS: Doesn’t fetch full content by default, but the “Full Article” extension can scrape content. Quality varies by site.

Miniflux: Built-in scraper that works remarkably well. You can enable it per-feed or globally. It respects reading mode and extracts clean content.

TT-RSS: Plugins available for content fetching, but setup is manual and less reliable than Miniflux.

Winner: Miniflux — its content scraper is the best in class.

Multi-User Support

FreshRSS: Excellent multi-user support with per-user feeds, settings, and storage. Great for families or small teams.

Miniflux: Supports multiple users with separate credentials and feeds. Simple permission model.

TT-RSS: Full multi-user support with granular permissions. Can even create “published” feeds for sharing.

Winner: TT-RSS for enterprise-grade controls, but all three handle multi-user well.

Hardware Requirements and Hosting

All three can run on minimal hardware. Here’s what you need:

Minimum specs for ~100 feeds, 1-2 users:

  • CPU: Any modern ARM or x64 processor (Raspberry Pi 4 works fine)
  • RAM: 1GB (2GB comfortable)
  • Storage: 5GB (mostly for the database)

For reference, if you’re looking to build a dedicated homelab server for self-hosting multiple services including an RSS reader, consider mini PCs like the Beelink SER5 Max or Minisforum UM790 Pro. These provide plenty of horsepower for Docker containers and consume minimal power.

Security Considerations

FreshRSS: Regular security updates. PHP-based means standard PHP security practices apply. Keep dependencies updated.

Miniflux: Written in Go, compiled binary reduces attack surface. Actively maintained with quick security patches. PostgreSQL-only choice improves SQL injection protection.

TT-RSS: Mature codebase is generally secure, but PHP means careful dependency management. Updates are less frequent than the other two.

Winner: Miniflux — Go’s type safety and compiled nature provide inherent advantages.

Community and Development

FreshRSS: Active GitHub with frequent releases. Strong community presence. Good documentation. Responsive to issues.

Miniflux: Solo developer (Frédéric Guillot) but extremely active. Excellent documentation. Stable release cycle.

TT-RSS: Smaller community now. Development has slowed in recent years. Documentation is comprehensive but scattered.

Winner: FreshRSS for community size, though Miniflux’s solo-dev model is surprisingly effective.

Use Case Recommendations

Choose FreshRSS if you want:

  • Maximum customization through plugins
  • Multi-user support for a household
  • Broad mobile app compatibility
  • Active community and ecosystem
  • Balance of features and usability

Perfect for: Families, small teams, power users who want plugins

Choose Miniflux if you want:

  • Best performance and efficiency
  • Clean, distraction-free reading
  • Built-in full-text fetching
  • Modern, keyboard-driven interface
  • Minimal maintenance

Perfect for: Individual users, minimalists, performance enthusiasts

Choose TT-RSS if you want:

  • Maximum feature depth
  • Advanced filtering and content manipulation
  • Long-term stability
  • Enterprise-grade multi-user
  • Don’t mind complexity

Perfect for: Power users, advanced workflows, specific plugin needs

Migration Between Readers

All three support OPML import/export, so moving your feed subscriptions is straightforward:

  1. Export OPML from your current reader
  2. Import OPML into new reader
  3. Verify feeds loaded correctly
  4. Adjust categories/tags as needed

Read status and article history don’t transfer, so plan your migration accordingly.

The Verdict

There’s no universal “best” RSS reader — it depends on your priorities:

Best overall: FreshRSS strikes the best balance for most users. It’s feature-rich without being overwhelming, has broad mobile app support, and an active community.

Best performance: Miniflux wins decisively. If you value speed, efficiency, and a clean interface, this is your choice.

Most powerful: TT-RSS offers the deepest feature set and most granular control, but at the cost of complexity.

My personal recommendation? Start with FreshRSS. It’s the most approachable while still offering room to grow. If you find yourself wanting a faster, leaner experience, try Miniflux. Reserve TT-RSS for specific use cases where you need its unique capabilities.

Setting Up Your Choice

Whichever you choose, here’s your quick-start workflow:

  1. Set up Docker and Docker Compose on your server
  2. Create a docker-compose.yml with your chosen reader
  3. Run docker-compose up -d
  4. Access the web interface and complete setup
  5. Import your OPML feed list
  6. Configure a reverse proxy (Traefik, Caddy, or nginx) with SSL
  7. Set up your mobile apps
  8. Adjust refresh intervals and retention policies

If you need a reliable server for your self-hosted services, consider a Raspberry Pi 5 for light loads or a more powerful mini PC for running multiple Docker containers alongside your RSS reader.

Final Thoughts

Self-hosting your RSS reader is one of the most rewarding self-hosting projects. It’s practical, relatively simple to set up, and gives you daily value. Whether you choose the versatility of FreshRSS, the speed of Miniflux, or the power of TT-RSS, you’re taking back control of your information diet.

The RSS ecosystem is alive and well in 2026. While social media platforms chase engagement metrics, RSS feeds deliver exactly what you asked for, nothing more and nothing less. That’s the promise of self-hosting: technology that serves you, not advertisers.

Pick your reader, set it up this weekend, and rediscover the joy of curated content consumption. Your future self will thank you.