What is FreshRSS?

FreshRSS is a self-hosted RSS feed reader. Subscribe to any website, blog, or news source and read everything in one place — like Feedly, but on your own server. It supports multiple users, Google Reader API (for mobile apps), keyboard shortcuts, and full-text content retrieval.

Prerequisites

Docker and Docker Compose installed (Docker Compose basics)
Any server — FreshRSS is very lightweight

Docker Compose Configuration

# docker-compose.yml for FreshRSS
# Tested with FreshRSS 1.24+

services:
  freshrss:
    container_name: freshrss
    image: freshrss/freshrss:latest
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/var/www/FreshRSS/data
      - ./extensions:/var/www/FreshRSS/extensions
    environment:
      - TZ=America/New_York
      - CRON_MIN=2,32    # Refresh feeds every 30 minutes
    restart: unless-stopped

Step-by-Step Setup

Create a directory:
Terminal window
```
mkdir ~/freshrss && cd ~/freshrss
```
Create the docker-compose.yml with the config above.
Start the container:
Terminal window
```
docker compose up -d
```
Run the setup wizard at http://your-server-ip:8080
Create your admin account and configure the database (SQLite is fine for personal use).
Add your feeds — paste RSS URLs or use the built-in feed discovery.
Connect a mobile app — enable the Google Reader API in settings, then connect with apps like NetNewsWire, Reeder, or FeedMe.

Configuration Tips

Google Reader API: Enable at Administration → Authentication → Allow API access. This lets you use polished mobile RSS apps.
Full-text retrieval: Install the Full-Text RSS extension to fetch full article content for feeds that only provide summaries.
OPML import: Import your existing feed subscriptions from Feedly or any other reader via OPML file.
Keyboard shortcuts: FreshRSS has extensive keyboard shortcuts for fast reading — press ? to see them.
Reverse proxy: Access from anywhere over HTTPS. See our reverse proxy guide.

Backup & Migration

Backup: The data folder contains your database, configuration, and feed data.
Export: Export your feeds as OPML from the settings page for portability.

Troubleshooting

Feeds not updating: Check that CRON_MIN is set in the environment variables. Verify cron is running inside the container.
Mobile app can’t connect: Ensure API access is enabled and test with the correct URL (usually https://your-domain/api/greader.php).

Alternatives

Miniflux is a minimalist alternative with a cleaner interface and built-in integrations. See our FreshRSS vs Miniflux comparison or the full Best Self-Hosted RSS Readers roundup.

Verdict

FreshRSS is the most capable self-hosted RSS reader. It handles thousands of feeds without breaking a sweat, supports every major mobile RSS app through its API, and uses minimal resources. Take back control of what you read — no algorithmic feeds, no ads, just the content you chose.