I'll tell you about free RSS news reader applications.
My job requires constant monitoring of news, for this I have a list of 50 sources and the service 'Mediametrix', which displays the most popular materials on the Internet at the moment. But browsing all sites manually is long and inconvenient, so I prefer programs for RSS subscriptions.
The RSS feed format is gradually losing popularity. Because of this, Google Read er closed back in 2013, and there are fewer new RSS apps. Although so far I still have not found a replacement for such services. Apps like Flipboard or Google News, which shape your news feed using smart algorithms, almost always offer sources of dubious quality and do not allow you to track multiple sources in a convenient format. And, often, such applications have a limited catalog of subscriptions.
Therefore, I want to talk about this more convenient way of reading news and articles than browsing sites. Services for RSS-subscriptions allow you to filter information and sources yourself, in contrast to news aggregators, which themselves select texts for reading.
I chose three free RSS apps. But there is a problem – the applications are very similar, so I will not tell you that 'here you can select sources, and here – the news feed from your subscriptions', but I will pay attention to the differences between applications from others.
Inoreader
I currently use this service to collect RSS content. This is not just an application for reading news, it is a whole combine for tracking news feeds, with flexible filter settings and automatic search for the desired topics.
The service has so-called 'rules' that automate certain processes. For example, you can set up notifications for news that has 'iPhone 8' in the headline. You can also set up sending the necessary materials directly to the mail or, conversely, automatically hide texts with topics that are not interesting to you. So it's a great news tool.
However, Inoreader will soon remain a simple news application. Currently, free users can create only one 'rule'. But from the first of August their pricing policy will change and it will be possible to create 'rules' only by subscription. And these features work only in the web version of the service. So the mobile app is much simpler in functionality.
Even without the paid features, Inoreader remains a cool news reader app. There are tons of settings for ribbon format, fonts, and other useful and unnecessary features. Plus, there are no ads in the mobile application, it is only in the web version.
Inoreader on Google Play
Feedly
This service is considered a kind of standard for RSS feeds. Many other apps support migrating subscriptions from Feedly. And its popularity is understandable – the application looks very simple and understandable, many gestures are supported. I read the news – pulled the bottom edge up and it closed. I do not like the text – scroll from right to left and move on to the next news.
I like how the application formats materials to fit its format. Images are clearly adjusted to the width of the display, the layout does not “dance”, embeds from social networks and services work. It's a pleasure to read.
Feedly is friendly with many services: Pocket, Instapaper, Evernote, OneNote. It uses them for deferred reading of articles. In order to add material for 'read for later' you just need to hold your finger on the card with the news and it will automatically be added to your favorite service.
If you go to the settings, then there you can find even more options for gestures or algorithms for application behavior and appearance settings. There is only one thing – there is no Russian interface language in the application. So you have to put up with English. But there are no ads in the application.
Feedly on Google Play
Read
The application allows you to combine reading RSS news with listening to podcasts. True, compared to other podcast players, Read has fewer functions: only turn on, turn off and rewind. But I, for one, don't need anything else from podcasts.
Read also does an excellent job with its main task – reading news. Materials are adapted to the format of the application, all unnecessary things (banners, advertisements and other elements of the site design) are cut off and only text and images remain. If you need to open the original source of news, there is a large button at the end of the page.
I like Read for its simplicity, there are not many features here, as in Inoreader or Feedly, but there are enough of those. There is no Russian interface language. There is no advertising either, I don't even know how the developers monetize the project.
Read on Google Play
Let's summarize
Inoreader is suitable if you need to be as meticulous as possible when searching for news or if this is your job. To do this, the application has a bunch of settings for application behavior and process automation. Feddly is suitable for simple news reading with flexible interface and gesture settings. Read is suitable for news and podcast listening.
I recommend trying each application and choosing the one that suits you, they are free. Also, tell us in the comments about your way of reading the news.