NewsBlur
Training filters and comment-aware feeds, paid for with a serious server stack.
Technical Profile & Specs
verified 2026-08-11
- Cost
- $0 / forever (Open Source)
- License
- MIT
- Hosting Model
- Local or hosted (your machine or their cloud)
- Platforms
- desktopmobilewebself-hostedself-host, real ops
- Installation
- Hosted signup for the free service, or clone the repository and start its Docker Compose stack
- Operational Setup
- None for the limited hosted plan; self-hosting is a serious PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, worker, proxy, storage, backup, and monitoring stack rather than a single-container reader.
- Where Your Data Lives
- The hosted account stores feeds, stories, training signals, folders, comments, and read state in NewsBlur's cloud; self-hosting uses PostgreSQL for relational data, MongoDB for stories/read state, Redis caches, and persistent volumes.
- The Catch / Trade-off
- NewsBlur can handle comments and filtering, but its free hosted cap or heavy self-host stack is a worse trade than BazQux's inexpensive, focused hosted service.
Replaces 3 paid apps
up to $15.88/mo ($191/yr) in subscriptions
NewsBlur FAQ
Common questions
Is NewsBlur free and open source?+
NewsBlur is an open-source tool licensed under MIT that runs on local or hosted. Training filters and comment-aware feeds, paid for with a serious server stack.
What paid software does NewsBlur replace?+
NewsBlur serves as a free replacement for 3 paid SaaS applications: BazQux Reader, Inoreader, NewsBlur, saving up to $15.88/month ($191/year) in subscription bills.
How do you install and set up NewsBlur?+
Installation: Hosted signup for the free service, or clone the repository and start its Docker Compose stack. Setup notes: None for the limited hosted plan; self-hosting is a serious PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, worker, proxy, storage, backup, and monitoring stack rather than a single-container reader.
What is the catch or trade-off with NewsBlur?+
NewsBlur can handle comments and filtering, but its free hosted cap or heavy self-host stack is a worse trade than BazQux's inexpensive, focused hosted service.