# NewsBlur vs Miniflux (2026): Free Alternative to NewsBlur

Canonical: https://caniforkit.com/vs/newsblur-premium-vs-miniflux
Last updated: 2026-08-11

Compare NewsBlur ($3/mo) vs Miniflux ($0/mo open source Apache-2.0 alternative to NewsBlur). Side-by-side breakdown of pricing, self-hosting setup, data storage, and practical trade-offs.

## Side-by-Side Comparison Matrix

| Feature / Metric | NewsBlur | Miniflux |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $3/mo | $0.00 / month |
| 1-Seat Annual Cost | $36/yr | $0.00 / year |
| 5-Person Team Annual Cost | $180/yr | $0.00 / year |
| 10-Person Team Annual Cost | $360/yr | $0.00 / year |
| License Model | Proprietary Commercial SaaS | Apache-2.0 |
| Hosting / Runtime | Vendor Cloud | Self-host |
| Data Ownership | Stored on vendor servers | Users, subscriptions, fetched entries, read/star state, filters, sessions, and settings live in the operator's PostgreSQL database. |
| GitHub Stars | Closed Source | ★ 9.6k |
| Code Repository | None | https://github.com/miniflux/v2 |
| The Catch / Trade-off | Recurring subscription cost | Miniflux prioritizes simplicity and gives up NewsBlur's trainable filters, first-party mobile apps, social features, story intelligence, and richer discovery. |

## About Miniflux
A fast feed reader for people who think settings pages are a moral failure.

- **Installation**: Install the published binary/package or run the official Docker image, with PostgreSQL
- **Setup Notes**: PostgreSQL is mandatory, so the first hurdle is not the binary but a database, migrations, scheduled refresh, a reverse proxy with TLS, backups, and upgrades.
- **Data Storage**: Users, subscriptions, fetched entries, read/star state, filters, sessions, and settings live in the operator's PostgreSQL database.
- **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host
- **The Catch vs NewsBlur**: Miniflux prioritizes simplicity and gives up NewsBlur's trainable filters, first-party mobile apps, social features, story intelligence, and richer discovery.

## Cost Savings Breakdown
Switching from NewsBlur to Miniflux eliminates ongoing per-seat subscriptions:
- **Solo / 1-seat**: Save **$36/year**
- **5-person team**: Save **$180/year**
- **10-person team**: Save **$360/year**

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is Miniflux a good free alternative to NewsBlur?
Yes. Miniflux is a verified open source (Apache-2.0) replacement for NewsBlur. A fast feed reader for people who think settings pages are a moral failure.

### What is the catch when switching from NewsBlur to Miniflux?
Miniflux prioritizes simplicity and gives up NewsBlur's trainable filters, first-party mobile apps, social features, story intelligence, and richer discovery.

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