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Newsboat
What Newsboat is
Newsboat is a free RSS and Atom reader built for text terminals on Unix and Unix-like systems. It supports Linux and macOS and has also been tested on FreeBSD; its documentation says NetBSD is currently unsupported. Users can enter feed addresses in a configuration file or import subscriptions from OPML, then browse feeds, article lists, and individual articles. Search works across article titles and content. Downloaded articles are kept locally, so they can remain available after they disappear from a feed. When a server provides Last-Modified or ETag values, Newsboat can request feed data only when it has changed. It can also connect to online feed services such as NewsBlur, Feedbin, FreshRSS, Inoreader, and Miniflux. Its OPML online mode synchronizes subscriptions one way from a service to Newsboat. Newsboat can download, save, and stream podcasts, but playback requires an external media player. Prebuilt binaries are available from Linux and BSD distribution repositories, Homebrew, and the Snap store, or users can compile it from source.
Who it suits
Newsboat suits readers who want to follow RSS or Atom feeds in a text terminal on Linux or macOS. It can also serve readers who want local article downloads or podcast support with an external player.
What it does well
- Imports subscriptions from OPML.
- Keeps downloaded articles locally for later reading.
- Searches article titles and content.
- Connects to multiple online feed services.
- Can download, save, and stream podcasts.
What to know first
- NetBSD is currently unsupported.
- Podcast playback requires an external media player.
- OPML online subscription sync works one way.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Newsboat | RSS/Atom reader for text terminals · MIT licensed | Free |
As newsboat.org lists them, read 9 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Install Newsboat through a Linux or BSD distribution repository, Homebrew, or the Snap store, or compile it from source.
- Add feed URLs in a configuration file or import an OPML file.
- Browse feeds, article lists, and articles, and search titles or content.
- Configure an online feed service if you want to use one with Newsboat.
- Configure an external media player for podcast playback.
Verdict
Newsboat combines terminal-based feed reading with local article storage, search, and connections to online feed services. Podcast playback depends on a separate media player, and NetBSD is unsupported.
Questions
Is Newsboat free?
Yes. The Newsboat plan is free, and the software is distributed under the MIT License.
Which systems does Newsboat support?
It supports Linux and macOS and has also been tested on FreeBSD. NetBSD is currently unsupported.
How can I add feeds?
You can enter feed URLs in a configuration file or import subscriptions from an OPML file.
Can Newsboat work offline?
Yes. It stores downloaded articles locally so they can remain available after they disappear from the current feed.
Which online feed services can it connect to?
The documentation describes services including NewsBlur, Feedbin, FreshRSS, Inoreader, Miniflux, and others. Online OPML mode syncs subscriptions one way from the service to Newsboat.
Can it play podcasts?
Newsboat can download, save, and stream podcasts. Playback requires an external media player.
Facts from Newsboat's own pages
- Audience and limits
- The documentation says Newsboat can be used as a feed reader on its own, while online services may be useful for syncing news across devices or fetching feeds when the user's computer is not running continuously. · newsboat.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Bandwidth behavior
- Newsboat uses HTTP Last-Modified and ETag values, when available, to ask servers to send feed data only when it has changed. · newsboat.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Browser integration
- Users can configure an external browser command to open article links. · newsboat.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Caching
- Newsboat saves downloaded articles locally and uses Last-Modified and ETag headers for conditional feed downloads when available. · newsboat.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Credential handling
- For NewsBlur, the documentation describes providing a password through an external command, such as one that decrypts a file or reads a system keyring. · newsboat.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Feed import
- Users can add feed URLs in a configuration file or import subscriptions from an OPML file. · newsboat.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Feed support
- Users can add feed URLs directly or import an OPML file. · newsboat.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · newsboat.org, 20 Sept 2026
- Installation
- Prebuilt binaries are available through Linux and BSD distribution repositories, Homebrew, and the Snap store; Newsboat can also be compiled from source. · newsboat.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- It can act as a client for services including The Old Reader, NewsBlur, FeedHQ, BazQux, Feedbin, FreshRSS, Tiny Tiny RSS, ownCloud News, Nextcloud News, Inoreader, and Miniflux. · newsboat.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Latest release
- The site lists version 2.45, released October 4, 2026. · newsboat.org, 9 Oct 2026
- License
- Newsboat is distributed under the MIT License, which provides the software without warranty. · newsboat.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Notable limitation
- The project says NetBSD is currently unsupported because of technical limitations in its iconv() implementation. · newsboat.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Offline downloads
- Yes · newsboat.org, 20 Sept 2026
- Offline reading
- Newsboat keeps downloaded articles locally so they can remain available after they disappear from the current feed. · newsboat.org, 9 Oct 2026
- OPML service mode
- OPML online subscription mode synchronizes subscriptions one way from an online service to Newsboat. · newsboat.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Platforms
- The project says it has been tested on Linux with glibc and musl-libc, FreeBSD, and macOS. · newsboat.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Podcasts
- Newsboat supports downloading, saving, and streaming podcasts, but playback requires an external media player. · newsboat.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Podcast support
- Newsboat can download, save, and stream podcasts, but requires an external media player for playback. · newsboat.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Private feed support
- Yes · newsboat.org, 20 Sept 2026
- Purpose
- Newsboat is an RSS/Atom feed reader designed for text terminals on Unix and Unix-like systems. · newsboat.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Reading and search
- The interface has feed, article-list, and article views, and users can search article titles or content. · newsboat.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Release
- The project homepage lists version 2.45, released on 4 October 2026. · newsboat.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Security
- The documentation asks users to report vulnerabilities by email and encrypt messages with the project’s OpenPGP key if possible. · newsboat.org, 9 Oct 2026
Where Newsboat stands on Freedom251
- RSS Reader Software#18 of 33
- Podcast apps#49 of 55