# Best RSS Reader for Windows 2026: 7 Apps Still Updated

> The best RSS reader for Windows in 2026: Fluent Reader, RSS Guard, FeedFlow and more, compared on price, last update and Windows 11 support.

Published by Hushread, 2026-10-16. Canonical: https://hushread.com/blog/best-rss-reader-windows

*Disclosure: Hushread is my app. I've tried to be fair, and I say where the others are the better choice.*

The best RSS reader for Windows is Fluent Reader for most people: it is free, open source, installs from the Microsoft Store and shipped version 1.3.1 on 15 October 2026. If you want more control (filters written in JavaScript, a podcast player, sync with Feedly or FreshRSS) pick RSS Guard, which also still runs on Windows 7. If you read on your phone too, FeedFlow or a web reader such as Inoreader keeps both in step.

Many "best Windows RSS reader" lists still recommend FeedDemon and RSSOwl, which stopped development years ago. A reader nobody maintains isn't a safe home for your feeds, so the last update is in the table.

## Free RSS readers for Windows 11 and 10, compared

Prices are from the US Microsoft Store or the developer's own site, in US dollars, checked on 16 October 2026. "Last update" is the latest release on GitHub or the Store's last-updated date.

| App | Price | Runs on | Last update | Syncs with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Fluent Reader](https://github.com/yang991178/fluent-reader) | Free | Windows 10 and 11, x86, x64, ARM64 | v1.3.1, Oct 15, 2026 | Inoreader, Feedbin, The Old Reader, BazQux, Fever and Google Reader API servers |
| [RSS Guard](https://github.com/martinrotter/rssguard) | Free | Windows 7 and later | 5.2.5, Aug 20, 2026 | Feedly, Inoreader, FreshRSS, Miniflux, Nextcloud News, Tiny Tiny RSS and more |
| [FeedFlow](https://feedflow.dev/) | Free | Windows 10 and 11, x64 | Oct 3, 2026 | Dropbox, Google Drive, FreshRSS, Miniflux, Feedbin, BazQux |
| [Thunderbird](https://blog.thunderbird.net/2022/05/thunderbird-rss-feeds-guide-favorite-content-to-the-inbox/) | Free | Windows | Built into the email app | None for feeds |
| [Vivaldi](https://help.vivaldi.com/mail/mail-feeds/feeds/) | Free | Windows | Built into the browser | None for feeds |
| [Inoreader](https://www.inoreader.com/pricing) (web) | Free for 150 feeds, Pro $7.50 a month billed yearly | Any browser | Web service, n/a | Its own account |
| [NewsBlur](https://www.newsblur.com/) (web) | Free for 64 sites, Premium $36 a year | Any browser | Web service, n/a | Its own account |

Pick by situation: Fluent Reader for a modern Windows PC, RSS Guard for Windows 7 or Feedly sync, FeedFlow if your phone needs the same feeds, a web reader on a work PC where you can't install software.

None of these needs a Feedly account. That matters because Nextgen Reader, a Store app older lists rate highly, says "Requires feedly account for login" on its [listing](https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9wzdncrfj262?hl=en-US&gl=US) and was last updated in May 2024.

## Fluent Reader: the one to install first

Fluent Reader's README describes "a modern UI inspired by Fluent Design System with full dark mode support", and it does look at home on Windows 11. It reads feeds locally, or syncs with Inoreader, Feedbin, The Old Reader, BazQux and any self-hosted service that speaks the Fever or Google Reader API. It imports and exports OPML, and its rules can "Hide, mark as read, or star articles automatically" using regular expressions.

The README recommends the Microsoft Store version on Windows 10 because it updates itself and adds "experimental ARM64 support"; the GitHub download is for older Windows and Linux. The Store listing is free with no in-app purchases ([Microsoft Store](https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9p71fc94lrh8?hl=en-US&gl=US)).

![Fluent Reader's GitHub releases page with v1.3.1 marked Latest, its fixes for duplicate articles and a sqlite migration error, and a 124 MB Windows x64 installer](/blog-img/best-rss-reader-windows/fluent-reader-release.webp)
*Fluent Reader v1.3.1 on GitHub, released 15 October 2026. Source: [github.com](https://github.com/yang991178/fluent-reader/releases)*

Version 1.3.1's notes fix deduplication "when RSS source lacks dates and guid", which matters if you follow scraped or generated feeds. It is licensed BSD-3-Clause.

What it lacks: Feedly sync, and any phone app of its own. If you want your read state on a phone, pair it with Inoreader or a self-hosted FreshRSS.

## RSS Guard: for power users and older PCs

RSS Guard is the most capable reader here. It is free under the GNU GPLv3 and its documentation lists "Windows 7+" as supported ([RSS Guard docs](https://rssguard.readthedocs.io/en/latest/supported-os.html)).

Every release comes in four Windows builds. `win10` is for modern systems and `win7` is "intended for maximum compatibility, including older Windows systems" ([downloads](https://rssguard.readthedocs.io/en/latest/downloads.html)). Each has a `web` version, which uses a full browser engine to show articles, and a `text` version, which the README calls "smaller, simpler". The Windows 7 text build is a 41.3 MB installer, against 213 MB for the Windows 10 web build.

![RSS Guard's 5.2.5 release page on GitHub, released August 20, with the win7 and win10 installers listed as separate downloads](/blog-img/best-rss-reader-windows/rssguard-release.webp)
*RSS Guard 5.2.5 on GitHub, 16 October 2026. Source: [github.com](https://github.com/martinrotter/rssguard/releases/tag/5.2.5)*

It is the only app here that syncs with Feedly, and it also connects to Gmail, Nextcloud News, Tiny Tiny RSS and Google Reader API services such as FreshRSS, Inoreader and Miniflux. It is "also a capable podcast player", with a built-in media player for audio and video. And its [article filters](https://rssguard.readthedocs.io/en/latest/features/filters.html) are JavaScript snippets that can accept, ignore or purge each incoming article, which is as precise as filtering gets on a desktop reader.

The catch is that all of that comes with a lot of settings. If you only want to read twenty blogs, Fluent Reader is less work.

## FeedFlow: an RSS feed app for Windows and your phone

FeedFlow has its own apps on Android and iOS as well as Windows. Its site lists "Android · iOS · macOS · Windows · Linux" and calls it "Free, open source, and available on every platform you use" ([FeedFlow](https://feedflow.dev/)). On Windows you get it from the Microsoft Store or as an MSI download.

Sync goes through Dropbox or Google Drive, or through FreshRSS, Miniflux, Feedbin or BazQux if you run or pay for one. It has a reader mode, offline reading, OPML import and export, and a way to "block noisy keywords". The Store listing names x64 as its only architecture and had no ratings yet.

## Already have it: Thunderbird, Vivaldi or Opera

You may not need a new app at all.

**Thunderbird**, the free email app ([thunderbird.net](https://www.thunderbird.net/)), has a feed reader built in. Thunderbird's own guide gives the steps: from the File or ≡ menu choose New, then Feed Account, name it, click the account and choose "Manage feed subscriptions", paste the address into "Feed URL" and press Add. Articles then arrive like emails, which suits people who already live in their inbox.

**Vivaldi** has a feed reader in the browser. Turn it on under Settings, General, Productivity Features (you can enable Feeds without Mail), then use the Feeds button in the address bar when a page offers one, or add a URL from the Feed Panel ([Vivaldi Help](https://help.vivaldi.com/mail/mail-feeds/feeds/)).

**Opera**'s sidebar news reader also accepts RSS: its page says to click "Add sources" and paste the URL ([Opera](https://www.opera.com/features/personal-news)).

None of the three syncs feeds to a phone.

## Stale picks still on other lists

- **QuiteRSS:** its last release, 0.19.4, came out on March 9, 2022 ([GitHub](https://github.com/QuiteRSS/quiterss/releases)).
- **Nextgen Reader:** last updated May 8, 2024.
- **RSSOwl:** its GitHub repository is archived and the last release is 2.2.1 ([GitHub](https://github.com/rssowl/RSSOwl)).
- **FeedDemon:** its developer released the final version in June 2013 and made it free ([Nick Bradbury](https://nickbradbury.com/2013/06/20/the-last-version-of-feeddemon-is-here-and-its-free/)).

## Web readers: the option that works on every device

A native app is fastest, but if you also read on a phone or on a work PC you can't install software on, a web reader is simpler.

**Inoreader**'s free plan covers 150 feeds, and Pro costs $7.50 a month billed annually or $9.99 monthly. Its pricing page says it works "in your browser and on our iOS and Android apps", and names no Windows app. The plans in detail are in [Inoreader pricing](/blog/inoreader-pricing).

**Feedly** has no Windows app either: its [reader page](https://feedly.com/news-reader) lists iPhone and Android apps and browser extensions. For its plans, see [Feedly pricing](/blog/feedly-pricing).

**NewsBlur** is free for 64 sites, with Premium at $36 a year. If you also read on a Mac, the same services appear in [the best RSS reader for Mac](/blog/best-rss-reader-mac).

Hushread, my app, is another web option. It has no Windows app: you open app.hushread.com in Edge, Chrome or any modern browser, and your sources, folders and read state follow you to its iPhone and Android apps ([apps and devices](/docs/apps-and-devices)). Choose it for what it does with sites, not for the desktop: paste a site's address and it follows the site even without a feed, and it links articles about the same event from different outlets, with a day-by-day timeline once a story is big. The web version sends no push notifications. It is free for 5 sources; Pro is $1.25 a month billed yearly ($14.99 a year in the US) for unlimited sources.

## FAQ

### What is the best RSS reader for Windows?

Fluent Reader, for most people: it is free and open source, installs from the Microsoft Store, runs on x86, x64 and ARM64, and was updated on 15 October 2026. RSS Guard is the better pick for power users, Feedly sync or Windows 7.

### Is Fluent Reader still maintained?

Yes. Versions 1.3.0 and 1.3.1 were released on 15 October 2026, and the Microsoft Store listing updated the same day. The 1.3.1 notes fix duplicate articles from feeds without dates or IDs.

### Is there a free RSS reader for Windows 11?

Yes. Fluent Reader, RSS Guard and FeedFlow are free native apps, and Thunderbird and [Vivaldi](https://vivaldi.com/blog/vivaldi-business-model/) include a free feed reader. Inoreader's free plan covers 150 feeds in the browser.

### Which RSS feed app for Windows syncs with my phone?

FeedFlow has its own Android and iPhone apps and syncs through Dropbox, Google Drive or services such as FreshRSS. Fluent Reader and RSS Guard sync through Inoreader, which has phone apps, and any web reader works on both.

### Which RSS reader still works on Windows 7?

RSS Guard: each release includes a `win7` build, and its documentation lists Windows 7 and later as supported.

If you already use Thunderbird or Vivaldi, try the reader you have before installing anything. Otherwise start with Fluent Reader, and move to RSS Guard when you want filters or sync it can't do; both export OPML, so [moving your feeds](/blog/what-is-opml) later takes minutes. If you want one feed list across a Windows browser and your phone and follow 5 sources or fewer, [Hushread](https://hushread.com/#download) does that free; past that, FeedFlow is free and syncs your phone through Dropbox or Google Drive.