What is an RSS reader? How feed readers work, with Smart RSS Reader as an example
An RSS reader (also called a feed reader or news aggregator) is an app, browser extension or web service that subscribes to the RSS or Atom feeds websites publish and collects their new articles in one place. Instead of visiting dozens of sites to check for updates, you open the reader and see every new post, in order, with no algorithm deciding what you get to see.
This guide explains how feeds and readers work, the three types of RSS reader, and how a browser-based reader works in practice, using the open source Smart RSS Reader extension for Firefox as the example.
What is an RSS reader and how does it work?
An RSS reader works by regularly downloading small XML files, called feeds, that websites publish alongside their pages. Each feed lists the site's latest items with a title, link, short description or full text, author and publication date. The reader checks every subscribed feed on a schedule, compares the items with what it already has, and shows the new ones as unread.
Two feed formats are in common use. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication; the current RSS 2.0 specification is maintained by the RSS Advisory Board, and every RSS channel must have a title, a link and a description. Atom is the second format, standardized by the IETF in RFC 4287 in December 2005 and served as application/atom+xml. Practically every reader understands both, so you rarely need to care which one a site uses.
The model is pull, not push: you decide which sources to follow, nothing is ranked or hidden, and no account with the publisher is needed. Feeds also carry podcasts (through audio enclosures), YouTube channels, forum threads, release notes and blog comments, which is why many power users still treat an RSS reader as their main news inbox.
Types of RSS readers
RSS readers come in three main forms, and the right one depends on where you read and whether you need sync between devices.
| Type | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Browser extension | Runs inside the browser, fetches feeds while the browser is open, stores data locally | One computer, privacy, no account |
| Desktop app | Standalone program that fetches and stores feeds on your PC | Large subscription lists, offline reading, full control |
| Web service or app | Server fetches feeds for you and syncs read status to phone and desktop apps | Reading on several devices |
Local readers (extensions and desktop apps) keep your subscription list and reading history on your own device, and you can keep an older version if an update removes a feature you rely on. Web services add sync and mobile apps, but your reading data lives on their servers and the service can change features or pricing. Browser extensions such as Feedbro and desktop programs such as QuiteRSS are long-standing local options.
Why use an RSS reader?
An RSS reader gives you a complete, chronological list of everything your chosen sites publish, which social feeds and news apps do not. The main benefits:
- No algorithm: you see every new item from every source, in date order.
- Less tracking: a local reader fetches feeds directly, without a platform account or a profile of your clicks.
- Time saving: scan headlines from many sites in one view and open only what interests you.
- Unread state: the reader remembers what you have seen, so nothing slips past.
- Portability: subscription lists move between readers as OPML files, the standard import and export format.
Browsers used to include basic feed support. Firefox, for example, removed its Live Bookmarks feature in Firefox 64, and Mozilla's migration notes point users to feed reader add-ons, desktop programs or web services instead. That gap is what extensions like Smart RSS Reader fill.
Smart RSS Reader: an RSS reader extension for Firefox
Smart RSS Reader is a free, open source (MIT license) RSS reader extension for Firefox that stores all feeds and articles locally, so no online account is needed. It is a fork, maintained by the developer zakius, of an extension Martin Kadlec built as a replacement for the built-in feed reader of Opera 12.
Its current status matters before you install it. The Firefox add-ons listing shows version 2.26.0, released on February 25, 2025, and warns that the extension will likely receive no further development, though it should keep working for the foreseeable future. The GitHub repository is marked officially unmaintained and was archived (read-only) on May 10, 2026. The Chrome version, available when ghacks first reviewed the extension in 2020, no longer has an active Chrome Web Store listing.
That makes Smart RSS Reader a good fit for Firefox users who want a simple local reader today and accept that it will not gain new features or fixes. If you need a reader with active development, sync or Chrome support, pick a maintained extension, desktop app or service instead.
Clicking the toolbar icon opens the reader in a tab with three panes: feeds on the left, the article list (title, author, date) in the middle and the article itself on the right, with images and original formatting. Articles can be pinned as favorites and read offline, and the toolbar icon shows a badge count when new items arrive.
How to add RSS feeds to Smart RSS Reader
You add a feed to Smart RSS Reader by pasting its URL, by subscribing from the page you are on, or by importing an OPML file from another reader.
- Click the plus button in the toolbar of the feeds pane.
- Paste the feed URL (for this site, https://www.ghacks.net/feed/) and confirm. The extension picks up the site name and favicon and lists the latest articles.
- To subscribe to the site you are viewing, right-click the extension's toolbar icon and use the subscribe option. This works only when the site publishes an RSS or Atom feed the extension can detect.
- To move an existing subscription list, open the options (wrench icon), scroll to the Import section and choose your OPML file. Folders from the previous reader are kept.
If a site has no visible feed link, try adding /feed/ to a WordPress site's address, or look for an RSS icon or a "subscribe" link in the footer. Many readers, Smart RSS Reader included, can also detect a feed from the page itself.
How to organize and read feeds
Smart RSS Reader organizes subscriptions with folders and context menus, which is how most local readers handle large feed lists.
- All feeds: right-click "All feeds" to update everything, mark all as read or delete all articles.
- Single feed: right-click a feed for update, mark all as read, delete (unsubscribe), refetch and open the feed's website; Properties lets you edit the name and URL.
- Folders: use New Folder in the feeds pane toolbar and move feeds into it.
- Article list: jump to the next or previous unread item, mark items unread, unpin them or open them in a new tab; a search box filters articles.
- Options: switch to a 2-pane layout, change sorting and font size, use keyboard shortcuts, and export your feeds as OPML for backup or a move to another reader.
Export your OPML regularly with any reader. It is the one file that lets you switch readers in minutes, which matters most with an unmaintained extension.
How to choose an RSS reader
The best RSS reader is the one that matches where you read and how much you follow. Check these points before committing:
- Devices: one browser on one PC suits an extension; several devices need a sync service or an app that supports one.
- Maintenance: check the last update date in the store listing or repository.
- Privacy: local readers keep data on your device; for a service, read what it stores and whether it shows ads.
- OPML import and export: required, so you are never locked in.
- Full-text and offline reading: useful when feeds only carry summaries or you read on the go.
- Filters, folders and keyboard shortcuts: these decide whether hundreds of feeds stay manageable.
For more browser add-ons that pair well with a reader, such as saving articles as complete pages with Save Page WE, see our list of the best Firefox add-ons.
FAQ
Is an RSS reader free?
Many are. Browser extensions such as Smart RSS Reader and desktop readers are often free and open source, while web services usually offer a free tier and charge for extras such as more feeds or full-text search.
What is the difference between RSS and Atom?
Both are XML feed formats that list a site's latest items. RSS 2.0 is maintained by the RSS Advisory Board, Atom is an IETF standard (RFC 4287), and nearly every reader supports both.
What is an OPML file?
OPML is the file format RSS readers use to export and import subscription lists, including folders. Exporting one from your current reader lets you move all feeds to a new reader in a single step.
Does Smart RSS Reader still work in Chrome?
The Chrome Web Store no longer shows an active listing for it, and the project's GitHub page marks the Chrome link as gone. Chrome users need a different RSS reader extension or app.
Related: Feedbro feed reader extension, QuiteRSS desktop feed reader, recommended Firefox add-ons
I’m currently using Livemarks, which is dead simple — almost featureless. Its aim is just to restore the Live Bookmarks feature that FF used to have. I like that simplicity.
For some purposes I prefer less complicated (and less powerful) tools, because nobody has unlimited mental focus. Every additional complication (for example, in the FF interface), no matter how useful in itself, pulls your mind away from other things that may be more important to you — and you may not even realize that it’s happening.
thanks for your write up!
I decided to pick up this project to replace Newsfox that was always pretty slow and to open up my way to Quantum, after I fixed issues bothering me it quickly became my daily driver and I thought “maybe someone else will like it too” so I published it to AMO and attempted CWS and Opera
Fast forward around 10 months and we are here, with ~850 daily users reported by AMO, that’s pretty impressive as I never really advertised!
I am aware many other extensions exist but I never managed to find one that would match my flow from M2 later perfected in Newsfox, ability to middle-click on article titles on list and almost native selection handling were crucial for me and while SmartRSS lacked the former it had most of heavy lifting already done so it was a perfect project to adopt for my personal use
Wow, it got back into Webstore (it was having issues with that for more than a year). Nice to hear that since I’ve been using a developer version of it till now.
I was a regular user of original extension by Martin on Opera as well and before that the Opera’s inbuilt M Feed system as well.
yeah, that was a long journey full of software bugs and policy changes, I was ready to give up but finally it got republished
though I don’t intend to fight once again if anything unexpected happens in the future, sorry
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I prefer QuiteRSS. Lots of custom options.
Thanks for the article!
Feedbro is very much better.
When you click on a folder name all feeds in that folder appear in the right panel, all opened, below each other.
Very handy.
It just doesn’t do anything (and yes I gave all the necessary permissions)! Help doesn’t help either. Help!
I also use QuiteRSS and have for years and I love it. @Ashwin – how can I make chrome give me a toolbar button to subscribe to RSS feeds in QuiteRSS? I don’t want to have to copy and paste the url – I’m looking for a button to just subscribe using my external feed reader. I have this in my Waterfox (but can’t remember of find out which extension supplies the button).
Using it since the new Opera came out. really good.
That was goold old Opera’s 12 RSS reader, that will be soon in Vivaldi in a form or another, because guess what, Jon von Tetzschner who made Opera Presto and not ChrOpera is making Vivaldi. Awaiting anti-Vivaldi “bloatware” comments in 3,2,1 from the usual haters and trolls.
Any RSS reader without filtering to delete things I never want to read about isn’t one I would use. So I won’t be using this by the looks of things. I’m not sure what’s feature it has that they thought the moniker of “smart” was appropriate, it just seems like a bog standard one.
Feedbro is the best extension I’ve tried partly down to rules. App wise I use my Mac for internet most of the time and use Readkit which has smart folders. Not quite as nice as rules for me but does the same job. QuiteRSS works well but just looks terribly dated even on Windows, even more so on the Mac. A rewrite was going to happen a while back but that was cancelled.
Looks similar to Feedbro, which i use.
Similar, yes, but from a quick test i did Feedbro IMO is better, both in performance, resources and features. Smart RSS Reader uses almost triple the amount of ram (according to Chrome’s task manager) and a lot more cpu usage when it tries to update feeds, also from my test it seems that it doesn’t support Instagram feeds, whereas Feedbro does. it’ still early days for this add-on though, maybe in the future will become a better alternative to Feedbro.
How does Feedbro compare to Brief (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/brief) ?
I have used various RSS feed readers, incl. QuiteRSS, Feedly, RSS Owl, Liferea, ……
I am now using Vienna (Mac only) which I find by far the best.
Vienna is OK. It has the same negative as Readkit for me, smart folders rather than rules. For stuff I never want to read about I just want it deleted. That’s the only thing I use smart folders for, to hide that stuff. They just are not as neat or flexible as rules. For example I have a few groups of delete rules in feedbro. One group for things I never, ever want to read about, but others for things I do once in a while (like phones if I’m in the market for one, otherwise don’t want to see them). I can toggle them when I do want to read about those subjects. You can’t really do that with smart folders.
I just don’t understand why this add-on/extension “SmartRSSReader” consumes so much RAM/CPU when compared (for example) with Feedbro add-on/extension (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/feedbroreader/).
In FF’ Nightly with 100 feeds, SmartRSSReader when inactive consumes around 4MB VS Feedbro that consumes around 1MB.
And when active, here is the huge exaggerated jump, SmartRSSReader may consume around 30MB (never saw an add-on/extension consuming so much RAM) VS Feedbro that consumes around 2MB (with same number of loaded feeds).
Please, don’t get me wrong, SmartRSSReader has a nice and promising interface (reminds me NewFox), but from browser performance point of view, IMHO this add-on/extension has issues, or at least it needs a huge improvement here.
I’m not interested in SNS, and on the Web, I’m only interested in information (articles) from specific sites (for example, http://www.ghacks.net), so “RSS” is the main tool.
Now, my favorite method is the desktop app “QuiteRSS” and the browser extension “Feedblo”.
However, as I am Inspired by Aswin’s article, I felt that I would try “Smart RSS” for this browser extension for a while.
Thanks to Aswin for a very good article (specific and sufficient considerations).
I’ve tried “Smart RSS”:
Installed (from AMO), imported “Feedblo” data (Feed Subscriptions as OPML) and compared each other.
Indeed, the behavior is fast.
However,
â— There is no “dark theme”.
â— Lack of various customization functions that are possible with Feedblo.
â— Large RAM consumption.
â— CPU load is high and its value will never be zero.
Smart RSS is
It’s not an alternative for Feedblo users, but it may be the best option for casual users who don’t want advanced features.
This would have been perfect if it had filters.