I use a feed reader to pull in all the articles I’m interested in (using RSS), YouTube channels I subscribe to, social network lists, and even email newsletters. This allows me to avoid endless feeds, algorithms, and unwanted ads. When I read something, it is marked as read, and I don’t need to see it again.

I’ve tried several feed readers over the years since Google Reader was killed. The list includes Feedly, Inoreader, NetNewsWire, News Explorer, Reader, and others. Some of them have great features that I like. I especially liked the ability to take highlights and notes in Feedly pro, and they would sync automatically into my Readwise account.

However, the feed reader I’ve stuck with the longest is Feedbin. Why? I think there are a few reasons.

1) Feedbin is Simple

Feedbin doesn’t try to do too much. It has a simple and clean UI. You can use other Feed Readers with Feedbin, like Reeder, Unread, and many others. I find the Feedbin iOS apps are great and get the job done.

2) Feedbin supports newsletters

As I said, I now send all of my newsletters directly to Feedbin. This helps keep my email clean. I like the way Feedbin handles email newsletters. Rather than parsing the text, like it would most web articles, it gives me the option to show the newsletter in its original format, which I find better.

Here is an example newsletter from Ness Labs.

Example Ness Labs newsletter shown in Feedbin
Example Ness Labs newsletter shown in Feedbin

3) Feedbin handles Tweets and Micro.blog posts well

Feedbin lets you subscribe to Twitter users and lists, which is excellent in itself, but I love that I can click the little chat icon and see the entire thread directly in Feedbin.

Example Tweet Thread in Feedbin
Example Tweet Thread in Feedbin

This also works with Micro.blog. If you add the Discover feed or follow individual users, you click on the small Micro.blog icon to see the entire thread without leaving Feedbin.

You still need to leave Feedbin and open the original post to reply. :(

4) Feedbin lets me share directly to Micro.blog and others

If I see something interesting while reading in Feedbin, I can easily share using the native Share Sheet or even share the link and my comments directly to my blog.

Example share with Micro.blog from Feedbin
Example share with Micro.blog from Feedbin

Feedbin is not perfect. It costs $50 per year (which I gladly pay), and it doesn’t have a native Mac app.