Google Reader alternatives: what's the best replacement?

With Google Reader closing on July 1, Dave Null is looking for a "seamless replacement"….
Google reader
Google reader: is due to close on July 1

Is there a seamless replacement for Google Reader? Thanks as always!
Dave Null

Google plans to close Google Reader on July 1, but it is too soon to say which news reader will replace it… if any. Some of the contenders are either too new to judge, still in beta testing, or have yet to launch. Google's odd withdrawal from this market has created a surge of interest and prompted several rivals to jump into the gap.

The newcomers include AOL, Digg, Facebook and (via the purchase of Pulse) LinkedIn. If you already use one of these services, you might well be happy using its news reader, otherwise known as an RSS (really simple syndication) reader. Under the circumstances, it does seem surprising that Google is shutting down Google Reader rather than integrating it into its Google Plus (G+) social network.

Possible replacements

A seamless replacement for Google Reader would have at least five characteristics….

It would provide the same selection of RSS feeds, ideally by importing an OPML file exported from Google Reader (via Google Takeout).

It should have roughly the same appearance and, more importantly, use the same familiar keyboard shortcuts.

It should be usable across multiple platforms, including the web, smartphones and tablets. (Obviously, stories marked as read on one device should not appear as unread stories on another device.)

It should provide a way for stories to be shared socially, eg via email or Twitter.

Google Reader was free, so there should at least be a free version.

Since all five points are obvious, you'd think there would be lots of options, but there aren't. The Old Reader is fairly close and supports many of the same shortcuts. It doesn't offer mobile apps or browser extensions, but some are available from third parties. Also, it doesn't offer the third-party sharing options you had with Google Reader. Still, it could be an acceptable short-term solution to the disappearance of Google Reader, though it may not be the best long-term solution.

In the absence of a seamless Google Reader replacement, Feedly seems to be picking up most of its old customers and many new ones: it now has more than 12 million users.

Feedly looks something like Google Reader if you use the 'titles' view to list stories. As well as its website, Feedly offers Apple iOS and Android smartphone apps, plus Google Chrome, Safari and Firefox browser extensions. On the negative side, not all the keyboard shortcuts are the same, and not everyone is happy [link contains swearing] with Feedly's user interface, especially on apps.

If you don't like Feedly, Newsblur is probably your best bet. In a Twitter vote at, Newsblur (560 tweets) was only a little behind Feedly (625 tweets), and well ahead of Bloglovin (154 tweets), which is from the company that now owns Digg. Newsblur's drawback is that it costs $24 a year, but there is a free version pre-populated with feeds so you can see if you like it.

Otherwise, Digg Reader looks promising, so watch out for the reviews.

Of course, not everyone was happy with Google Reader, and you may want to try something that doesn't just clone the former market leader.

News with pictures

Nowadays, there seem to be two types of news reader, whether you apply the term to the software or to the type of user. First, there are news geeks who want to process a lot of news stories as efficiently as possible: these were the core of the Google Reader audience.

Second, there are people who want a visual presentation of stories – something more like a newspaper or magazine. Flipboard and Zite are probably the best-known examples, and it looks as though Facebook's reader will follow this line. Facebook's founder, Mark Zuckerberg, said he wanted Facebook to be "the best personalised newspaper in the world".

With this kind of approach, users don't really need to know anything about RSS or the feeds that may form part of the "hidden plumbing". For example, Buzzego offers "pre-tuned" selections to suit users with typical interests. Examples include Tech Geek, Deep Thinker, Domestic Diva, and so on, though it has now added an "I'm from Google Reader" button to import people's existing feeds.

You may be familiar with the "long tail" idea that journalist Chris Anderson turned into a book in 2006. Well, reading stories that are displayed according to how popular they are (in terms of hits) is completely different from using Google Reader to find stories buried in the long tail. Which would you prefer?

Perhaps magazine-style news apps will become the main way people find and read news stories, without any visible connection to RSS. Perhaps this type of news consumption will increasingly be embedded in websites such as AOL, Digg, Facebook, and so on. Perhaps we should be less concerned about Google Reader and more interested in how the way people get their news is changing….

A long time ago, for example, I "consumed" RSS feeds via email. Today, I'm using the Protopage website to collect RSS feeds from popular technology sites such as ZDNet, CNET, Ars Technica, Wired and so on. Protopage got zero votes (tweets) as a replacement for Google Reader, but it doesn't need to fulfill that role, because I have so many other sources of news. This includes Techmeme for popular tech stories.

In fact, the stories I used to find via RSS feeds are now easier to find on Twitter, Reddit, Hacker News or even LinkedIn. No doubt other people are still getting stories from FriendFeed, Metafilter, Digg and Slashdot. It's no longer worth the time needed to follow tens or even hundreds of RSS feeds when you can follow a handful of people who are reading those feeds and sharing the best stories.

I can understand why keen RSS readers feel betrayed by Google, but perhaps it's just recognising that the world has moved on.