14 Google Reader alternatives

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Google sent shockwaves throughout the tech world yesterday when it announced that it would be killing off Google Reader this summer. Despite a recent decline in usage, a number of people, and apps, still depend on the service.

But never fear, as usual, iDB has you covered. We’ve done all of the leg work, and put together a list of 10 Google Reader alternatives. And by the time you get done reading through them, you’ll be saying “Google what?”

Below are 10 viable, or soon-to-be viable, replacements for Google Reader (in no particular order).

  • Netvibes – it may call itself a “personalized dashboard for the Web,” but make no mistake, this is a powerful RSS reader. Adding content is a breeze, and although it looks a bit chaotic at first, it has a ‘reader’ view that will make Google Reader users feel right at home (see image above). Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any mobile apps for the service, but it does work in Safari.
  • NewsBlur – this is a full-blown Google Reader replacement. After setting up an account with them, you can customize your news feeds and sync them to native apps on both iOS and Android devices.
  • Feedly – at the moment, Feedly depends on Google Reader to sync your news feeds between devices. But it says that it has made a copy of Google Reader’s API, and when the service shuts down in July, its clone will kick in for a “seamless transition.” Feedly is available on iOS, Android and as a plugin for most major desktop browsers.
  • Reeder – this popular app for iOS and Mac also currently depends on Reader accounts. But shortly after Google’s announcement yesterday, its developer tweeted “Don’t worry, Reeder won’t die with Google Reader,” indicating that he has some sort of transition plan in place.
  • Flipboard – while this beloved iOS/Android app offers Google Reader integration, it doesn’t rely on it. Creating a Flipboard account will allow you to save all of your news feeds, and sync them between devices. Unfortunately, there isn’t a way to view your Flipboard feeds on your desktop yet.
  • Taptu – is an image-focused RSS reader available on just about any platform you can think of. After logging in with a pre-existing social network account (Twitter, Facebook, etc), you’re ready to start customizing your news feeds and syncing them with any iOS, Android, BlackBerry or Nook device.
  • HiveMined – this is an up-and-coming RSS reader service that looks very promising. It’s about 81% complete, according to the developer, who describes the project like this: “Remember the old Google Reader? Yeah, that. I miss it and I am working on recreating it.”
  • Pulse – we liked this app when it first launched on the iPad back in 2010, and now we love it. It doesn’t rely on Google Reader at all, and it’s available on iOS, Android and the web. It’s so popular, in fact, that there are rumors bouncing around it’s been acquired by LinkedIn.
  • Google Currents – this app remained largely unknown for over a year, but a major update in January turned it into a solid Flipboard contender. The good news is, it works with any Google account and is available on both iOS and Android. The bad news is, there isn’t a way to read your feeds on the web right now.
  • Twitter – if none of the above options sound appealing, and you’re ready to just ditch RSS reader apps all together, you might try using Twitter. Creating a list of your favorite websites, like iDB, will provide you with a stream of news-related posts.

It’s worth noting here that most of the services listed above have put up instructions on how to port your Google Reader account over. So, barring sluggish load times due to the influx of traffic, the transition should be fairly painless.

In Google’s blog post yesterday, it said that it would be closing down Reader on July 1st, giving you a little over 3 months to find a replacement. That is, unless the White House can convince Google to keep the service up and running.

Update: Ok, you guys have shared some great options of your own down in the comments, so we’ve decided to add them to our list:

  • Good Noows – this is another nice alternative to Google Reader. It allows you to sign in using a variety of social network accounts, and its great web interface lets you quickly add and view RSS feeds. The downside here is that despite the fact that it’s been around for a while, there doesn’t appear to be a mobile app.
  • The Old Reader – this one was a popular choice in the comments, and we can see why. The web interface is among the cleanest we’ve come across, and the service provides an easy way for you to import your Google Reader accounts. Unfortunately, there’s no mobile app here either. But it looks like it at least offers a mobile site.
  • FeedaMail – this is an interesting alternative to Google Reader—and feed readers in general. After setting up an account with them, and adding in your favorite websites, the service will actually email you for every new post that comes up. This will allow you to read the stories on your desktop, or any mobile device.
  • Zite – the team behind this award-winning news app just announced that it has built a Google Reader replacement for its service. It only works with their apps, but it syncs with your Reader feeds, which is pretty handy. Zite is available for iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

Know of another great service that hasn’t been mentioned yet? Tell us about it in the comments and we’ll add it in.