According to BuiltWith trends, more than 199,000 Web sites support RSS. If you followed all of them, you could spend all day reading and never catch up. Of course, most people use RSS feeds to get news and updates in specific areas, like business, or to catch up on web comics and periodically updated blogs. Google Reader was by far the most popular reader, but users are forced to look for alternatives.
Image of RSS feed subscription button by juliomarcoss via Flickr
Chatterbox
BlackBerry has great smartphones for extended reading due to its clear screens and easy scrolling, and this is an app specifically designed to be BlackBerry compatible. Chatterbox was one of the first RSS reading apps for the BlackBerry PlayBook. The interface is intuitive and uncomplicated, like Google Reader’s sidebar. One difference is the enhanced search function, designed to help you discover new and interesting feeds to follow.
The Old Reader
Many people flocked to The Old Reader after Google Reader announced it would close in July. According to the site, it has the capability to transfer feeds from other readers, meaning you don’t need to rebuild your list. You can add notes and comments, and share interesting articles with friends.
Feedly Cloud
Established reader Feedly created timely expansions to accommodate new RSS customers this summer. Besides a web-based program that can be used on any browser (smartphones, tablets or PCs), it has joined forces with several apps. The program can sync with apps for most mobile operating systems, with optional notifications and read/unread filters in certain cases.
Twitter and News.me
Even though many people use it for social media updates (read: daily minutia), unlike Facebook, Twitter has a news component. Instead of simply ads and marketing messages, most businesses and news aggregate sites you follow on Twitter will release breaking industry news. Bloggers also usually tweet a link to new posts to alert followers. However, if you don’t want to be bombarded with constant updates, a recent CNN article suggests News.me, which summarizes and condenses a day’s worth of news into a daily email based on popularity.
Digg
Digg predates many RSS feeds; it was among the first sites to allow readers to promote or hide stories. Quantcast statistics show that its popularity is once again on the rise — up 120,000 users since March. Its reader app allows for organizational folders, post saving, and a trending list of popular stories that you may not be following. According to Tech Crunch, it is still being developed and improved, having been somewhat rushed out the door with the sudden announcement of Google Reader closing its doors.
News Blur
For hardcore readers or PR experts whose business depends on quick information, News Blur may actually be an improvement over Google Reader. It promises updates every minute. You also have the option to put folders within folders, for example, having “merchandising” and “runway” subsections under a Fashion feed. Like any reader, it is built for specific needs and may work best on certain platforms, so try out several readers to find the best fit.