I was first introduced to RSS around five years ago through a colleague who was using some Newsgator add-in for reading RSS feeds inside Microsoft Outlook. Later I shifted to FeedDemon and have been a loyal user ever since.
The new upgrades from web based RSS readers like Google Reader or Bloglines are tempting but none of them still match the desktop based FeedDemon. Let’s see 10 features in FeedDemon that sets this software apart from most of the competition coming from online news readers.
1. Personal Techmeme - FeedDemon has an in-built meme-tracker that shows all the popular news stories within the RSS feeds that you have subscribed. It’s something like Techmeme or Megite but only for the feeds that you have chosen.
2. Flickr Photos Strips, Newspaper Themes - If you have subscribed to a Flickr RSS feed, you would want that to look more like a Photo Album than plain text. With FeedDemon, you can define different visual styles for individual subscriptions so that doubles your joy of reading RSS feeds.
3. Real Time Watches - CES 2008 is happening a tons of blogs are live-blogging the event. I am not much interested in gadgets so I have created a new watch for “CES” in FeedDemon.
If there’s a news story in my subscription that contain keywords like CES, it automatically appears in the Watch bin and I easily skip it. At the same time, I like to read every story that mentions “Matt Cutts” so there’s a watch for Mr Cutts and so on.
3. Delete Dinosaurs (Inactive Feeds) - FeedDemon shows a list of RSS feeds in your subscriptions that are not updated in the last 2-3 months so you can safely unsubscribe from them. You also get to know about feeds that are in your reading list but you rarely read them - probably that can be deleted as well.
4. Desktop Alerts - Like Particls, FeedDemon can show desktop alerts as new stories arrive in your favorite feeds. The software itself can stay minimized in your system tray and can check for new content in the background.
5. Windows Live Writer - If you are a blogger and use Windows Live Writer for posting stories to your blog, FeedDemon can make you more productive. You can right click an item in FeedDemon and send it directly to Windows Live Writer for publishing or copy the entire story to the clipboard.
6. FeedDemon Download Manager - If the RSS feed has enclosures (say you are subscribed to audio or video podcasts), use the inbuilt download manager in FeedDemon to download episodes to your desktop. No need of iTunes.
7. Reduce RSS Stress - RSS is not like email - so you don’t have to read everything. If there are too many unread stories in your reader, this new Panic Button will allow you to mark all those items as read which were published say more than 48 hours ago.
8. Offline Reading - If you plan to read your RSS feeds on an airplane (or any place that has no Internet connection), FeedDemon can prefetch all images and links for you so the feeds remain accessible while you are offline.
May also prove useful when the hotel is charging exorbitant rates for Wi-fi access.
9. Shared Items - Like the shared items in Google Reader, Newsgator has a similar feature called “Web Clippings” where you can share your favorite news stories. Each clipping folder has a separate RSS feed syndicated through Newsgator Online. Great for creating Tumblr style blogs.
10. Discover Your Favorite Feeds - You don’t have to tell FeedBurner about your favorite feeds - it automatically detects and sorts feeds in your subscriptions that get your maximum attention. Similar to Trends in Google Reader.
Resources: FeedDemon Home, Nick Bradbury
What’s missing ? FeedDemon is tightly integrated with Newsgator Online which is good but not so popular as Google Reader or Bloglines. If there was a way to make FeedDemon work with Google Reader, nothing could beat that combination.
Related: FeedDemon Review [v2.0]
Find this article at: http://www.labnol.org/software/tutorials/feeddemon-rss-feeds-reader-software-review/2058/
web: http://www.labnol.org/ email: amit@labnol.org
Reader Comments
Wow, that’s awesome.
I’ve heard of it before, but never really knew that it had these features and all.
I think I’ll buy a copy soon.
Thanks Amit!
Written by Shankar Ganesh on 01.08.08
Some features mentioned above are great…
But I still love online readers.
Written by thinlight on 01.08.08
The top reason for me buying feeddemon is the ability to quickly go over the feeds (I can’t do the same with google reader, its sluggish compared to Feeddemon or any desktop reader)
The other good thing about feeddemon compared to other desktop readers is the User Interface. Very neat and user friendly :)
Written by Venu on 01.08.08
I’m a big fan of FeedDemon but have moved over to Google Reader. This is in part due to me transitioning from a PC to a Mac. I do find myself missing some of the features you mention and agree that FeedDemon is the best desktop RSS reader around.
On a side note you say FeedBurner instead of FeedDemon in point #10.
Written by Steve on 01.08.08
Thanks for this excellent post, Amit - you’ve done a better job than I have highlighting some of FeedDemon’s features!
Written by Nick Bradbury on 01.08.08
hey buddy, your comparisions doesn’t suit things.Comparing online & desktop is bit awkward in my point. Desktop apps are rocking always, but google reader as a internet app rocks more than a desktop feed readers.
As an employee & I as need to keep myself updated with news, always internet apps rocks. And Google shines in it.
Don’t think that I’m a Google Enthu, just felt as commenting :-)
Written by maheshexp ( mac ) on 01.08.08
Nice Features! but still i stick to my Google Reader because i don’t use the same system everyday
Written by Vanessa on 01.08.08
I’ve been a dedicated user of FeedDemon until I moved to a Mac. Of course, the next thing similar to it was NetNewsWire of which I was a great fan of. I love both of them on their respective platforms but have graduated to Google Reader for many reasons - most of them as good as what you described your Desktop App to be good. While in Windows, I had license for both the FeedDemon standalone and the Outlook Plugin.
I had both NetNewsWire and NewsFire for their own purposes. NNW was the big and heavy app which was my primary Feed reader on the mac whereas NewsFire was used as a tool/weapon while I did a study of digg to be within the top 100 diggers. In fact, I used none of them now and I can even transfer/sell the licenses if I so desire. (I’ve all the licenses for FeedDemon, FeedDemon plugin for Outlook, NNW, NewsFire).
Coming to your points, I’d like to say that Google Reader can do most of the stuffs and those it cannot would not be really needed for most people. You pointed out the good points because it was there and you made good use of it, which is a really good pointer for other similar users too. However, online reader, specially Google Reader have its varied good points that are awesome to the best.
About Offline (with Google Gears), Suggestions (usually comes up on your sidebar), Statistics of your Feed Reading Habit are some of the note-worthy features of Google Reader.
Personally, I gave up those Desktop Readers because they took too much of my time and sat opened on my Dock all day long. It will show me the numbers of unread feeds that keeps increasing my the minute.
So, unless one is an online and a blogger shark like you (we all appreciate your status), I would not really suggest a Desktop RSS Reader, specially in this age where a typical online persona would have 100+ feeds to start with.
For most of the typical user and something which I told myself over the past few months are
* You do not need to be the first to know, or try an app, just stay in the mainstream and below the radar.
* (offtopic) You do not have to watch movies at the Premiere, it’s OK to watch on weekdays when the tickets are cheaper, sometimes you can get one free for another.
* You do not have to stay awake because there is an announcement in US (our night time) so you can be among the first online informants (blogs, twitter)
There are few more which I’ve resolved to be a normal user but let me keep that for another spring.
Written by Brajeshwar on 01.08.08
Amit, Full Ack!
Written by Alex on 01.08.08
And, how much you getting paid for this advertisement???
Google and Bloglines are free, expect more development in future. The real reason why people prefer online readers because of synchronization and can be accessed on all platforms (Multiple OS, Mobile). You seem to miss the main point of it.
Written by Prashant on 01.08.08
OK - I like both Google Reader and FeedDemon, but the only thing that REALLY freaks me out about this article is that the photo gallery image you have is from MY group of flickr accounts! I can see pictures of my kids and pictures of me animating. Where did you get this image?!
Jim - It is removed. Wish I had remembered the source but discovered it some two years ago.
Written by Jim on 01.08.08
Oh! No - you can put it back up - there wasn’t anything private there, it was just really shocking to me to be reading this article and then all of a sudden - BAM - there are my kids. It was more funny than anything else. There’s a good chance I posted it talking about how great FeedDemon was, but I couldn’t find it on my own blog(s) anywhere.
Please, put it back up - it is a cool feature after all!
Written by Jim on 01.08.08
The only problem is that it is not free. I use a desktop client called feedreader. It does not have any advanced features, but it is freeware.
Written by rishi on 01.08.08
Amit,
thanks for your summary but Feeddemon is not free whereas bloglines and google reader are free :)
Written by SR on 01.08.08
Thanks Amit, I didn’t know about FeedDemon as I have been using Google Reader. Cool to have a FeedDemon.
Written by Shaffir on 01.08.08
Well, the main point you forgot to mention: Reader is free. FeedDemon puts you back by 30$.
Written by Vedam on 01.08.08
Just as I was suprised to know Netscape Navigator was once sold for 40$ in its early years, I am suprised that there are paid RSS Readers at this time.
After checking a couple of free desktop RSS Readers, I have now settled for Google Reader and I’m loving it. I find it a lot better than the online NewsGator.
My Google Reader review link . Anil
Written by mvark on 01.09.08
Thanks for information. Till now I am using google reader. Now onwards I will try to use this software.
Written by mahesh on 01.09.08
Dedicated FD user :)
Nice screenshot Amit
Written by Dave Gray on 01.09.08
I had in mind using this as it has loads of feature but then it comes with a cost. With so man online feed readers not many people would opt for it
Written by Ashish Mohta on 01.09.08
As stated in the above comments - I like the portability of a Web reader. I have tired and really enjoyed FeedDemon and if it was free I would consider it replacing Bloglines. I think that could be the issue for a vast number of people - why pay for something more when you can get good enough for free.
P.S. - keep up the great work - love the blog.
Written by Dan on 01.09.08
Amit,
Great post. Thanks.
This would probably be a good time to share with you that today we announced the availability of a new version of FeedDemon and that we are making this product available for free as of today. It is our goal to drive adoption of these products and the best way to do that, considering we already lead the market in features, is to make them free.
Written by Jeff Nolan on 01.09.08
Wow, this article/post was perfectly timed! I just got info that Newsgator is making all their RSS Products FREE - FeedDemon, NetNewsWire, Newsgator Go (Mobile) and Newsgator Inbox.
They are all FREE!
Written by Brajeshwar on 01.09.08
Wow..Today newsgator announced that they are going to give RSS readers for free. Amit won:)
link
Written by SR on 01.09.08
Feeddemon is now free for all users, so the ones who didn’t like the fact that it had a cost, can now be happy :)
Written by Chris on 01.09.08
FeedDemon is now FREE! ;-D link
Written by Havran on 01.09.08
Prashnat, NewsGator offers unparalleled synchronization. I have FeedDemon on my desktop and laptop, and a NewsGator Online account. Whatever I do on one computer automatically is synchronized with my other computer and the online account. Ditto the Web service — add a feed there, it’s updated on both my computers. It also updates on my mobile version.
Beat that with one of the other online services.
Incidentally, I wasn’t paid a nickel to gush about FeedDemon. I am a genuinely satisfied customer. And I have tried Google Reader.
Written by Shel Holtz on 01.09.08
… and today, FeedDemon became free. As in no charge: link
Written by ScottV on 01.09.08
FD is free now, so one less excuse off the plate.
I’ve been using Google Reader for a few months now, but I’ve felt the pull back to FD a few times. May have to give it another try.
Written by smikwily on 01.09.08
FeedDemon is now free!
link
Written by Nihang Shah on 01.10.08
Hmmm… there’s really nothing there that isn’t in the ‘GreatNews’ reader, which is free. Except maybe the flikr thing, but that’s of nil value to me.
Written by Lee Hopkins on 01.10.08
Snarfer has always been free and is the #1 RSS reader download on download.com with over 100,000.
Written by Snarfster on 01.11.08
After your post, I switched over to FeedDemon and I’m liking it - especially the quickness of the application, the use of ctrl-m, and I’ve not even started using all the features you mention here.
Thanks for the tip.
Written by Swaroop C H on 01.15.08
Thanks! I’ve been using GreatNews (http://www.curiostudio.com/) which I think has almost all of the features listed above (including the use of Windows Live Writer) but has always been free. Now that FD is free I will try it out.
Written by Tiki on 01.17.08
Has anyone had any luck getting FeedDemon to work as a portable app? That is, having it run off of a USB drive on any PC and not just the one where it was originally installed?
Written by Marios Alexandrou on 05.21.08
I agree with you if one always uses the same computer everyday. But for someone who may use different machines, online aggregators are the way to go.
Besides, traffic to websites get reduced by using online aggregators as its just the Bloglines or Google Reader who is making requests to the websites unlike every user in case of desktop based aggregator.
Among Google Reader and Bloglines, Bloglines wins hands down! Google Reader has just too much bad Javascripting :(
Written by Sujay on 06.13.08
Thanks for the article. I have been using Google Reader for over a year now and while I like it, things are getting shut down here at work for google searches etc. Sucks but oh well. Looking at Feed Demon now and love it!!
Thanks again.
Written by Atomic Popcorn on 11.03.08