FreshRSSvsPhoton
Two self-hosted Feed Reader projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| FreshRSS | Photon | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 79/100 | 54/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 85 in Feed Reader | #16 of 85 in Feed Reader |
| GitHub stars | 16 438 | 557 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +312 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 9 | 9 |
| Latest release | 1.30.4 · 21 Oct 2026 | v2.4.3 · 30 Jul 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | PHP | Svelte |
Which one should you pick?
FreshRSS scores 79/100 against 54/100 for Photon, so it is the safer default.
If you want the quickest setup, FreshRSS is easier to run; Photon needs more configuration.
FreshRSS is growing faster right now (+312 stars in 30 days).
FreshRSS details →Photon details →All Feed Reader projects →