# FreshRSS vs Photon

> Two self-hosted [Feed Reader projects](https://selfhost.directory/feed-reader), 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).

## Details

- [FreshRSS](https://selfhost.directory/project/freshrss) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/freshrss.md)
- [Photon](https://selfhost.directory/project/photon-2) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/photon-2.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/freshrss-vs-photon-2