Substack changed the newsletter game. Writers own their audience. Readers get quality writing without clickbait. But if you follow 10+ Substacks, your inbox becomes a mess.
The solution? RSS readers.
Most Substacks offer RSS feeds, but not all RSS readers handle newsletters well. Some are built for tech blogs from 2010. Others are overengineered with features you'll never use.
Here's a breakdown of the best RSS readers for Substacks and newsletters in 2026—what they do well, where they fall short, and which one to choose.
1. any-feeds — The Calm Reader
Best for: People who want simplicity and zero algorithms.
What it does: any-feeds merges Substacks, blogs, newsletters, YouTube channels, and podcasts into one reverse-chronological feed. No sorting, no recommended content, no learning curve. Add a feed, start reading.
Strengths:
- Free forever (no freemium upsell pressure)
- Newsletter support built-in (Substacks, Beehiiv, etc.)
- YouTube and podcast feeds (most readers ignore these)
- Social discovery (browse what others are reading)
- Chrome extension for fast subscribing
- No algorithmic feed—just your subscriptions in order
Weaknesses:
- No mobile app yet (web-based only)
- Minimal customization (by design—simplicity over features)
Who it is for: If you are tired of complicated readers and just want everything in one place, this is it. Perfect for people who value calm over features.
Pricing: Free
2. Feedly — The Feature-Rich Option
Best for: Power users who want AI summaries and integrations.
Feedly is the market leader in RSS readers. It has AI-powered topic tracking, keyword alerts, integration with Zapier/IFTTT, and team collaboration features.
Strengths:
- AI-powered content discovery and summaries
- Mobile apps (iOS, Android)
- Integrations with productivity tools
- Team features for content curation
Weaknesses:
- Newsletter support is clunky
- Free tier is limited (caps at 100 feeds)
- Algorithmic sorting feels intrusive
- Pricing gets expensive fast
Who it is for: Teams or power users who need AI summaries and automation. Overkill for casual readers.
Pricing: Free (limited), then paid tiers
3. Readwise Reader — The All-in-One Library
Best for: People who want newsletters + articles + PDFs + tweets in one app.
Readwise Reader is a read-it-later app that also handles RSS feeds, newsletters (via forwarding), PDFs, and Twitter threads. It syncs highlights to Readwise for spaced repetition.
Strengths:
- Handles multiple formats
- Text-to-speech for listening
- Highlight syncing
- Beautiful reading experience
Weaknesses:
- Newsletter support requires email forwarding
- Expensive
- Feature overload
- Learning curve
Who it is for: Knowledge workers who want to save, highlight, and retain everything they read. Not for casual newsletter readers.
Pricing: Paid subscription
4. Feedbin — The Indie Darling
Best for: People who want a clean, ad-free experience and support indie devs.
Feedbin is a paid RSS reader with newsletter support (via email forwarding), Twitter integration, and a simple, no-nonsense UI.
Strengths:
- Clean, distraction-free reading
- Newsletter support via email forwarding
- Twitter feed integration
- Mobile-friendly web app
- Indie developer
Weaknesses:
- Costs money from day one
- Email forwarding for newsletters feels like a workaround
- Limited social features
- No free tier
Who it is for: People who value simplicity and want to support indie developers.
Pricing: Paid subscription
5. Inoreader — The Power User Choice
Best for: Advanced users who want automation and customization.
Inoreader is an RSS reader with advanced filtering, automation rules, keyword alerts, and integration with IFTTT/Zapier.
Strengths:
- Advanced filtering and rules
- Newsletter support via email forwarding
- Monitoring and alerts
- Mobile apps and browser extensions
- Free tier with decent limits
Weaknesses:
- Overwhelming UI for beginners
- Newsletter support requires email forwarding
- Free tier shows ads
- Paid tiers are expensive
Who it is for: RSS power users who want automation and fine-grained control. Overkill for most people.
Pricing: Free with ads, then paid tiers
Which RSS Reader Should You Choose?
Choose any-feeds if: You want simplicity and zero learning curve, tired of algorithmic feeds, follow Substacks/blogs/YouTube/podcasts, want everything free.
Choose Feedly if: You need AI summaries and integrations, managing content for a team, do not mind paying.
Choose Readwise Reader if: You want to retain what you read, read across formats, willing to pay for an all-in-one library.
Choose Feedbin if: You value indie software and clean design, willing to pay for simplicity, want zero ads.
Choose Inoreader if: You are a power user who needs automation, want advanced filtering, comfortable with a steep learning curve.
The Verdict
For most people who just want to follow Substacks and newsletters without inbox chaos, any-feeds is the best choice in 2026.
It is free, it is simple, it has native newsletter support, and it does not try to be more than you need. No algorithms, no upsells, no feature bloat. Just everything you follow in one calm feed.