FreshRSS Feed Reader

beginner

Self-hosted RSS feed aggregator with web interface.

Overview

FreshRSS is a powerful, self-hosted RSS and Atom feed aggregator that allows users to stay updated with their favorite websites and blogs through a clean, web-based interface. Originally developed as an open-source alternative to Google Reader, FreshRSS provides advanced features like feed categorization, article filtering, full-text search, and keyboard shortcuts for efficient news consumption. Built with PHP and designed for privacy-conscious users, it keeps all your reading data under your control while offering a responsive design that works across desktop and mobile devices. This deployment combines FreshRSS with a PostgreSQL database backend, creating a robust and scalable feed reading platform. The freshrss service runs the main application server with automated feed fetching via cron jobs, while the db service provides PostgreSQL 15 for reliable data storage of feeds, articles, and user preferences. The configuration includes persistent volumes for both application data and database storage, ensuring your feeds and reading history survive container updates. This stack is ideal for individuals, families, or small teams who want to centralize their news consumption without relying on third-party services. The PostgreSQL backend makes it particularly suitable for users with large numbers of feeds or those who require advanced querying capabilities for article management. With support for OPML import/export and mobile app connectivity, this deployment serves as a complete replacement for commercial feed readers while maintaining full data ownership.

Key Features

Advanced feed management with categories, tags, and automatic duplicate detection
Full-text search across all articles with PostgreSQL's powerful indexing capabilities
Automated feed refreshing with configurable cron schedule (1,31 minutes by default)
OPML import/export for easy migration from other feed readers like Google Reader or Feedly
Multi-user support with individual reading preferences and feed subscriptions
API access for integration with mobile apps like EasyRSS or FeedMe
Article filtering and labeling system for organizing content by keywords or sources
Keyboard shortcuts and reading view customization for power users

Common Use Cases

1Personal news aggregation for staying updated with tech blogs, news sites, and industry publications
2Small team knowledge sharing by subscribing to relevant industry feeds and sharing articles
3Research workflow management for academics tracking multiple journal RSS feeds and publication updates
4Content curation for bloggers and writers who need to monitor competitor and inspiration sources
5Privacy-focused news consumption for users wanting to avoid tracking by commercial feed readers
6Family news hub for sharing and organizing feeds from local news, school updates, and hobby sites
7Developer productivity tool for following GitHub releases, documentation updates, and programming blogs

Prerequisites

Docker and Docker Compose installed on the host system
Minimum 512MB RAM available (1GB recommended for PostgreSQL performance)
Port 8080 available for the FreshRSS web interface
Database password configured in environment variables or .env file
At least 2GB free disk space for application data and article storage
Basic understanding of RSS/Atom feeds and OPML format for feed management

For development & testing. Review security settings, change default credentials, and test thoroughly before production use. See Terms

docker-compose.yml

1services: 
2  freshrss: 
3    image: freshrss/freshrss:latest
4    container_name: freshrss
5    environment: 
6      - TZ=UTC
7      - CRON_MIN=1,31
8    volumes: 
9      - freshrss-data:/var/www/FreshRSS/data
10      - freshrss-extensions:/var/www/FreshRSS/extensions
11    ports: 
12      - "8080:80"
13    depends_on: 
14      - db
15    networks: 
16      - freshrss-network
17    restart: unless-stopped
18
19  db: 
20    image: postgres:15-alpine
21    container_name: freshrss-db
22    environment: 
23      - POSTGRES_USER=freshrss
24      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=${DB_PASSWORD}
25      - POSTGRES_DB=freshrss
26    volumes: 
27      - postgres-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
28    networks: 
29      - freshrss-network
30    restart: unless-stopped
31
32volumes: 
33  freshrss-data: 
34  freshrss-extensions: 
35  postgres-data: 
36
37networks: 
38  freshrss-network: 
39    driver: bridge

.env Template

.env

1# FreshRSS
2DB_PASSWORD=secure_freshrss_password

Usage Notes

1Web UI at http://localhost:8080
2Complete setup wizard
3Import OPML feeds
4Mobile apps available
5API for external clients

Individual Services(2 services)

Copy individual services to mix and match with your existing compose files.

freshrss

freshrss:
  image: freshrss/freshrss:latest
  container_name: freshrss
  environment:
    - TZ=UTC
    - CRON_MIN=1,31
  volumes:
    - freshrss-data:/var/www/FreshRSS/data
    - freshrss-extensions:/var/www/FreshRSS/extensions
  ports:
    - "8080:80"
  depends_on:
    - db
  networks:
    - freshrss-network
  restart: unless-stopped

db:
  image: postgres:15-alpine
  container_name: freshrss-db
  environment:
    - POSTGRES_USER=freshrss
    - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=${DB_PASSWORD}
    - POSTGRES_DB=freshrss
  volumes:
    - postgres-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
  networks:
    - freshrss-network
  restart: unless-stopped

Quick Start

terminal

1# 1. Create the compose file
2cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
3services:
4  freshrss:
5    image: freshrss/freshrss:latest
6    container_name: freshrss
7    environment:
8      - TZ=UTC
9      - CRON_MIN=1,31
10    volumes:
11      - freshrss-data:/var/www/FreshRSS/data
12      - freshrss-extensions:/var/www/FreshRSS/extensions
13    ports:
14      - "8080:80"
15    depends_on:
16      - db
17    networks:
18      - freshrss-network
19    restart: unless-stopped
20
21  db:
22    image: postgres:15-alpine
23    container_name: freshrss-db
24    environment:
25      - POSTGRES_USER=freshrss
26      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=${DB_PASSWORD}
27      - POSTGRES_DB=freshrss
28    volumes:
29      - postgres-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
30    networks:
31      - freshrss-network
32    restart: unless-stopped
33
34volumes:
35  freshrss-data:
36  freshrss-extensions:
37  postgres-data:
38
39networks:
40  freshrss-network:
41    driver: bridge
42EOF
43
44# 2. Create the .env file
45cat > .env << 'EOF'
46# FreshRSS
47DB_PASSWORD=secure_freshrss_password
48EOF
49
50# 3. Start the services
51docker compose up -d
52
53# 4. View logs
54docker compose logs -f

One-Liner

Run this command to download and set up the recipe in one step:

terminal

1curl -fsSL https://docker.recipes/api/recipes/freshrss-reader/run | bash

Troubleshooting

Database connection failed during setup: Ensure DB_PASSWORD environment variable is set and matches between freshrss and db services
Feeds not updating automatically: Check that CRON_MIN environment variable is properly configured and container has sufficient resources
PostgreSQL container fails to start: Verify postgres-data volume permissions and ensure no other PostgreSQL instances are using default ports
FreshRSS interface shows database errors: Wait for PostgreSQL to fully initialize before accessing the web UI, or restart the freshrss container
Cannot import OPML file: Ensure the OPML file is valid XML and doesn't exceed PHP upload limits in the FreshRSS configuration
Mobile app cannot connect to API: Verify that API access is enabled in FreshRSS settings and authentication tokens are properly configured

Community Notes

Loading notes...

Download Recipe Kit

Get all files in a ready-to-deploy package

Includes docker-compose.yml, .env template, README, and license

Components

freshrsspostgresql

Related Recipes

Ad Space

Shortcuts: C CopyF FavoriteD Download