Feedly Alternative for iPhone: An RSS Reader Without an Account

People who search for a Feedly alternative for iPhone are rarely giving up on RSS. Usually they want a different way to read: subscribe to the blogs and newsrooms they picked themselves, read them in order, and skip the step of signing in to a reading service first. Feedly is a mature cloud reading service and suits many people. If you only read on iPhone and iPad, though, and would rather keep your subscription list on your own devices, a local-first RSS reader that needs no account may fit better.

This post covers the difference between the two kinds of reader, what to check when you pick an iPhone RSS reader without an account, the trade-offs of going local-first, and how to bring your subscriptions over from Feedly or Reeder with OPML.

Cloud reading services and local readers

RSS readers broadly come in two shapes. One is the cloud reading service. Your sources are stored in an account on the service, a server fetches updates and tracks what you have read, and that state reaches the web app and every client. The upside is that you can pick up where you left off in any browser on any platform.

The other is the local reader. The app requests the public feeds you added directly, and the subscription list and reading state are kept on the device. RSS itself is an open-web protocol, so reading it does not inherently require a reading-service account. Neither shape is better in every case; what matters is which one matches the way you read.

Checklist: an iPhone RSS reader without an account

When you compare apps, these are the questions worth asking:

Can you add a feed on first launch without signing up or signing in?
Do the feed list and reading state live on the device first?
Does it show full text, not only a summary?
Can you open cached articles while offline?
Is the timeline chronological, with no recommendation algorithm?
Is cross-device sync optional, and does it run through a vendor reading cloud or your own iCloud?

For what "without an account" means in practice, see RSS without an account on iPhone.

When a cloud reading service is the better fit

Local-first reading is not right for everyone, so it helps to be honest about the limits before you switch:

If you often read on Windows, Android, or in a browser on a work computer, a cloud service with a web app is more convenient.
If you rely on team sharing, integrations, or server-side automation, a local reader usually does not offer them.
A local reader refreshes feeds from the device itself, so it needs a connection to fetch new items. Cached articles can still be read offline.

How Kite RSS approaches it

Kite RSS is an offline-first RSS reader for iPhone and iPad. It works as soon as you open it, with no account to create. You can add any RSS or Atom feed with a tap, or paste a website address and let the app find and subscribe to its feed. Subscriptions and reading state stay on your device, and if you want, you can turn on iCloud in settings to sync subscriptions, reading progress, and read-later bookmarks between iPhone and iPad through your own Apple Account.

The timeline is strictly chronological, with no recommendation algorithm. Kite RSS extracts cover images and full text automatically, and offers several serif and sans-serif reading fonts plus full Dark Mode. You can sort feeds into your own categories, search articles, feeds, or keywords on the device, follow a custom list of keywords to see only the stories you care about, and add the Kite Headlines widget to your Home Screen.

Kite RSS is free to download on the App Store and requires iOS 17 or iPadOS 17 or later.

Download Kite RSS on the App Store (iPhone and iPad) · Product home

Moving from Feedly or Reeder with OPML

OPML is the subscription-list format most RSS readers share. One export gives you a backup of your feeds that does not depend on any app.

Exporting from Feedly

According to Feedly’s help documentation, the OPML export works in the web app, not the mobile app. Sign in on the web and open feedly.com/i/opml to download it. The same page notes that the export covers public RSS feeds only; Boards, Read Later articles, Feedly AI Feeds, and Reddit feeds are not included, so back up any saved articles you want to keep separately.

Exporting from Reeder

According to Reeder’s help page, the current Reeder exports your feeds as OPML from Settings → Your Data. Only feeds that are RSS or JSON, or can be converted, are included; Home timeline feeds that require a login, such as social timelines, are left out.

Bringing your feeds into a new reader

Move the OPML file to your iPhone with AirDrop, the Files app, or iCloud Drive, and keep a copy on your computer
Import the file in your new reader, or pick your most-read feeds and add them by pasting their feed or website addresses
Use it for a few days, spot-check full text and refresh on high-volume feeds, and drop dead feeds along the way
Once your important feeds are all there, decide whether to turn on iCloud sync and whether to stop using the old service

The import steps are covered in Import OPML into an iPhone RSS reader. If you also read on iPad, see Private RSS reader for iPad.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an account to use Kite RSS?

No. You can add feeds as soon as you open it. Sync is optional and uses your own Apple iCloud.

Will my Feedly Read Later articles come with me?

No. Per Feedly’s documentation, OPML carries public RSS feeds only, so Read Later and Boards need a separate backup.

Can I read offline?

You can read cached articles offline; fetching new items still needs a connection. More in Offline RSS reader: build a library that travels.