2026.10.27
selfoss: A Self-Hosted Reader for Consolidating Feeds
selfoss is a PHP-based, self-hosted web application for RSS reading and aggregation. It suits people who want one place for feeds and are prepared to maintain a PHP deployment.
What it is for
selfoss is presented as a multipurpose RSS reader and feed aggregation web application, with support for live streams and mashups. It is intended to bring updates from websites, social networks, and other platforms into one place. That makes it a candidate for people who already follow many sources and want a single reading interface.
The application is written in PHP and is designed to run on a PHP server. This model can suit individuals or small teams who are comfortable managing a web root, persistent application data, and scheduled jobs. It is less suitable for users who want a hosted service without dealing with deployment and maintenance.
Confirmed capabilities
The README says selfoss can use SQLite by default, while database connection details can be entered in config.ini. Installation requires writable directories for cache, favicons, logs, thumbnails, and SQLite data. Feed updates must be scheduled with cron or a systemd timer, or initiated through the command-line update script. Deployment therefore includes permissions, database setup, and a recurring update mechanism—not just copying application files.
OPML import is available for moving subscriptions from another reader. The 2.19 release notes also list an option to disable thumbnails, experimental offline support, URL-based search queries, estimated reading time, and support for following YouTube playlists. Offline use is explicitly described as experimental and requires a secure context such as HTTPS, so it should not be treated as a mature offline guarantee.
Limitations and deployment considerations
The README currently identifies the development state as 2.20-SNAPSHOT, while 2.19 was released in October 2022. These labels should not be treated as interchangeable: production users should check stable releases and review the NEWS file for backward-incompatible changes. The maintainer also says the project is maintained in limited free time, with maintenance prioritized over new features. Operators should therefore plan their own upgrade testing and troubleshooting process.
The 2.19 release requires PHP 7.2 or newer and suggests it may be the last release to support PHP 7. That does not establish the complete compatibility range of the current development version, so the target release should be checked before deployment. The README also notes that database setup may require permission to create triggers; a database account that can merely connect may not be sufficient.
For upgrades, the documented process includes backing up the database and data/, preserving the data directory and config.ini, checking hidden .htaccess files, and reviewing configuration changes. Developers working from source need Composer and npm dependencies, and client-side assets must be built into public/. The project is licensed under GPL-3.0, but the README notes unresolved licensing details for some code and bundled dependencies. Organizations redistributing a bundled package should review those boundaries separately.
selfoss is therefore a reasonable fit for users who want a centralized, self-hosted reading interface and are willing to manage PHP files, storage, permissions, and scheduled updates. The supplied sources do not establish that it removes those operational responsibilities.
Sources
Sources checked: 2026-10-27