Google Reader Alternative: Feedly

Updated November 23, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Google Reader was launched in 2005 as a way for people to discover and connect with their favorite websites. It developed a loyal following, but over the years usage began to decline.  Earlier this year they announced the plug will be pulled on July 1. If you haven’t found an alternative yet (it’s only 25 days away, folks), I recommend that you try out Feedly. I’ve been using it for about two months and I’m actually liking it better. Here’s why:

• Magazine format makes it easy to browse as it includes a primary image, headline, and a brief excerpt.
• Ability to create multiple categories, and move feeds from one to another. For example, I found “online marketing” to be too broad a subject so I broke it down into smaller chunks like content marketing, White Hat SEO, social media . I appreciate Feedly’s ability to let me easily organize and re-organize.
• Save items for later. Sometimes articles are worth re-reading several times. I can bookmark them for future reference.
• Sharing across multiple social media platforms including Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. You can also send to Evernote, Instapaper, Getpocket, and Delicious. There’s even a Pin It feature for images.
• Option for Feedly to curate and feature articles based upon how popular they are on Google+ and Facebook.

Other Google Reader Alternatives

WordPress.com is also getting on the bandwagon as a Google Reader alternative. If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know that I’m a BIG fan of WordPress. To be fair, I haven’t taken this reader for much of a test drive. However, Feedly is still my favorite as I like the intuitive interface.

LinkedIn Today is also providing a daily content subscription service (in an effort to get users more active and engaged). The problem is that you’re limited by their list of influencers and channels.

Have you found a Google Reader alternative that you love?

photo credit – top: Ling Li Yeoh
photo credit – body: State Library Victoria Collections