Mac RSS aggregators

RSS readers are an area of software where the Mac has a distinct advantage. There are so many of these apps to choose from that it's hard to keep track of all the choices. Inspired by an article over at DrunkenBlog, I decided to try a few of them out and give you a quick review. This is is by no means an all-inclusive list, because I'm sure there are more apps out there I haven't seeen. The versions reviewed are current as of this post.

NetNewsWire (v1.0.8): $39.35 single-user license, $29.95 multi-user license, free lite version
The newsfeeder that I've been using since I was introduced to RSS keeps getting improvements. Pay versions have great combined and widescreen views to go along with the 3-paned original. RSS discovery makes it easy to find and subscribe to feeds, and a search function does exactly what you think it would. My favorite features include the way it handles grouping of feeds and how even in the lite version you can browse through them using the dock as well.

PulpFiction (v1.1.1): $25 single-user license, free lite version
If you love Apple's Mail interface, this reader is for you...it's almost an exact replica and I love the idea. An inbox holds all new feeds and can be labeled in the paid version. Even though there are labels and flags, I wish there was some kind of grouping feature for the feeds and a way to browse them using the dock. The best part about PulpFiction is the built in browser which lets you read the original articles without having to fire up your stand-alone web browser.

NewsFire (v0.26): free
The most elegant of the newsfeeders in terms of using all of OSX's slick Aqua visual features. It sports a brushed metal interface and is simple in its iChat-like implementation. The only extra features I can see are a search function and intelligent sorting of feeds. If you only have a few feeds that you keep track of it would be hard to argue against it. What I didn't like was the lack of a grouping or some kind of label feature. You just have a long list of feeds to scroll through in the main view, and if you're an avid reader everything gets cluttered.

NewsMac (v3.1): donationware
Probably the most ambitious of the readers other than NetNewsWire, this app tries to do everything and almost does. It's organized in a hybrid 3-pane/finder column view (akin to Acquisition) which I've never seen in another reader. Feeds are organized into channels, which I can see the logic of, but just don't like. Although you can select the channels which are visible, I didn't like the inflexibility of having to use them. I want to organize my feeds in my own groups and not those preset by the program. New categories can be created within channels, but in the end I feel like have to make too many clicks to get to my feeds. You can't fault the included feature set, however. Feeds can be rated and organized by rating, synchronized to mobile devices, and added to favorite lists. The app comes loaded with a variety of feeds, and new feeds are easy to find using the built-in feed finder.

Shrook (v2.12): $24.95 single-user license
Great ideas in this app have me in love. Shrook is a stand-alone newsfeeder which also provides the option of viewing and managing your feeds online. This means that even if you are away from your computer you can keep up do date with your feeds and everything will be synchronized with the desktop software when you get home. The app uses a clean column view interface (similar to Address Book) and allows grouping of feeds into groups and smart groups (almost exactly like iTunes) that can be customized in so many ways you have to see it to believe it. A built-in browser allows reading of original articles without a separate app, a channel guide makes it easy to find new feeds, and quick subscription allows you to add feeds by just clicking on their links.

NewsFan (v1.5.1): $25 single-user license, bulk discount pricing for multi-users
When I use this full-featured app I can't help but think I'm using NetNewsWire. The interfaces are eerily similar despite all the different features. NewsFan sports a built-in browser, iTunes integration, feed distribution to mobile devices, a newsticker, language translation, optional adult content filtering, and more.

SlashDock (v2.4): free
Simple reader that sits in your dock and provides access to all your feeds, complete with an option to help you track eBay auctions. If you're not looking for all of the features in the more robust apps, this is the choice for you.

BottomFeeder (v3.7): free
The ugliest reader of the bunch by far, this cross-platform client makes you feel like you're browsing feeds in a cubicle at work. Was so horrible to look at that I really didn't want to spend much time exploring features. From what I saw it uses a windows file explorer style to group feeds.

AmphetaDesk (v0.93.1): free
I couldn't get this app to run on my computer so I'm not sure about the feature set. From the screenshots provided on the developer site the app almost looks like it is web-based.

My recommendations:

If you're willing to pay for your RSS reader: NetNewsWire, Shrook, PulpFiction
If you want something free but functional: NetNewsWire lite, PulpFiction lite.
If you have a lot of feeds to read through: NetNewsWire, Shrook, PulpFiction
If you don't have that many feeds to keep track of: NewsFire, SlashDock
If I had to pick only one: Shrook (with NetNewsWire a close second)