Vienna

Active

Country: United States (US)
Founded: 2005
Developer: ViennaRSS Project (originally started by Steve Palmer, currently developed by Barijaona, Josh, Eitot and others)
Pricing: Free (open-source)
Open source: Yes
Platforms: macOS

Indexes

RSS Readers

Overview

Vienna is an RSS/Atom/JSON Feed reader designed for macOS that connects directly to websites for tracking feeds. It helps users manage and organize information from multiple sources through features like article expiration and database management.¹²⁶

Key Features

Direct Feed Connection - Connects directly to websites to track RSS/Atom/JSON Feeds without intermediaries.
Auto-Expire Articles - Automatically moves articles older than a specified number of days to the Trash folder.
Activity Window - Displays status of subscriptions and last refresh times.
Custom Database Location - Allows moving the messages.db database to a user-specified folder via defaults write command.
OPML Import - Supports importing entire OPML lists for subscriptions.
Syncing Support - Includes syncing capabilities with services like FreshRSS.

Pricing

Plan	Price	Includes
Free	$0	Full access to all features as open-source software.

Platforms & Requirements

Vienna runs exclusively on macOS, requiring macOS 10.14 SDK and Xcode 10 for development. It uses a native macOS interface with a lightweight, spartan design. No support for other platforms like Windows, Linux, iOS, or Android.

Integrations & Ecosystem

OPML import/export
FreshRSS syncing
Direct website feed connections
Custom database management
Rss_guids table for message tracking

Alternatives

App	Difference
NetNewsWire	Another free macOS RSS reader with similar open-source model but different UI focus.
Reeder	Paid macOS/iOS RSS reader emphasizing modern design and iCloud sync.
Feedly	Web-based RSS reader with cross-platform support and freemium model.

Reputation

Vienna is regarded as a fast, lightweight RSS reader with a clean interface suitable for managing large feed lists, praised for its open-source nature and long-term development since 2005. Users appreciate its native macOS integration and features like OPML import. Criticisms are minimal in available sources, though its macOS exclusivity limits broader adoption.

Sources (9)