Websites using Newsbeuter

Okay, let s break down newsbeuter, a popular command-line RSS/Atom feed reader, and cover its overview, revenue (or lack thereof), alternatives, pricing (also non-existent), and customer care details.

Newsbeuter: An Overview

• What it is: Newsbeuter is a free and open-source text-based RSS/Atom feed reader for Unix-like operating systems (Linux, macOS, BSD, etc.). It s designed for users who prefer a fast, efficient, and keyboard-driven approach to reading their feeds.
• Key Features:
  • Command-line Interface: Operates entirely in a terminal window.
  • Keyboard Navigation: Users navigate and control the application using keyboard shortcuts, making it fast and efficient for experienced users.
  • Customization: Highly customizable through configuration files, allowing users to tailor the interface, keybindings, and behavior to their preferences.
  • Offline Reading: Downloads and stores feed content, allowing you to read articles offline.
  • Search and Filtering: Ability to search through articles and filter feeds based on keywords.
  • OPML Import/Export: Supports importing and exporting feed lists in OPML format.
  • Scripting: Can be extended with custom scripts for tasks like automatically tagging articles or integrating with other services.
• Target Audience: Technical users, developers, sysadmins, and anyone who prefers a command-line interface for its speed and efficiency. Also people who appreciate privacy and not being tracked by their feed readers.
• Status: Newsbeuter is no longer actively maintained. The project was discontinued in 2017, with the developer recommending a fork called Newsboat (we ll cover this below).

Revenue:

• Zero Revenue: Newsbeuter is a completely free and open-source project. It does not generate any revenue. It is not a commercial product and relies on volunteer contributors.

Alternatives:

Since newsbeuter is no longer actively developed, it s worth focusing on its direct successor and other alternatives:

1. Newsboat:

   • Direct Successor: Newsboat is a fork of newsbeuter and the recommended replacement. It continues active development, bug fixes, and adds new features while maintaining the core spirit of newsbeuter.
   • Features: Almost identical to newsbeuter, including keyboard navigation, customization, offline reading, etc. It also adds things like support for more feed formats and improvements to some parts of the old codebase.
   • Recommendation: For users who liked newsbeuter, Newsboat is the best option for continuation.

2. Other Command-Line RSS Readers:

   • rsstail: A simple, lightweight command-line RSS reader that mostly displays the updates on the terminal.
   • canto: A command-line feed reader with a different interface and focus.
   • Elfeed: An Emacs RSS reader built into the Emacs editor.

3. GUI-Based RSS Readers:

   • Feedly: A popular web-based RSS reader (also available as a mobile app).
   • Inoreader: A web-based and mobile RSS reader with powerful features.
   • Thunderbird (Email Client): Supports RSS feeds.
   • QuiteRSS: A cross-platform desktop application.
   • Feedbin: A web-based RSS service with a premium model.

Pricing:

• Newsbeuter: Completely free.
• Newsboat: Also completely free.
• Most Command-Line Alternatives: Free and open-source.
• Web-Based or GUI Alternatives: Some are free, some are freemium (offer a free basic version with paid upgrades), and some are entirely paid services. Feedly and Inoreader, for example, operate on a freemium model.

Customer Care Details:

• Newsbeuter: Due to it being abandoned, there is no formal support for Newsbeuter. User help would rely on finding archived resources, user communities, or self-help.

• Newsboat:

  • Primary Support: Community-driven support through its GitHub repository (where bug reports and feature requests can be submitted).
  • Documentation: Documentation is available on the project s GitHub pages.
  • Community: User communities and forums might offer help.
  • No Formal Support: There is no dedicated customer support team. Since it is an open-source project, support primarily happens via documentation, community help and the development team.

Key Takeaways:

• Newsbeuter is no longer maintained, but its spirit lives on through Newsboat.
• Newsboat is the recommended alternative and offers a very similar experience with ongoing development.
• Both Newsbeuter and Newsboat are free and open-source, with no associated costs.
• Support is community-driven and primarily provided through the Github repository for Newsboat.
• Choosing between Newsboat and alternatives depends on user preferences (terminal-based vs. GUI-based) and specific feature needs.

If you are a user who appreciated newsbeuter, you should absolutely move to Newsboat. It offers the same great experience you ve come to know and expect. If you re new to command-line feed readers, Newsboat is a solid place to start and is quite beginner friendly.