Raven Reader
Raven Reader is a free, open-source desktop news reader for collecting articles from selected websites.
What Raven Reader is
Raven Reader is a free, open-source desktop news reader for collecting articles from selected websites. Its reading view removes ads, banners, and awkward layouts, and articles can be saved for offline reading. Readers can arrange feeds into unlimited categories, choose themes and fonts, adjust display size and layout, and hide page elements. Raven syncs with Feedbin, Inoreader, and self-hosted RSS services that support the Google Reader API. It also offers social sharing, email, and read-it-later options. The maker says Raven needs no login, collects no personal data, uses no cookies, and encrypts configuration and credentials with AES-256-CBC. Downloads are available for Linux, macOS, and Windows. The GitHub repository is archived and read-only; its README says the existing version would no longer be maintained while a rewrite was being worked on. The product site directs support requests to email.
Good
- Free and open source
- Supports Linux, macOS, and Windows
- Offers offline article saving
- Unlimited feed categories
- No login required, according to the maker
Watch out
- GitHub repository is archived and read-only
- Existing version is no longer maintained
- Desktop downloads only
Who it suits
Raven Reader may suit desktop readers who want to gather selected websites into feeds and read articles offline. It is also a fit for people who want configurable reading views and support for listed cloud-reader services.
Verdict
Raven Reader offers feed organization, offline reading, and a customizable article view across three desktop platforms. Its archived repository and stated end of maintenance for the existing version are important to consider.
Plans and prices
From Raven Reader's own pricing page, checked 4 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Raven Reader | Free | Open source desktop news reader |
The facts
Each one read from Raven Reader's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Account and data
- The maker says no login is required and no personal data is collected.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Categories
- Users can group feeds into unlimited categories.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Cloud reader integrations
- Raven can sync with Feedbin, Inoreader, and self-hosted RSS services that support the Google Reader API.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Customization
- Readers can choose themes and fonts, adjust display size and layout, and hide elements.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Downloads
- The download page offers versions for macOS, Windows, and Linux.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Encryption
- The maker says configuration and credentials are encrypted with AES-256-CBC and that no cookies are used.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Offline reading
- Articles can be saved for offline reading.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Open source status
- The linked GitHub repository says it was archived on September 28, 2023, and is read-only.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Product
- Raven is an open source desktop news reader for curating articles from selected websites.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Project maintenance
- The repository README says the existing version would no longer be maintained while a rewritten version was being worked on.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Reading view
- Raven removes ads, banners, and awkward layouts from original articles.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Sharing
- The maker lists social sharing, email, and read-it-later options.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Support
- The product site directs support requests to its listed email address.checked 4 Oct 2026
The company
- Maker
- The site identifies Hello Efficiency Inc. as the copyright holder; it does not state a headquarters or founding date.checked 4 Oct 2026
Alternatives to Raven Reader
- 1
NewsBlur
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Feeder
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FreshRSS
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Inoreader
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Feedreader
Free planWebLinuxSelf-hostedWindows7.5€29 one-time - 6
Feedly
Free planAndroidiOSWebAPI7.4From $1,600 a month