July 1st marks the beginning of July and the end of Google Reader. Many companies have wasted no time jumping on this opportunity to become the next go-to RSS reader. AOL, for one, has received a lot of attention for its launch of AOL Reader. An article from The Verge provides a good overview of this particular reader, claiming it offers simplicity for former Google Readers but also “borrows from the rest of its competition.” It is very fast and refreshes feeds very quickly. All Things D explains further that users are also able to import their feeds from Google Reader to AOL Reader very smoothly.
Additional options include Feedly, Digg Reader, and Newsblur. All these alternatives are fairly similar, but each offers its own distinction. Feedly is a very popular option and has launched a Cloud sync service, assuring users that they will still have access to their Google Reader feeds after July 1st. Feedly is also leading the competition for efficient and free mobile apps for iPhone, iPad and Android.
Digg Reader offers more personalization and sharing options than the other readers. In this interview, Digg’s CEO and general manager explain that the Digg Reader project, a web version launching this week, will be fast and clean but will definitely be lacking some features. Digg wanted to launch its reader before they could build it up in order to be available before Google Reader officially goes extinct.
Newsblur may not be as visually enticing as other replacements but what it lacks in appearance, it makes up for in efficiency with features such as “nesting” folders within folders and updating feeds every minute. An important thing to note about Newsblur is that it no longer offers any free services; your only choice is a $2 monthly subscription that allows more than 64 feeds. Feedly and Digg are free but may be rolling out paid features in the near future.
Although it may be hard for some of you to let go of Google Reader completely, it looks like there are many replacements available to you, it’s just a matter of picking which new app fits your needs best. For more on Google Reader replacements, check out the links below.