foragd: A calmer way to follow the web

A feed reader is an app that collects content from websites, blogs, and newsletters you choose and displays it in one place without algorithms deciding what you see or ads interrupting your reading.

Most websites publish their content as an RSS or Atom feed: a standardised file that lists their latest articles. A feed reader checks these files regularly and shows you new posts as they arrive, in chronological order, from only the sources you've subscribed to.

This is fundamentally different from social platforms like Facebook, X (Twitter), or LinkedIn, where a proprietary algorithm selects and ranks what you see based on engagement, advertising revenue, and platform goals and not your preferences. It's also different from news aggregators like Apple News or Google News, which curate content editorially and promote sponsored stories.

With a feed reader, you own your reading list. You can follow any website that publishes a feed, from major newspapers to small independent blogs and everything appears together, unfiltered and in the order it was published.

Foragd is a web app, which means there is nothing to install and no app store required. Open your browser, log in on any device you already own. Because Foragd runs entirely in the browser, it works on every platform without a separate version for each: Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android are all fully supported. Your reading list, bookmarks, and settings are always in sync across every device automatically, with no manual backup or export needed.

On mobile, Foragd can be added to your home screen directly from your browser (on iOS via Safari's "Add to Home Screen" and on Android via Chrome's "Add to Home Screen"). This gives you a full app-like experience, including offline support, without going through the App Store or Google Play.

This also means Foragd is always up to date. There are no app updates to approve or install; improvements and new features are available the moment you open the page.

Yes. Foragd supports importing and exporting subscriptions using the OPML file format; an open standard that all major feed readers support. If you're switching from Feedly, Inoreader, NewsBlur, The Old Reader, or any other RSS reader, you can export your subscriptions as an OPML file and import them into Foragd in seconds, with no manual re-adding of feeds.

This portability is by design. Your subscriptions are a list of websites and sources you've deliberately chosen to follow. Your data is always yours, not the platform's. Unlike a social media following list that's locked inside a single company's database, an OPML file is a plain, open format you can take anywhere. Foragd treats your reading list as your data, which is why Foragd also supports exporting as well as importing. If you're currently using a platform that doesn't offer OPML export, that's a sign your subscriptions are being held hostage. A feed reader that won't let you leave with your data isn't a tool; it's a trap.

Switching to Foragd takes just a few minutes: export your OPML from your current reader, import it in Foragd's settings, and every feed you've ever subscribed to will be waiting for you.

Yes, completely. Foragd has no social features, no public profiles, and no follower counts. What you read is nobody's business but yours.

Most free content platforms are built on a simple trade: you get the service, they get your attention and behaviour data to sell to advertisers. Every article you read, every topic you follow, every link you click becomes a data point used to build an advertising profile. Foragd has no advertising business model, so there is no incentive to collect, analyse, or sell your reading behaviour. We don't know what you read, and we don't want to.

What we do collect is the minimum required to run the service: your email address to log in, and the list of feeds you subscribe to so we can fetch content for you. That's it. We don't share this with marketing third-parties, we don't run behavioural analytics on your reading habits, and we never inject ads or sponsored content into your feed.

Because Foragd is subscription-funded rather than advertiser-funded, your interests and ours are aligned: we succeed when you find the product valuable enough to pay for, not when we maximise the time you spend staring at a screen. You can read the full details in our privacy policy.

Your subscriptions are also portable and exportable at any time (see the previous question on OPML import and export).

Foragd respects any update interval the source website specifies.

Where a website doesn't specify an interval, Foragd tries to calculate an appropriate one based on the frequency of updates, or 5 minutes if that value is not reasonable.

Yes. Foragd's source code is publicly available on GitHub. But more importantly, here's why that matters to you as a user rather than just as a developer:

• You can verify our privacy claims.

  We tell you we don't track your reading habits or sell your data. But with closed-source software, that's a promise you have to take on faith. With open source, anyone can read the code and confirm that what we say matches what the software actually does. Independent researchers, security professionals, and privacy advocates can audit Foragd without our permission or involvement. Trust, but verify.

• Your data can never be held hostage.

  If Foragd ever shut down, was acquired, or changed direction in a way you disagreed with, the open source code means the community could continue running it independently. Your reading list and the software that powers it can't be locked away. This is the open source guarantee that no proprietary feed reader such as Feedly, Inoreader, or anyone else can offer.

• Security is stronger with more eyes on the code.

  Closed-source software relies on a single team to find and fix vulnerabilities. Open source means the entire developer community can spot and report issues, often faster than any internal team could alone.

• You're not betting on a black box.

  Many RSS readers have come and gone over the years — Google Reader being the most famous casualty. When a proprietary service shuts down, your subscriptions, your history, and your reading habits can disappear overnight. Open source is a hedge against that risk. You can find the Foragd source code and contribute at GitHub.

Yes. You can upgrade from monthly to annual at any time. We'll prorate the difference.

All major credit cards, PayPal, and local payment methods depending on your region. Payments are handled by either Google Play (for Android app users) or Paddle (for website users).

Yes. For Android app users, Google Play is our merchant of record. For website users, Paddle is our Merchant of Record. Both handle sales tax, VAT, and GST collection globally.

Absolutely. Cancel from your dashboard and you'll retain access until the end of your billing period.

You can manage your subscription from Settings->Account once logged in.

Monthly plans: No refunds. Cancel anytime before your next billing date.

Annual plans: Full refund within 14 days of purchase if you're not satisfied. After 14 days, no refunds are issued for the remaining period.

To request a refund, contact [email protected] with your account email, or use the contact form on the website.