Miniflux is a lightweight, opinionated RSS and Atom feed reader designed for users who value privacy, simplicity, and performance. Built in Go with a single static binary and PostgreSQL backend, it eliminates tracking scripts, removes URL parameters like UTM tags, and blocks external JavaScript to ensure a clean reading experience. Unlike web-based aggregators that rely on third-party services, Miniflux runs entirely on your infrastructure—whether on a VPS, Docker container, or local server—and supports advanced features like content extraction via Readability, custom CSS scrapers, and full-text search. It’s ideal for developers, privacy-conscious readers, and teams managing large numbers of feeds without relying on cloud-based alternatives.
Miniflux supports modern web standards, including WebAuthn for passwordless login, HTTPS via Let’s Encrypt, HTTP/2, and CSP headers. It offers native mobile web app support with home screen installation, keyboard shortcuts, and dark/light system themes. With official Docker images, Debian/RPM packages, and a REST API, Miniflux is designed for both individual users and DevOps teams seeking control over their feed data.
What You Get
- Privacy-focused feed parsing - Removes UTM parameters, pixel trackers, and external JavaScript; uses youtube-nocookie.com for YouTube videos and enforces CSP/Trusted Types to block inline scripts.
- Built-in media proxy and content sanitization - Resolves mixed content warnings, proxies external images/videos, and extracts clean article text using a local Readability parser.
- OPML import/export and URL-based subscription - Easily migrate feeds from other readers using OPML files or add feeds via direct URLs without a web interface.
- Full-text search powered by PostgreSQL - Search across all articles with native SQL full-text search, enabling fast keyword discovery in large feed collections.
- 25+ third-party integrations - Export articles to Notion, Pinboard, Wallabag, Discord, Telegram, and more via Apprise, Webhooks, or native connectors.
- WebAuthn and OAuth2 authentication - Supports passkeys (WebAuthn), Google OAuth, generic OpenID Connect, and reverse-proxy authentication for secure access.
- REST API with Go/Python clients - Programmatically manage feeds, articles, and subscriptions using official client libraries for automation and integration.
- HTTPS auto-configuration with Let’s Encrypt - Automatically obtains and renews TLS certificates for secure access without manual certificate management.
- Custom scraper and rewrite rules - Use CSS selectors to extract content from problematic sites or apply regex filters to include/exclude articles by title or author.
- Systemd and Docker-ready deployment - Official Docker images on Docker Hub, GitHub, and Quay.io; supports ARM64 and includes systemd sd_notify for process monitoring.
- Keyboard shortcuts and responsive UI - Optimized interface with touch gestures, dark/light/system themes, and full keyboard navigation for efficient reading.
Common Use Cases
- Building a private RSS reader for high-volume content consumption - A journalist subscribes to 300+ news feeds across blogs, newsletters, and industry sources; Miniflux’s low memory footprint (a few MB) and PostgreSQL search make it ideal for real-time filtering without cloud dependency.
- Creating a secure internal knowledge hub for remote teams - A DevOps team uses Miniflux to aggregate engineering blogs, RFCs, and internal updates; enables WebAuthn login and blocks tracking scripts to comply with corporate security policies.
- Problem: Feed readers leak browsing data → Solution: Miniflux strips UTM parameters and blocks trackers - Users tired of being tracked by Google Analytics or Facebook pixels in their RSS feeds switch to Miniflux, which automatically removes fbclid, utm_* tags, and disables external JavaScript.
- Team workflow: Developers managing microservice documentation feeds - A team uses Miniflux’s REST API to programmatically subscribe to GitHub release feeds and auto-export new releases to Notion, reducing manual monitoring overhead.
Under The Hood
Miniflux is a self-hosted feed reader built in Go, designed as a modular monolithic web application that emphasizes clean separation of concerns and extensibility. It provides a feature-rich experience for managing RSS feeds with a focus on simplicity and API-first development.
Architecture
Miniflux follows a layered architecture with well-defined modules and domains that separate core functionality into distinct components.
- The application uses a layered structure with dedicated packages for CLI, HTTP handling, database operations, and API services.
- Core features like user management and feed processing are organized into clearly demarcated domains with isolated logic.
- Middleware patterns are consistently applied to handle cross-cutting concerns such as authentication and request logging.
Tech Stack
Built entirely in Go, Miniflux leverages a combination of standard library tools and custom implementations for robust backend functionality.
- The project is developed using Go’s standard library along with a custom HTTP server for routing and middleware integration.
- It integrates with various database drivers and utility libraries to support configuration management and request/response handling.
- Build automation is handled via Makefile, while golangci-lint ensures consistent code quality and linting standards.
Code Quality
Miniflux demonstrates a mature codebase with strong testing practices and consistent error handling across modules.
- The project includes comprehensive unit and integration tests to validate core functionalities and API endpoints.
- Error handling is standardized throughout the codebase, with clear patterns for propagating and managing failures.
- While most modules maintain consistent naming and structure, some areas show signs of technical debt that could hinder long-term maintainability.
What Makes It Unique
Miniflux distinguishes itself through its lightweight design and deep extensibility, making it suitable for self-hosted environments.
- It offers a clean and flexible API that enables integration with external tools and services without requiring complex setup.
- The modular architecture allows for easy customization and extension, supporting a wide range of use cases beyond basic feed reading.
- Its focus on simplicity and self-hosting makes it a compelling alternative for users seeking control over their data and infrastructure.