Frequently asked questions

Yes. The web reader is free with no limit on feeds or articles. There is no “Pro” tier gating the basics. The iOS app will have a free tier in the App Store.

On your device only — in your browser’s IndexedDB and localStorage. We keep no user accounts and no copy of your library. Clearing site data also clears the library, so export to OPML first if you plan to do that.

Browsers block direct cross-origin RSS requests (CORS). Our stateless proxy fetches the feed server-side and returns it to your browser. The server only ever sees the feed address you added yourself, and stores nothing.

We have no accounts and keep none of your data on a server — there is nothing to sync and nothing to leak. In exchange there is no cross-device sync: you move your library with an OPML file. The reader is also completely free and ad-free.

Yes. We import standard OPML files from Feedly, Inoreader, NetNewsWire, Thunderbird and most other readers. Duplicates are skipped and nothing is overwritten. Export works the same way, in one click.

Yes. Oatmeal Feed is a PWA — once installed on your Home Screen it behaves like a regular app and shows articles that have already loaded, even with no connection.

The app is in development. We won’t publish a date we are not sure about — join the launch list instead and we will write once, on launch day.

We run no profiling and use no tracking cookies. The only exception is your email address if you join the launch list yourself — we use it solely to announce the launch and delete it on request.

Yes, the directory is only a starting point. Paste any RSS or Atom URL in the reader’s settings and the feed appears in your list. The directory is curated; the reader itself has no restrictions.

The feed stops refreshing and you see an error next to its name. Remove the old entry and add the new address. We update the directory whenever we notice a change.

We are working on it and won’t announce a date we are not sure about. Joining the launch list means one message on launch day — nothing else.

We plan a free tier in the App Store that will include ads, plus an optional Oatmeal Premium subscription that removes ads and raises limits. We will announce details in advance. We will never remove features that already work.

No. Like the web reader, the app will work without an account or login, with a local SwiftData store on your device.

Yes, via OPML. Export from the web reader and import in the iOS app — same format, same 857-feed directory and the same starter packs.

Full offline mode with a local database, background refresh, notifications for new articles and a Home Screen widget. Reading on a phone is simply more comfortable than in a browser.

No. This is a launch list, not a newsletter. One message about the launch, then silence — unless you separately opt into something else.

There isn’t, and we don’t plan one for basic functionality. The web reader stays free with no limit on feeds or articles.

No. The 857-feed directory and the 8 starter packs are free for everyone, no account required.

Infrastructure cost is minimal: static files and one stateless proxy with no database. Oatmeal Feed is part of the Zordon Intelligence portfolio, not a standalone business that must pay for itself with ads.

No. OPML export is and will stay free. We won’t lock your library behind a paywall and we won’t start selling data, because we simply don’t have it.