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Feedly vs Flipboard: Which is Better for Reading News
I started blogging in 2012 as a tech blogger, staying up-to-date with the latest technology and apps by following popular blogs and news sites. Google Reader was my go-to RSS Feed Reader at the time. However, in June 2013, Google announced its decision to shut down the service, prompting the need for alternatives.
Many sites recommended Feedly as a suitable replacement, so I started using it. Later, a friend suggested I try Flipboard, a personalized News Reader. I downloaded it and immediately fell in love with it. I continue to use it to this day, but I believe change is necessary for a happy life.
Let’s get back to Feedly. After logging in with my Google account, I noticed that the feeds were the same as before, which reminded me of my early days as a blogger. I used it for a while and started to like its simplicity. However, it lacked the personalization that Flipboard offers. This leads me to ask, can Feedly be the ultimate news reader app? Which app is the best for news-savvy individuals, Flipboard or Feedly? Let’s find out.
Just to clarify, in this comparison, I will only be focusing on the Android apps of both services, and the following are my personal opinions.
Now, let’s discuss the design of both Android apps.
UI/Design
Feedly has a clean and simple design. It provides a satisfying user experience. Transitioning between pages is smooth with a simple swipe. The swipe transition is used throughout the app, even to close an article.
Flipboard is a fancy app with a magazine-style UI that features authentic typography and great use of images. It uses more mobile data compared to Feedly but can be controlled in the settings menu. Feedly offers three transition options (swipe, scroll, stack) and a dark mode option. Flipboard does not allow for UI customization, only text size adjustments and full-screen mode. However, I prefer Flipboard’s authentic UI.
Grabbing the News
Feedly excels at grabbing feeds for any website. If you’re unsure of which news sites to follow, you can select a category (e.g. Tech) to view the top feeds. Alternatively, you can search for a specific source. Once you’ve chosen a source, Feedly will prompt you to add it to a category.
Flipboard shows social network results of the query you enter. Popular sources have their own customized magazine by Flipboard. Less popular sources can be followed on Twitter or Facebook for updates.
You can also follow topics of interest on Flipboard for articles and news from various sources globally. Feedly is more accurate in grabbing feeds from any source on the internet. For more accurate results in Feedly, enter the source URL (e.g., twothirds.us.com).
Content Management
Feedly streamlines content management, allowing for easy removal of Feeds. To remove a Feed, simply select “Edit Content” in the sidebar, choose the desired Feeds, and click “Remove.” In addition to managing content, Feedly enables the creation of Boards for categorizing articles, making it a valuable tool for research purposes.
In competition with Boards, Flipboard has magazines. Any user can create a magazine and follow magazines created by others. Removing content is as simple as drag and drop, and organizing sources in the dashboard is also easy.
Managing content on Feedly is easier compared to Flipboard. In Flipboard, when you’ve followed too many topics and sources, it can get cluttered with articles and sources you don’t care about, and unfollowing them can be time-consuming. In contrast, Feedly allows you to easily unfollow them.
Reading Experience
Feedly offers a seamless reading experience with uniform design. The typography is optimized for easy reading. To open an article in a browser, use the “Open Webpage Directly” option. You can save an article for later or add it to a board.
Flipboard, doesn’t provide a unified reading experience. The popular sources on Flipboard are customized by their team. The less popular ones open in webview or a Chrome custom tab. Sometimes, the customized articles cause glitches. I prefer to read the article in webview on Flipboard.
Apart from that, you can personalize your reading experience by fine-tuning your Flipboard dashboard. Also, you can mute a website from getting notifications in the notification drawer.
Want to personalize Notifications on Android? Here’s a cool way to do it.
Conclusion: Simplicity vs Personalization
Feedly is a simple, easy to use, and uniform app. Flipboard is beautiful, customizable, and social. Now, it’s your turn to decide. Do you want an app that offers simplicity and uniformity or an app that is socially connected and personalized? Let us know your view in the comments.
As Fred Humiston, the author behind Twothirds.us, I focus on providing practical and easy-to-follow guides and solutions for a variety of technical issues that people commonly face.
My articles cover a wide range of topics, from troubleshooting out-of-sync audio on TikTok and managing Firestick devices, to understanding the impact of Capcut on video quality and resolving sound issues on Hisense Roku TVs.
I also delve into more general tech tips, like how to block numbers on landlines or use VPNs without Wi-Fi. My goal is to make technology more accessible and less intimidating for everyone, whether you’re a tech novice or a seasoned user. I strive to offer clear, concise, and helpful advice to make your digital experience smoother and more enjoyable.