Why Electric Pants?
An honest comparison with popular RSS readers.
Electric Pants is a mindful RSS reader built on a simple philosophy: when you’re caught up, you’re done. Below we compare it with NetNewsWire, Reeder, Feedly, and Unread so you can pick the best fit for your reading style.
TL;DR
- Pick Electric Pants if: you want a beautiful, finite-by-design reader that helps you break the doom scroll habit, with zero setup friction and complete privacy.
- Pick NetNewsWire if: you want a powerful, free and open-source option with sync support and don’t mind a more traditional interface.
- Pick Reeder if: you’re a power user who wants deep customization, sync services, and a premium reading experience.
- Pick Feedly if: you need cloud sync across devices and don’t mind a subscription for advanced features.
- Pick Unread if: you prioritize design and typography above all else and want a zen reading experience.
What makes Electric Pants different?
- Finite by design: When you’ve read everything, you see “All Caught Up” — not infinite scroll designed to trap you.
- Anti-doom scroll: Built specifically to help you reclaim your time, not maximize “engagement.”
- Zero friction: No account, no sync setup, no login. Just download and add feeds.
- Complete privacy: No tracking, no analytics, no data collection. Your feeds stay on your device.
- Beautiful cards: Rich layouts for images, videos, and galleries — not just text lists.
Feature comparison
| Capability | Electric Pants | NetNewsWire | Reeder | Feedly | Unread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core philosophy | Finite & mindful | Open source | Power user | Cloud platform | Design-focused |
| “All Caught Up” screen | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Account required | No | Optional | Optional | Yes | Optional |
| Price | Free | Free | $4.99 (iOS) | Free / $6-12/mo | $4.99 (iOS) |
| RSS/Atom support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Reddit support | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Sync services | No | iCloud, Feedbin, etc. | Many | Feedly cloud | iCloud, Feedbin, etc. |
| Card layouts | Yes | List-based | Customizable | Card & list | Text-focused |
| Dark mode | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Privacy stance | No data collection | Open source | Local-first | Cloud service | Local-first |
| Platforms | iOS, iPadOS | iOS, iPadOS, Mac | iOS, iPadOS, Mac | Web, iOS, Android | iOS, iPadOS, Mac |
Honest pros & cons
Electric Pants
Pros
- “All Caught Up” — actually tells you when you’re done
- No account or setup — zero friction to get started
- Built-in Reddit — subscribe to subreddits as feeds
- Beautiful card layouts — images, videos, galleries displayed natively
- Complete privacy — no tracking whatsoever
- Completely free — no subscriptions, no premium tier
Cons
- No sync between devices (your feeds live on each device)
- iOS/iPadOS only (no Mac, Android, or web)
- Newer app with smaller feature set than established readers
NetNewsWire
Pros
- Free and open source — community-driven development
- Sync support — iCloud, Feedbin, Feedly, and more
- Mac app — full desktop experience
- Mature and stable — years of development
Cons
- Traditional list interface (less visual)
- No “caught up” indicator — just empty states
- No built-in Reddit support
Reeder
Pros
- Highly customizable — gestures, layouts, themes
- Many sync services — Feedbin, Feedly, Inoreader, iCloud, and more
- Beautiful design — polished reading experience
- Read-later integration — Instapaper, Pocket, etc.
Cons
- One-time purchase cost
- Can be overwhelming for casual users
- No finite/caught-up philosophy
Feedly
Pros
- Cloud sync — seamless across all devices
- Web interface — read anywhere
- Team features — shared feeds for organizations
- AI features — Leo AI for filtering (paid)
Cons
- Account required — must create and manage a login
- Subscription model — advanced features behind paywall ($6-12/month)
- Less privacy — cloud-based service
Unread
Pros
- Stunning typography — perhaps the most beautiful text rendering
- Zen reading experience — minimal, focused interface
- Sync support — iCloud, Feedbin, Feedly, and more
Cons
- One-time purchase cost
- Text-focused (less emphasis on images/media)
- No caught-up philosophy
Why we built Electric Pants
Most RSS readers are built for power users who want maximum features and sync everywhere. That’s great — but we noticed something missing.
Nobody was building for the doom scroll problem.
Social media apps are designed to trap you in infinite scroll. They hide “you’re done” because they don’t want you to leave. We thought: what if an RSS reader did the opposite?
Electric Pants is built around one idea: finite by design. When you’re caught up, we tell you. We celebrate it. Your time is yours again.
If you want maximum features and sync, try Reeder or NetNewsWire. If you want to break the doom scroll habit and actually finish reading, try Electric Pants.
Pricing at a glance
- Electric Pants: Free (no subscription, no premium)
- NetNewsWire: Free (open source)
- Reeder: $4.99 one-time (iOS), $9.99 (Mac)
- Feedly: Free tier; Pro $6/mo; Pro+ $12/mo
- Unread: $4.99 one-time (iOS)
Final word
RSS readers are personal. The best one is the one that fits how you want to read.
If you find yourself doom scrolling social media, if you want a cleaner relationship with content, if you want an app that actually lets you finish — give Electric Pants a try.
Ready to reclaim your reading time?