baRSS for MAC
Free, open-source RSS and Atom reader for Mac that lives in the menu bar and opens new articles in your own browser.
baRSS Overview
baRSS is an RSS and Atom feed reader that lives in the macOS menu bar. It updates your feeds automatically and tells you when there is new content, and the new articles are one menu away. There is no built-in article viewer on purpose: when you pick an article, it opens in your browser of choice, so you see the real page with no rendering problems and no broken links.
The app is built from scratch for a small footprint. Its developer, relikd, states that it uses less than 30 MB of memory and has a file size of about 1 MB. baRSS keeps no cached web sessions or cookies, and it reuses ETag and Last-Modified headers to avoid unnecessary downloads. You can also tune how often feeds update to cut traffic further. It is released under the MIT license. Version 1.6.2 adds an Update feeds command on all menu levels and macOS 10.13 compatibility. The app is a universal build for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
There are limits to know about. baRSS has no sync with online services, no support for feeds that need a login, and no option of its own to start at login; you add it to the Login Items in System Settings instead. The interface is not localized, and a few options can only be set in Terminal. The project's install instructions include a Terminal command that removes the macOS quarantine flag, so macOS may block the app the first time you open it. The developer also warns that baRSS has no official App Store release and that any copy found there is a counterfeit, so download it from the project's GitHub page.
Key Features
baRSS keeps your feeds in the menu bar with very little overhead.
- RSS and Atom: Subscribes to both common feed formats.
- Menu bar reading: New articles are a click away in the system status bar.
- Your own browser: Articles open in the browser you choose, not in a built-in viewer.
- Automatic updates: Feeds refresh on their own, and you can tune how often.
- Notifications: You are told when new content arrives.
- Light on traffic: Reuses ETag and Last-Modified headers and stores no cookies or cached web sessions.
- Show only unread: Hides read items, and holding the Option key shows them again.
- Feeds for other sites: An expert regex converter adds websites that have no feed.
What’s New in Version 1.6.2
baRSS 1.6.2 widens compatibility and tidies the menus.
- macOS 10.13 compatibility.
- Update feeds command on all menu levels.
- The Pause updates item can be removed.
baRSS FAQ
Is baRSS free?
Yes. baRSS is free and open source under the MIT license.
Which macOS version does baRSS need?
macOS 10.13 High Sierra or later.
Does baRSS run on Apple Silicon?
Yes. The download is a universal app that runs natively on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
Does baRSS have a built-in article viewer?
No, by design. Articles open in your browser of choice instead of a separate viewer window.
What if macOS blocks baRSS when I open it?
The project's install instructions include the Terminal command xattr -d com.apple.quarantine /Applications/baRSS.app, which removes the macOS quarantine flag.
Can baRSS start when I log in?
baRSS has no option of its own for this, but you can add it to the Login Items in System Settings under General.
Can baRSS follow websites without a feed?
Yes. Hold the Option key in the feed edit window and click the red regex button to use the regex converter. The developer says this is for experts.
Does baRSS sync between Macs or support feeds with a login?
No. Sync with online services and feeds with authentication are not available; they are only ideas on the project's to-do list.
Is baRSS on the Mac App Store?
No official version is. The developer says any copy on the App Store is a counterfeit and cannot guarantee it has not been modified.
Where does the baRSS download on barss.FULLMAC.app come from?
The download button leads to the official baRSS releases on GitHub at https://github.com/relikd/baRSS/releases/latest. barss.FULLMAC.app does not change or repackage the app.
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FULLMAC.app does not host this app. Download buttons lead to the developer’s own pages.