Serial
A calm, customizable, and non-algorithmic RSS reader. Lots of customization options and great support for video content. Fully open source and easily self-hostable.
Our digital lives are spread across many platforms, publications, and channels.
Serial is a way to bring these disparate parts of the internet into one place that you control.
Serial is what is called an RSS Reader.
RSS (or Really Simple Syndication) is an internet standard. It has existed for over 25 years, and provides a really simple way for websites to let internet users know what content they offer.
You may have experienced RSS as the system that powers podcast distribution. If you've ever heard a podcast host say, "listen wherever you get your podcasts", it's because RSS gives listeners the power to listen from any app or method that they prefer.
Serial is designed to be a calm, customizable, and non-algorithmic RSS reader. It has a few distinct features that sets it apart from other RSS readers you may have come across:
Flexible views
If you've ever been on social media and felt the "content whiplash" of seeing a cute animal right next to the most recent global news, you'll understand the issue with having one unified, algorithmic feed. On Serial, you have more control over when, where, and how you consume content.
Great support for video content
YouTube channels have RSS feeds built in, and Serial leverages these feeds to create an immersive and customized viewing experience. Serial's UI is designed to counteract the "algorithmic rabbit hole" of watching videos on YouTube.
Minimal in all the right ways
Serial is clean and uncluttered, putting the focus soley on your content. The UI is designed for intentionality above all else.
Customizable to your heart's content
We believe your RSS reader doesn't have to feel like an email client. As one small example, check out our theming flexibility:
Pricing Transparency
Serial is currently free while in beta, and there will be a small subscription after that period ends for users over 100 feeds.
If the cost of Serial is too much for you, anyone can run an instance of Serial for themselves. You won't need to pay us anything, but you will need to have a dedicated computer to run it on, which can be as cheap as $3-4 a month.
This can be a great option for users who are very privacy-conscious, or for those looking to provide Serial as a service for their friends or family.
Here is the step-by-step guide on how to host your own Serial instance.
Have a question? Reach us at hey@serial.tube