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Software · head to head

CrowdTangle vs The Old Reader

C

CrowdTangle

Software

Social media insights and content monitoring platform

From
On request
Rated
-
The Old Reader logo

The Old Reader

Software

A classic RSS reader for the modern web

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only The Old Reader has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • They diverge on capability: CrowdTangle covers Social listening, The Old Reader covers RSS reading.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CrowdTangle and The Old Reader actually diverge.

Attributes where CrowdTangle and The Old Reader differ
AttributeCrowdTangleThe Old Reader
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20112012

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in CrowdTangle

  • Social listening
  • Viral content tracking
  • Competitor monitoring
  • Brand mention tracking
  • Trending alerts
  • Custom dashboards
  • Team collaboration
  • Report generation

Only in The Old Reader

  • RSS reading
  • Social sharing
  • Following friends
  • Keyboard shortcuts
  • OPML import/export
  • Third-party apps
  • Browser bookmarklet
  • Ios support

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

CrowdTangle

  • Viral content trackingnot The Old Reader
  • Social listeningnot The Old Reader
  • Competitor analysisnot The Old Reader
  • Trend identificationnot The Old Reader

The Old Reader

  • RSS readingnot CrowdTangle
  • News aggregationnot CrowdTangle
  • Social readingnot CrowdTangle

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

CrowdTangle

  • CrowdTangle was retired by Meta on 14 August 2024, per Meta's own transparency page (Internet Archive capture, 12 December 2024), with Meta Content Library and Content Library API offered as replacements

The Old Reader

Nothing recorded yet. See the The Old Reader review.

Pricing, plan by plan

CrowdTangle

On request
  • Custom Plan$undefined/custom
    • Social monitoring
    • Competitor analysis
    • Trending content tracking

The Old Reader

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 100 subscriptions
    • Social features
    • Web access
  • Premium$3/month
    • 500 subscriptions
    • Search history
    • Priority refresh
  • Supporter$5/month
    • Unlimited subscriptions
    • All premium features
    • Support development

Which should you pick?

Choose CrowdTangle if

  • You need social listening.
  • You also want viral content tracking.

Choose The Old Reader if

  • You need rss reading.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want social sharing.

Questions people ask

Is CrowdTangle or The Old Reader better?
Neither clearly leads. CrowdTangle starts at On request and The Old Reader at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CrowdTangle or The Old Reader?
The Old Reader has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for CrowdTangle and Free for The Old Reader.
Does CrowdTangle or The Old Reader run on more platforms?
CrowdTangle runs on Web. The Old Reader runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use The Old Reader for free?
Yes. The Old Reader has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CrowdTangle starts at On request.
What is CrowdTangle best used for?
CrowdTangle is most often used for viral content tracking, social listening, competitor analysis, trend identification. Of those, viral content tracking and social listening are not what The Old Reader is typically brought in for.
What can CrowdTangle do that The Old Reader cannot?
CrowdTangle covers Social listening, Viral content tracking, Competitor monitoring, Brand mention tracking. The Old Reader covers RSS reading, Social sharing, Following friends, Keyboard shortcuts. Both handle Web support.

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