Softwr

News · head to head

NewsBlur vs PocketBase

NewsBlur logo

NewsBlur

News

A personal news reader bringing people together

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PocketBase logo

PocketBase

APIs

Open-source backend with REST API, real-time subscriptions and Admin UI

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: NewsBlur the free account is limited to 64 sites; PocketBase requires technical expertise to deploy and maintain
  • They diverge on capability: NewsBlur covers Intelligence training, PocketBase covers REST API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which NewsBlur and PocketBase actually diverge.

Attributes where NewsBlur and PocketBase differ
AttributeNewsBlurPocketBase
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidLinux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD
CategoryNewsAPIs
Founded20102021

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 NewsBlur

  • Intelligence training
  • Story sharing
  • Original site view
  • Text view
  • Blurblogs
  • Pocket
  • Instapaper
  • Evernote

Only in PocketBase

  • REST API
  • Real-time subscriptions
  • Admin UI
  • SQLite
  • Webhooks
  • File storage
  • Go support
  • Docker support

What people use each for

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

NewsBlur

  • Reading RSS feeds with training that filters by author, tag or titlenot PocketBase
  • Archiving full article content from followed sitesnot PocketBase
  • Following a large number of feeds with fast refreshnot PocketBase

PocketBase

  • Embedded realtime database with REST APInot NewsBlur
  • Backend-as-a-service for single-file deploymentsnot NewsBlur
  • Rapid application development with email/OAuth2 authenticationnot NewsBlur
  • File storage and media attachment managementnot NewsBlur
  • Lightweight alternative to Firebase or traditional backend infrastructurenot NewsBlur
  • Go and JavaScript customisable application frameworknot NewsBlur

Where each one falls short

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

NewsBlur

  • The free account is limited to 64 sites
  • Search and text view extraction require Premium at $36 per year
  • Premium is capped at 1,024 sites and Premium Archive at 4,096 sites
  • Full content archiving and the Daily Briefing require Premium Archive at $99 per year
  • The fastest 5 to 15 minute feed refresh and regex training require Premium Pro at $29 per month
  • Site following is capped at 10,000 even on the top tier

PocketBase

  • Requires technical expertise to deploy and maintain
  • No built-in hosting provided
  • Community support only

Pricing, plan by plan

NewsBlur

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • Follow up to 64 sites
    • Real-time RSS updates
    • Train stories by author, tag, title
  • Premium$36/year
    • Follow up to 1024 sites
    • 5x more frequent updates
    • River of News, search, saved stories with tags
  • Premium Archive$99/year
    • Follow up to 4096 sites
    • Web feeds from any website
    • Story clustering, daily briefing, full archive and search
  • Premium Pro$29/month
    • All Archive features plus up to 10000 sites
    • Feeds fetched every 5 to 15 minutes
    • Regex training, priority support

PocketBase

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the PocketBase review.

Which should you pick?

Choose NewsBlur if

  • You need intelligence training.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want story sharing.
NewsBlur review

Choose PocketBase if

  • You need rest api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD.
  • You also want real-time subscriptions.
PocketBase review

Questions people ask

Is NewsBlur or PocketBase better?
Neither clearly leads. NewsBlur starts at Free and PocketBase at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, NewsBlur or PocketBase?
NewsBlur starts at Free and PocketBase at Free.
Does NewsBlur or PocketBase run on more platforms?
NewsBlur runs on Web, Ios, Android. PocketBase runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD.
Can I use NewsBlur for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is NewsBlur best used for?
NewsBlur is most often used for reading rss feeds with training that filters by author, tag or title, archiving full article content from followed sites, following a large number of feeds with fast refresh. Of those, reading rss feeds with training that filters by author, tag or title and archiving full article content from followed sites are not what PocketBase is typically brought in for.
What can NewsBlur do that PocketBase cannot?
NewsBlur covers Intelligence training, Story sharing, Original site view, Text view. PocketBase covers REST API, Real-time subscriptions, Admin UI, SQLite.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

NewsBlur: Is NewsBlur free?

NewsBlur offers a free tier allowing users to follow up to 64 RSS feeds with real-time updates, story training, and public sharing.

Source
PocketBase: How much does PocketBase cost?

PocketBase is completely free and open-source. It is a self-hosted backend solution with database, authentication, and file storage capabilities at no cost.

Source
NewsBlur: What does Premium plan include?

Premium plan costs 36 dollars per year and includes following up to 1024 sites with 5x more frequent updates, River of News feature, search functionality, and saved stories with tags.

Source
PocketBase: Is PocketBase open-source?

Yes, PocketBase is open-source software. You can download, modify, and deploy it yourself at no cost with no licensing restrictions.

Source
NewsBlur: Is there a free trial?

Every new NewsBlur account starts with a free 30-day premium trial. No credit card is required to start.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on NewsBlur

More on PocketBase

Keep looking

Other head to heads