RSS Guard is a free and open-source news aggregator for web feeds and podcasts. It is written in C++ and uses Qt, which allows it to fit with the look and feel of different operating systems while remaining cross-platform. It includes a file downloader, advanced network proxy configuration, and supports external media viewing tools.
RSS Guard is released under the GPL-3.0-only license and is available for Windows, macOS, OS/2 and various Linux distributions.
The feed formats supported by RSS Guard are RSS/RDF, Atom, and JSON Feed. RSS Guard also supports Sitemaps.
RSS Guard can synchronize data with online feed services Tiny Tiny RSS, Nextcloud News, Feedly, Inoreader, feed readers which use Google Reader's API such as FreshRSS, The Old Reader, and Bazqux. The application may also act as a simple e-mail client for Gmail.
RSS Guard is able to automatically detect all types of supported content given URL input.
What is RSS Guard?
RSS Guard by martinrotter is open-source Windows software in the rss & podcasts category. It ranks 3rd by popularity among rss & podcasts in this catalogue. It is written in C++. Besides Windows, it is available for Linux.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (NSIS) installers for 64-bit Windows. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 4.8.6, released on September 7, 2025. The version history goes back to May 20, 2023: 17 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 7.4 releases a year. The last update is more than a year old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 22,221 times. The source code on GitHub (martinrotter/rssguard) has 2,807 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 2 of our languages. Similar programs include Raven Reader, gPodder - Media aggregator and podcast client and quiterss.
Project description on GitHub: “Feed reader (podcast player, basic XMPP client and also Gemini protocol client) which supports RSS/ATOM/JSON and many web-based feed services.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Frequent updates (about 7.4 a year)
- Also runs on Linux
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- No update for more than a year
In short: RSS Guard is an open-source rss & podcast tool for 64-bit PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Key features
- ATOM
- JSON (1.x)
- RSS (0.x, 1.x, 2.x)
- Feedly
- Gmail
- Google Reader API (Bazqux, FreshRSS, Inoreader, Miniflux, Reedah, The Old Reader, etc.)
- Next Cloud News
- Tiny Tiny RSS
- XMPP PubSub
- Gemini Protocol
AppStream · Flathub
Screenshots
Is RSS Guard safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
704A40E7BF2EF467F7D6EAE22D977A26F0AB400A5847FD50522E9F72BB898372· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Security practices (OpenSSF Scorecard)
Automated checks of the martinrotter/rssguard repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- Actively maintained10
- No dangerous workflows10
- Licence declared10
- Code review0
- Restricted token permissions0
- Security policy0
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Fuzzing0
- No binaries in the repository0
- Branch protection0
- Signed releases0
- Pinned dependencies0
- Static code analysis0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 17 versions ›17 versions over 2 years · about 7.4 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.8.6Latest | September 7, 2025 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 4.8.5 | May 27, 2025 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 4.8.4 | May 23, 2025 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 4.8.3 | April 4, 2025 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 4.8.2 | April 1, 2025 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 4.8.1 | December 20, 2024 | — | 32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 4.7.4 | September 26, 2024 | — | 32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 4.7.3 | July 26, 2024 | — | 32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id martinrotter.RSSGuard -echoco install rssguard -yscoop install extras/rssguardrssguard-4.8.6-ff032516b-win10.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
flatpak install flathub io.github.martinrotter.rssguardInformation
- Publisher
- martinrotter
- Category
- RSS & podcasts
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/martinrotter/rssguard
- Written in
- C++
- Content rating
- All ages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Other platforms
- Linux
- Version
- 4.8.6
- Released
- September 7, 2025
- Added to the catalogue
- May 20, 2023
- Versions listed
- 17
- Updates / year
- 7.4
- Chocolatey downloads
- 22,221
- GitHub stars
- 2,807
- GitHub forks
- 169
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- martinrotter.RSSGuard
- Chocolatey package
- rssguard
- Scoop package
- extras/rssguard
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to RSS Guard
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Frequently asked questions
Is RSS Guard free?
Yes. RSS Guard is open-source software under the GPL-3.0 licence.
Is RSS Guard safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install RSS Guard with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can RSS Guard be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does RSS Guard run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of RSS Guard?
The versions page lists all 17 versions with links to their official installer files, back to May 20, 2023.
What are alternatives to RSS Guard?
Raven Reader, gPodder - Media aggregator and podcast client, quiterss, Folo and Lettura. The alternatives page compares them.
