Google Reader Is Dead, Here Are Five Alternatives

 By: Adil Imran

The news that Google is shutting down go-to RSS feed manager Google Reader on 1 July caused quite the uproar among users. However it's time to move on and find another solution, because as expected, the flow of articles isn't stopping any time soon.
There are several alternatives out there, both web based and downloadable applications. Ultimately, you're looking for something that loads quickly, has a stylish UI, and can provide easy access to feeds.
Feedly
Feedly is one of the more popular Google Reader alternatives. It is available on the web, iOS, and Android, providing a complete list of feeds in a Google Reader-like UI. A number of publication sources are suggested within the web application.
The features of Feedly's mobile apps really stand out. It includes a Flipboard-like interface for finding new stories. Once a story is clicked on provides a few paragraphs from the story and a nice image.
Bet best yet, Feedly is aiming to provide a seamless move from Google Reader. The company has been anticipating the shut-down of Reader, and in doing that, has been cloning the Google Reader API. When Reader shuts down in July, there will be a seamless transition where no feeds are lost.
NetVibes
NetVibes isn't just a Google Reader alternative, but more of a social media dashboard, focusing on the power users. Past email, Flickr photos, and support for other services, NetVibes does really well for feed management. The main part of the page provides a full list off feeds, where on the left you can jump into feeds into certain categories, much like Google Reader.
NetNewsWire
Though it does have some Google Reader functionality we assume will go away soon, NetNewsWire is one of the best newsreaders on Mac. It's lightweight and provides a clear look at feeds. There is one main list where when an clicked on, it will load in a preview box below. NetNewsWire also offers iOS applications that offer similar functionality. A free app is available on each platform with ads, while a premium version is available ad-free.
FeedDemon
On the Windows side, users have found FeedDemon as a go-to RSS reader. While it does offer Google Reader sync (which will go away soon), it does give you the ability to subscribe manually. There's no feed recommendations, rather just raw feeds with headlines and images flowing in a sea of unlimited articles. There is also an offline mode where you can save articles for later reading.
Pulse, Flipboard and Google Currents
For managing feeds on a mobile device, the trio Pulse, Flipboard, and Google Currents have been noted as the best. Flipboard arguably offers the nicest UI, where as Pulse offers great categorization right from the home page. Flipboard and Google Currents also focus on offering a magazine-like user-interface. All three are available on both iOS and Android -- with Pulse even available as a web interface.
Twitter lists
Making a separate news Twitter list is something I've been doing for quite sometime. Given the speed of Twitter, and the fact every publication has an account, it makes for one great aggregator of what's happening around the web. Though, it's not for everyone, as it can become very hard to manage if it doesn't have your attention.
What next...
Google will be making feed data from Google Reader available via its Google Takeout service. This should make it pretty easy to change into new services. And hey, maybe you're favorite applications will move away from Google Reader support... or maybe even a few new ones will pop up.