I am still bummed about losing my beloved Google Reader and after going into a tirade followed by a dramatic lament in front of Brian, who gave me that “you’ve got to get a life” look, I sat down and looked for an alternative. My top choices are Feedly and Bloglovin. At first I decided on Bloglovin until I used it for a few days and found some quirks I did not like. Then I switched to Feedly but was annoyed with it. I’m still not completely sold on either and wish I could take the best of both and combine them. (Oh, wait. That was called Google Reader.) So while I am still mulling things over you can review some of the pros and cons I found in each.
PROS
- Easy transfer from Google Reader.
- Clean, streamlined look.
- Subs listed in alphabetical order.
- You can categorize blogs into folders. (For example, so far I have Catholic, recipes, organizing/creative & entertainment.)
- If you click “All Unread Posts” it will open up the website of the first listed post. Then you can use the “next” button on top of the page to click through to the following unread posts. (This is also a CON since it will open the next website, which takes longer than just getting it straight from the reader.
- You can “claim” and promote your blog. Follow buttons are available for blog widgets.
CONS
- When using Bloglovin on your computer, you can’t read a post in your reader. It opens up the website.
- You cannot transfer your Google reader starred items.
Bloglovin Mobile
- The iphone app for Bloglovin works easily. Posts are read in the reader and there is a menu for opening the website, mail, Twitter, Facebook, Message or Copy URL.
- To comment on a blog post you need to click the “open in a web browser” button and comment from there.
- On the negative side, you scroll down and back. You can’t swipe. (CORRECTION: You can swipe, but it is up and down instead of side to side.)
- Your categories/folders are not available on the app.
- I don’t know if there is an android app. There was not one available for my Kindle. (Update: A commenter said she does have the Bloglovin app on her android. Thanks, Nikki!)
Screenshots
Screenshot of web version.
Screenshot of mobile. I wish they let me see my categories and left off their “top posts” and “top blogs” plug.
Screenshot of mobile.
Articles
Moving from Google Reader to Bloglovin? from The Bloglovin Blog (Cut and dry. Not a lot of info out there.)
Already using Bloglovin? Follow Revolution of Love Blog.com.
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PROS
- Easy transfer from Google Reader subs.
- All your Google Reader starred items are imported as well. They are now “saved” items.
- You can categorize blogs into folders.
- If you like a visual reader with access to your twitter and facebook feed on the home page, this is for you.
- You can customize the layout with the choices magazine, titles, mosaic, cards and full articles. (Titles looks the most like Google Reader.)
- When you have it in full articles mode you can scroll down and it will automatically mark the post as read. You can easily mark the post as “keep unread.”
- You can add tags.
- You can use keyboard shortcuts.
- You are given recommendations of other blogs you may like based on your subs. (This could also be a con for information overload.)
CONS
- More visually cluttered, although it can be reduced by using a different format.
- The home page has your list along with featured posts, ads, Twitter feeds and Facebooks feeds. (Although you do not have to log into Twitter or Facebook if you don’t want to use it.)
- The blogs are not listed in alphabetical order but in a random system I still can’t figure out. (That alone drives me nuts.)
- You have to mark subs as favorites so they are more likely to show up as featured posts.
Feedly Mobile
- The Feedly app is available on my iphone and my Kindle.
- All my categories are still in place.
- There is a menu for opening mail, Twitter, Facebook, Google +, Buffer, “keep unread” and link.
- Posts are shown in the reader.
- I can’t customize the view but navigation is fairly easy and I can swipe through posts.
Screenshots
Screenshot of my Feedly’s Homepage
Screenshot of my Feedly, titles view.
Screenshot of my Feedly, card view with the menu showing (top right corner.)
My Feedly mobile view of my categories.
My Feedly mobile view of blogs in my Catholic folder. (It bugs me to no end that they are not alphabetized.)
My Feedly mobile view of the latest new blog posts. You can’t customize this page.
My Feedly mobile view of one blog. You can customize how you view their posts.
My Feedly mobile view of a post. Drop down menu shown.
Recommended Articles:
Tips for Google Reader users migrating to feedly from The Feedly Blog
How to get the most out of Feedly on your desktop from cnet.com
Already using Feedly? Follow Revolution of Love Blog.com.
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Well, that’s about it. If I left out anything important or if you have another recommendation, let me know. Have you already chosen one of these readers? Which one did you choose? And if you have an extra minute, why?
UPDATE (4/4/13): I have been having trouble commenting on blogs through Feedly on my iphone, even though I click the “visit website” link. My comments will not show up. When I use Bloglovin on my iphone, if I want to comment I click “open in safari” and I am able to comment as usual. Since 90% of the time I read blogs from my iphone , I switched to Bloglovin.
After using Bloglovin for a few weeks now, I am pleased with them. They are not perfect but I have been happy with them. I have noticed that many of the blogs I read have also switched to Bloglovin as well.
PS – You can follow RoL on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, GoodReads, Letterboxd or Instagram (It’s set to private but I’ll approve you.) 😉
PPS – This post may contain affiliate links.
Thank you so much for this post, Bobbi. I’ve pretty much been sticking my fingers in my ears and saying, “this isn’t happening, this isn’t happening, this isn’t happening…”
But I guess I had better deal with it, despite my hope beyond hope that Google will hear our cry and change their minds.
Sigh.
I truly appreciate your insight, from the looks of this post, I think I might try feedly. Ugh.
You’re welcome, Andrea. I am sure we’ll eventually get used to it and months from now we won’t give GR a second thought. It’s the initial change that is hard. 🙂
Ok, I was pretty sure BlogLovin’ would be my place, but after reading this, I am off to check out Feedly. It might have some things I am missing from BlogLovin’
Thank you!!
Ok, so I’m checking out feedly, and I am wondering: what are those yellow numbers next to the blog name when you’re in titles mode?
You’re welcome, Jenna. As for the yellow numbers I think it how many people have liked or shared the post on Facebook or twitter etc.
Thank you for this! It saves me time having do look at both of them myself. I think feedly might be a better match for me.
Your welcome, EML. Let me know what you finally decide on. 🙂
I have the bloglovin app on my android phone so it is available for android. I have been testing out BlogLovin but I now have to check out feedly too since I do have a problem not being able to read in the reader. I have a couple months.
Thanks for letting me know about the app, Nikki!
Like you, I have been kicking and screaming about losing Google Reader. About a week ago, when I finally came to grips with it, I started using feedly. I created various categories–Journalers, Lettering Artists, Miscellaneous, Mixed Media, Painters, Quilters and RV blogs.
First let me say that in Reader, I read some blogs that showed up under a category called “Blogs I’m Following” which Reader created. These were blogs on which I clicked the “follow” button on the site. In addition, I followed blogs that I cut and pasted the URL to add. I read these in the categories I created. I never liked the “Blogs I’m Following” category in Reader so I certainly don’t want one in feedly, and it creates the category “Blogger Following.”
I would prefer new posts show show up in the categories I created for them though. I know who I’m following. No need to tell me. Of course, I tried to get rid of it. I unchecked and moved all blogs from “Blogger Following” to the appropriate category. It disappeared from my sidebar but was back the next day. I did it again in feedly, and in Reader too. Again, it was back in both feedly and Reader the next day. Obviously, this is fed from the internet and not Reader. I thought it was being fed from Reader. Duh, to me!
Nevertheless, I don’t understand why I have to have “Blogger Following.” I’m sure that the only way to get rid of it is to go to each blog and unfollow so I have a decision to make because I do like to follow by clicking the “follow” button on the site so folks know I’m following them. Obviously, I didn’t understand some of this and perhaps there’s a lot more I don’t understand but I do know that I don’t like this feedly imposed category of “Blogger Following!” 🙁
Another issue is that in Reader, I was able to click on a picture to enlarge it. I used it a lot to get close up views of art. In feedly, clicking on a picture wants you to post it to Pinterest. I don’t like that, and I hope it changes. 🙁
I also have my Start Page set on Index in feedly but it doesn’t start up way. That said, it could be because that page wasn’t up when I added it to Top sites. Perhaps I need set it into Top Sites with the index page showing. Just thought it was worth a mention.
I use the full articles view and when I open the index and hit Sort Alphabetically, it does alphabetize the categories for me, and then the items in each category. I like that! 🙂 When I read them, they seem to come up the way they are sorted alphabetically. Perhaps it’s because of the view I use? I don’t know.
I never checked out Bloglovin because one time I went to comment on someone’s blog, and it made me create a user name and password in order to comment. I created it, commented, and never went back. I don’t want visitors to my blog to have to go through that though. Perhaps it’s just a setting that blogger enabled. I don’t know.
These are just the things I have discovered so far, and I thought I’d throw my two cents in!
Have a great day!
D~~~~
I have resolved all of the above issues! I fixed it so my index is my home page, and new posts are presented to me in there, and in alphabetical order. As a result, Blogger Following is no longer an issue. I love, love, love it now! Woo-hoo!
Have a wonderfully fabulous day!
D~~~~