How to Install FreshRSS on Saplo (Google Reader-Style RSS Reader)

Tracking dozens of websites and blogs by visiting each one separately is a waste of time. And services like Inoreader charge a monthly subscription for something that Google used to offer for free with Google Reader, before it shut it down. FreshRSS is an open-source RSS and Atom feed reader that recreates that experience: folders with feeds, tags, sharp keyboard shortcuts, and its own API compatible with Fever and Google Reader for mobile apps like Reeder or FeedMe. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to set up FreshRSS on Saplo.

Why FreshRSS instead of a paid RSS reader

Paid cloud RSS readers have two characteristics that bother people who follow many sources:

• the subscription increases over time - a free plan usually limits the number of feeds or refresh frequency, and full functionality, including access from a mobile application via API, is usually locked behind a paid subscription of several dozen USD per month,
• your reading data sits on someone else's server - your history of read articles, starred items, and list of subscribed feeds are in the hands of an external company, not yours.

FreshRSS runs as a single Docker container on your Box, with built-in SQLite as the database, so your entire set of feeds and reading history remain on your infrastructure, with no limit on the number of feeds and no monthly fee beyond the cost of the Box itself.

FreshRSS vs. Miniflux: The Second RSS Reader Recipe in the Saplo Catalog

Miniflux is already in the Saplo catalog, so the natural question is why have two recipes for the same task. The answer lies in the difference in approach:

• Miniflux is intentionally minimalistic, a single Go binary file, a flat list of feeds without folders, for people who want the fewest settings to click.
• FreshRSS has a folder and tag view for organizing more feeds, its own API compatible with both Fever and Google Reader, which opens the door to a wider list of mobile applications, and a larger, longer-developed user base.

If you follow a few feeds and value simplicity, check out Miniflux. If you have dozens of sources divided by topic and want to read them from your phone via an app like Reeder, FreshRSS fits better.

Requirements

To set up FreshRSS on Saplo, you'll need:

• A Box with Docker running (the engine automatically enables it during installation from the catalog; container nesting is required, which Saplo provides by default),
• At least 256 MB of free RAM on the Box and 2 GB of disk space, meaning a Box S plan is sufficient,
• A domain or subdomain *.saploapp.pl included with every plan, where the reader will be hosted,
• You DO NOT need a separate database; FreshRSS stores feeds and reading history in its built-in SQLite within the Docker volume.

Step-by-step installation

1. In the Saplo panel, go to Application Catalog and select FreshRSS ("Business" category).
2. Select a Box with at least 256 MB of free RAM, where the reader will be installed, and the domain or subdomain it will run under.
3. Confirm the installation. The engine deploys a container from the official freshrss/freshrss image, sets up an administrator account automatically (without a manual browser wizard), and exposes it only to the Box's loopback, connected to nginx, which serves it under the specified domain with free SSL. Only port 443 is exposed externally, not the raw container port.
4. After docker compose up, the engine additionally checks if the FreshRSS login page actually responds via HTTP, because the "container running" status alone doesn't mean that the unattended installation (FRESHRSS_INSTALL/FRESHRSS_USER flags) was actually successful.
5. After installation is complete, the administrator's login details, including a separate API password for mobile applications, are saved in the FRESHRSS-SETUP.txt file on the Box.

First configuration

The administrator account is ready immediately after installation, so the first steps are to log in and add channels, not to go through a wizard.

1. Go to your domain address, for example czytnik.saploapp.pl, and log in with the credentials from the FRESHRSS-SETUP.txt file.
2. Change your password immediately after the first login in User parameters -> Change password.
3. You can add channels using the Subscribe button in the panel, individually by website address or in bulk by importing an OPML file exported from your previous reader.
4. You can organize channels into folders and tag them in the channel management view, which distinguishes FreshRSS from the flat list in Miniflux.
5. For the mobile application (Reeder, FeedMe and others supporting Fever or Google Reader), you log in with the Box address and a separate API password, saved in the same FRESHRSS-SETUP.txt file, not the web panel password.

FreshRSS on Saplo vs. a paid cloud reader

FAQ

Does FreshRSS need a separate database? No, by default it uses embedded SQLite in the Docker volume; the Saplo engine doesn't set up any additional database containers for it.

How does FreshRSS differ from Miniflux, since both are in the Saplo catalog? Miniflux is intentionally minimalist and has a flat list of feeds. FreshRSS adds folders, tags, and its own API compatible with Fever and Google Reader, which is important when using mobile apps.

Can I import feeds from another reader? Yes, in User parameters -> Import/Export, you can upload an OPML file exported from any other RSS reader.

How do I log in from a mobile app like Reeder? You provide your Box address and a separate API password stored in the FRESHRSS-SETUP.txt file, automatically generated during installation, not your web panel password.

If you follow many sources and are looking for an RSS reader without a monthly subscription and without a feed limit, contact us. We'll help you choose the right Box for your set of sources.