I Should Have Stuck with Readwise Reader

Originally published

Subtitle: Omnivore Closing: Inherent Risk of Open Source Software

Earlier this year I fell victim to the allure of switching from a paid tool to free, open source tool. I switched from Readwise Reader (herein, Reader) to Omnivore.

I figured they were similar enough (though I always maintained Reader is better and I’d just “get used to” Omnivore), and the truth is I don’t make heavy use of my RSS reader.

But earlier this week, Omnivore announced they were acquired by ElevenLabs, and while they didn’t explicitly say it, they’re shutting down the hosted service to focus on ElevenReader.

While they say they remain committed to the “Developer community” and Omnivore will remain 100% open source, this exposes a considerable risk for anyone who doesn’t want to fork (copy) and maintain their own version of all of their favorite software: Free, Open Source Software is risky business.

Sure there are some successful projects — though one of the biggest is currently embroiled in a lot of drama at the hands of a capricious and litigious leader — but most can’t answer a simple but crucial question.

What’s The Business Model?

When I moved to Cal.com from Calendly, this was the first question I had to ask. When something is mostly free, as well as open source, you need to consider how the people maintaining the project will make money.

I found Cal.com’s model (to charge for Team features) one I trusted enough to upend one of the most important aspects of my automations.

I didn’t do this exercise for Omnivore because a read later app isn’t a crucial part of my process — but now I’m in a situation where I’ll have to evaluate and switch to a new service.

Looking for a Good RSS + Read Later App

I could go back to Reader…it’s what I’m currently best set up to do.

But it is expensive, and I don’t find myself reviewing highlights as often as I thought I would.

I really only need 2 features:

  1. Reads RSS feeds
  2. Has an email address for newsletters

Highlighting is a nice to have.

Feedbin is another good alternative, and much cheaper. The app is just OK, but other apps can use Feedbin as the underlying service, which is appealing.

If you have any suggestions, leave them in the comments!