RSS, But Make It a Single Binary: Meet yarr
You know the drill. You've got a dozen blogs, a few news sites, and maybe a YouTube channel or two. Keeping up means opening ten tabs every morning, or relying on some bloated feed reader that needs its own database server, a runtime environment, and a prayer. There's got to be a simpler way, right? Enter yarr—yet another rss reader, sure, but one that ships as a single binary with zero dependencies. No installers, no package managers, no configuration files you need to hunt down. Just one file that runs.
What It Does
yarr is a web-based feed aggregator. That means it pulls all your RSS feeds into one clean, browser-accessible interface. But unlike a lot of web-based tools, it doesn't force you into a specific hosting setup. You've got options: run it as a desktop app on your own machine, or self-host it on a server you control. Either way, it's the same single binary.
The architecture is refreshingly minimal. There's no Node.js runtime, no Python interpreter, no PHP server required. Just the binary itself. Under the hood, it uses SQLite or Postgres for storage—your choice, depending on how heavy you want to go. SQLite is perfect for a personal setup; Postgres makes sense if you're hosting for multiple users or just prefer a proper database server.
Platform-wise, yarr covers the big three: Windows, macOS, and Linux. So whether you're on a Windows work machine, a MacBook, or a Linux server in a closet, the same binary works. The project maintains official documentation and releases, so you're not left guessing at version numbers or hunting through commit history.
Why It's Cool
Here's the thing about RSS readers: they've been around forever, and most of them feel like it. yarr stands out for a few concrete reasons.
Single binary, no dependencies. This can't be overstated. You download one file, you run it, you're done. No npm install, no apt-get, no worrying about conflicting versions of Python or Ruby. It's the kind of simplicity that makes you wonder why more tools don't do this. For a self-hosted setup, this is huge—you can drop the binary on a $5 VPS and it just works.
Desktop app or self-hosted, same code. Most tools force you to pick a lane. Either you get a local GUI app, or you get a web server. yarr gives you both from the same binary. Run it locally when you're at your desk, then point your browser at your server when you're on the go. Same interface, same feeds, same experience.
SQLite or Postgres. This is a thoughtful design choice. SQLite keeps things dead simple for personal use—no database server to manage, just a file. But if you're self-hosting and want something more robust, Postgres is right there. It's rare to see a project this small support both without making one feel like an afterthought.
Cross-platform without the cruft. Windows, macOS, Linux—all supported, all from the same codebase. No Electron wrapper eating 500MB of RAM. Just a web-based UI that runs in your browser, which honestly feels lighter and faster than most native apps these days.
There's also something to be said for the project's restraint. The README doesn't promise AI-powered recommendations or social features you'll never use. It's a feed aggregator. It aggregates feeds. That's the whole job, and it does it without pretending to be something bigger.
How to Try It
Getting started is almost embarrassingly easy. Head over to the yarr releases page and grab the binary for your platform. There's also a feed for releases if you want to stay updated via—you guessed it—RSS.
Once you've downloaded the binary, just run it. On Linux or macOS, you might need to make it executable first:
chmod +x yarr
./yarr
On Windows, double-click the .exe and you're off. The web interface will open in your browser, and you can start adding feeds immediately. If you want to self-host, the documentation covers the details on setting up Postgres and running it as a service.
The repository itself is at github.com/nkanaev/yarr, where you'll find the source code, issue tracker, and links to the docs. If you run into problems, that's the place to look for help or report bugs.
Final Thoughts
yarr isn't trying to reinvent RSS or add a thousand features you don't need. It's a focused, well-executed tool that solves a real problem: keeping up with feeds without the overhead. If you've been frustrated by heavy feed readers or complicated self-hosted setups, this is worth a try. It's especially great for tinkerers who like running their own services but don't want to babysit them. The single-binary approach means updates are trivial, backups are just copying a file, and moving to a new machine takes seconds. In a world of increasingly complex software, yarr is a refreshing reminder that sometimes the best tool is the simplest one that does the job.
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