How to Switch RSS Readers Without Losing Your Feeds

OPML is how feeds move

OPML (Outline Processor Markup Language) is an XML format that stores a list of feed subscriptions and their folders. Most RSS readers can import and export it, so you can export a file from one reader and import it into another to move your feeds and folders.

The process is the same whichever readers you're moving between: export, import, then check the result.

Step 1: Export your OPML

From Feedly

1. Open Feedly in a web browser (the mobile apps can't export)
2. Go to feedly.com/i/opml
3. Click "Download your Feedly OPML"
4. Save the .opml file

The export includes your feeds and folders. It doesn't include Boards, Read Later, AI Feeds or Reddit feeds.

From Inoreader

1. Go to Preferences (gear icon)
2. Open Import/Export
3. Click "Export OPML"
4. Save the file

From Feedbin

1. Go to Settings
2. Find the Import & Export section
3. Click "Export" to download your OPML file

From Miniflux

1. Open Feeds
2. Click "Export" to download your OPML file
3. Miniflux can also export through its REST API: GET /v1/export

From The Old Reader

The Old Reader's export page is at theoldreader.com/reader/subscriptions/export, according to community guides. Open it while you're signed in to download your subscriptions as OPML. If that address has moved, look for an export option in Settings.

From another reader

Look in Settings, Preferences or Account for an "Export" or "OPML" option. Because OPML is a standard format, an export from one reader usually imports cleanly into another, though readers differ in how they handle nested folders (see below).

Step 2: Import into your new reader

Into SereneReader

1. Sign up or sign in at serenereader.com
2. Click Add feed at the bottom of the sidebar, then Import OPML
3. Drop in your .opml file, choose the feeds you want, and click Import
4. Your feeds appear in the sidebar, in their folders

SereneReader keeps one level of folders. A feed inside nested folders lands in its innermost folder, so a feed under Tech > Apple ends up in a folder called Apple. Files can be up to 5 MB with up to 10,000 entries, and on the Free plan the import stops at the 150-feed limit. SereneReader starts fetching the imported feeds right away, and articles appear as each feed is fetched.

Into another reader

The process is similar elsewhere: find the import option (often in Settings), choose your OPML file, and wait for the feeds to load.

What transfers and what doesn't

Transfers via OPML:

• Feed URLs (RSS and Atom)
• Folders (how nesting is kept depends on the reader)
• Feed titles (as stored in the OPML)

Doesn't transfer:

• Read/unread status of individual articles
• Starred or saved articles
• Tags or labels (unless they map to folders)
• Social connections (followers, shared items)
• Automation rules, filters, or custom settings
• Newsletter subscriptions (these use reader-specific email addresses)
• YouTube, podcast, or social feed subscriptions

If you want to keep starred articles, export or bookmark them before you switch. There's no standard format for moving read state or saved articles between services.

Step 3: Check the result

After importing, check a few things:

1. Feed count. Compare the number of feeds in your new reader with the old one. If they don't match, some feeds may have been dead links that the new reader skipped, or you may have reached a plan limit (SereneReader's Free plan stops at 150 feeds).
2. Folders. Make sure your folders came across. Readers handle nested folders differently; SereneReader keeps one level.
3. Feed updates. Give the new reader time to fetch articles from all your feeds. With a large import, the first round of fetching can take a while.
4. Close the old account. Once you're happy, you can delete your account on the old service. Keep the OPML file as a backup either way.

Running two readers in parallel

If you're not sure about switching, run both readers for a week. Import the same OPML file into each and compare how reading feels.

This helps most when the readers work very differently. Reading the same articles in Feedly and in SereneReader's focus mode shows differences a feature list can't.

Common questions

Will I lose my articles?
Articles you've already read don't transfer, but anything published after you import shows up in your new reader. How much older history you see at first depends on the feed: many feeds only list their most recent items, so a new reader starts with whatever the feed currently includes.

What if a feed doesn't work in the new reader?
Some feeds may have changed URLs or gone offline since you subscribed. If a feed fails to import, visit the website and subscribe again with its current feed URL.

How big can an OPML file be?
OPML files are plain-text XML, so even a few hundred feeds usually make a small file. Readers set their own limits: SereneReader accepts files up to 5 MB with up to 10,000 entries.

For detailed comparisons of specific readers, see our comparison pages covering Feedly, Inoreader, Feedbin, Miniflux, and The Old Reader.

Export steps reflect each reader's interface or documentation as of October 2026. Menus change, so check the reader's help pages if a step doesn't match.