Reference
RSS vs Atom.
Two XML feed formats that do the same job. Here's how they differ — and why, as a reader, you almost never need to care which one a site uses.
RSS and Atom are both open formats for web feeds: XML files a site publishes to list its latest content. RSS 2.0 is older and more widespread; Atom (an IETF standard) is newer and more strictly specified. Every serious reader — SlashFeed included — supports both, so you can subscribe to either transparently.
The differences that matter
| RSS 2.0 | Atom 1.0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Standardised by | Dave Winer / Harvard (frozen) | IETF — RFC 4287 |
| Root · item | <rss><channel> · <item> |
<feed> · <entry> |
| Required per item | title or description | id, title, updated |
| Dates | RFC 822 | ISO 8601 (RFC 3339) |
| Content type | implied (usually HTML) | explicit: text / html / xhtml |
| Unique IDs | optional <guid> |
required <id> |
| MIME type | application/rss+xml |
application/atom+xml |
Which should you use?
As a reader: neither — just subscribe. SlashFeed auto-detects and parses both from a site's normal address.
As a publisher: either is fine. Atom's stricter rules (globally unique IDs, unambiguous dates and content types) make it a slightly safer choice for new software; RSS 2.0 wins on sheer ubiquity and tooling. Many platforms emit both. A third option, JSON Feed, expresses the same idea in JSON.
Frequently asked questions
Is Atom better than RSS?
Not "better" — more precisely specified. Atom removes ambiguities in RSS (dates, content types, IDs), which helps software; RSS is simpler and more widely deployed. For readers the difference is invisible.
Do I need different apps for RSS and Atom?
No. Any competent feed reader handles both formats. You subscribe the same way regardless of which the site publishes.
Can one site publish both?
Yes, and many do — advertising multiple <link rel="alternate">
tags. A reader picks whichever it prefers.
Follow any feed — either format.
SlashFeed reads RSS and Atom, free up to 500 feeds.
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