FeedsBar presents

The Signal 500

The best feeds on the open web, scored on the FeedsBar philosophy.

How the score works

Eight dimensions, 0–10 each, weighted to a score out of 100. Ranked by quality, not traffic — which is why some famous names are missing and some you have never heard of are near the top.

Editorial quality

×2

Original reporting and craft, rather than aggregation.

Ad restraint

×1.5

How little the page fights you. Counts real ad and tracker entities.

Reach

×1.5

Audience size, from public domain ranking.

Signal to noise

×1

How much of the output is worth reading.

Free to read

×1

Whether you can actually read it without a wall.

Publishing rhythm

×1

Publishes often enough to matter, rarely enough to follow.

Design

×1

Typography, whitespace, clutter and hierarchy.

Independence

×1

Who owns it, and what that costs the reader.

What is measured, and what is judged

Reach, ad restraint and design are measured by a browser that actually loads the page — 97 of 486 so far, tagged Measured, with 99 captured. Editorial quality, signal-to-noise and independence are human judgement. Both are honest; they are not the same thing.

One click from your Mac desktop

FeedsBar puts this catalogue in a slim ticker at the edge of your screen. Pick the pillars you care about, glance when you want, and never get interrupted.

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