1
NewsBoat
newsboat.orgAlso covers linux and rss reader · same kind of website
Newsboat reads RSS and Atom feeds in a text console and is maintained as a fork of Newsbeuter.
Alternatives
The Best Photon Alternatives in 2026
22 alternatives0 free · 10 open source
Looking for something like Photon? Here are 22 alternatives, ranked by how closely they match it on purpose, features and platforms. Of these, 10 are open source.
Photon reads RSS feeds in a terminal and supports sixel graphics, according to its project page.
Top picks at a glance
First suggestionNewsBoatNewsboat reads RSS and Atom feeds in a text console and is…Open source optionfmfm manages files in a terminal interface, with its project…Another optiontuifituifi provides music playback for the TIDAL HiFi API…
Quick comparison
| # | Alternative | Pricing | Open source | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NewsBoat | — | Not stated | Web |
| 2 | tuifi | — | Not stated | Web, Windows |
| 3 | TUI | — | Not stated | Web |
| 4 | TerminalTrove | — | Not stated | Web |
| 5 | Magit! | — | Not stated | Web |
| 6 | Android-x86 | — | Not stated | Android, Web |
| 7 | explainshell.com | — | Not stated | Web |
| 8 | bpkg | — | Not stated | Web |
| 9 | Claws Mail | — | Not stated | Web |
| 10 | fm | — | Yes | — |
All Photon alternatives
2
tuifi
git.sr.ht/~matf/tuifiAlso covers git and linux · same kind of website
tuifi provides music playback for the TIDAL HiFi API through a terminal interface.
3
TUI
codeberg.org/theooo/mantra.pyAlso covers git and linux · same kind of website
mantra.py displays online manual pages from the terminal, according to its project description.
4
TerminalTrove
terminaltrove.comAlso covers git and linux · same kind of website
Terminal Trove catalogs command-line and terminal user-interface tools for discovery.
5
Magit!
magit.vcAlso covers git and linux · same kind of website
Magit puts Git operations in a text-based interface inside Emacs, according to its project page.
6
Android-x86
android-x86.orgAlso covers git and linux · same kind of website
Android-x86 ports the Android Open Source Project to x86 computers, allowing Android to run on a PC.
7
explainshell.com
explainshell.comAlso covers git and linux · same kind of website
explainshell matches command-line arguments to their help text and lets users select a distribution’s manual pages.
8
bpkg
bpkg.shAlso covers git and linux · same kind of website
bpkg manages Bash packages from the command line, according to its documentation.
9
Claws Mail
claws-mail.orgAlso covers git and linux · same kind of website
Claws Mail provides an email client described by its site as lightweight.
10
Also covers git and linux · open source
fm manages files in a terminal interface, with its project built using Go and Bubble Tea.
11
Also covers git and linux · open source
typer runs typing tests in the terminal, with installation and usage commands listed in its project page.
12
Also covers git and linux · open source
xdg-ninja checks a user’s home directory for unwanted files and directories using a shell script.
13
Also covers git and linux · open source
This Waydroid script adds components such as OpenGApps, Magisk, and translation libraries.
14
Also covers git and linux · open source
Eloquent proofreads text in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Polish, Dutch, and other languages.
15
Also covers git and linux · open source
dax offers cross-platform shell tools for Deno and Node.js, including command execution and output capture.
16
Also covers git and linux · open source
Prezto configures Zsh with defaults, aliases, functions, and command-line interface enhancements.
17
Also covers git and linux · open source
Mousai identifies songs, according to its repository description and project page.
18
Plan9port
github.com/9fans/plan9portAlso covers git and linux
Plan 9 from User Space ports Plan 9 libraries and programs to Unix systems.
19
Irssi
github.com/irssi/irssiAlso covers git and linux
Irssi runs as a modular text-mode chat client with built-in IRC and additional protocol support through plugins.
20
Haruna
github.com/KDE/harunaAlso covers git and linux
Haruna plays video using Qt/QML and libmpv, according to its project description.
21
Also covers git and linux · open source
pacwall changes a Linux wallpaper to show the dependency graph and status of installed pacman packages.
22
Also covers linux · open source
lsix displays thumbnails of image files in a terminal using Sixel graphics.
No alternatives match this filter.
Alternatives to similar tools
Scripts24 alternativesxdg-ninja24 alternativesexplainshell.com24 alternativesRich Framework24 alternativespacwall24 alternativesTUI24 alternatives
What is the best alternative to Photon?
Based on features, tags and platforms, the closest alternatives to Photon are NewsBoat, tuifi, and TUI.
Are there open-source alternatives to Photon?
Yes: fm, typer, xdg-ninja, and Scripts.
Alternatives are suggested from the purpose and features described in our listings. Different pages for the same product appear once. Read each description to check whether it fits your task. How we choose alternatives · Suggest an alternative