Exhibit 5.1
                        TESTA, HURWITZ & THIBEAULT, LLP
 
                                 July 19, 1996
 
Individual, Inc.
8 New England Executive Park West
Burlington, MA 01803
 
  Re:Registration Statement on Form S-1
  Relating to 1,514,309 Shares of Common Stock
 
Dear Sir or Madam:
 
  This opinion relates to an aggregate of 1,514,309 shares (the "Shares") of
Common Stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Common Stock"), of Individual,
Inc. (the "Company"), which are being registered for resale pursuant to the
Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on July 19, 1996 (the "Registration Statement") via EDGAR.
 
  The Shares covered by the Registration Statement were issued to the former
stockholders of FreeLoader, Inc. ("FreeLoader") on June 28, 1996 upon the
consummation of the Company's acquisition of FreeLoader pursuant to the
Agreement and Plan of Reorganization dated as of May 30, 1996 among the
Company, FL Merger Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, FreeLoader
and certain stockholders of FreeLoader.
 
  We have reviewed the corporate proceedings taken by the Board of Directors
of the Company with respect to the authorization and issuance of the Shares.
We have also examined and relied upon originals or copies, certified or
otherwise authenticated to our satisfaction, of all corporate records,
documents, agreements or other instruments of the Company and have made all
investigations of law and have discussed with the Company's officers all
questions of fact that we have deemed necessary or appropriate for purposes of
this opinion.
 
  Based upon and subject to the foregoing and such other investigation as we
have deemed necessary, we are of the opinion that the Shares have been duly
authorized and legally issued and are fully paid and nonassessable.
 
  We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the
Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm in the Prospectus
contained in the Registration Statement under the caption "Legal Matters."
 
                                          Very truly yours,
 
                                          TESTA, HURWITZ & THIBEAULT, LLP