The best read-it-later apps, by how you actually read
The best read-it-later apps for e-readers, highlighting, listening, Apple users, free use and self-hosting, and what each one does well.
A read-it-later app does three things: it saves a link in one tap, it strips the page down to the article, and it keeps a list you come back to. Nearly every app in this category does all three well. What separates them is everything around that: where you read (phone, e-reader, laptop, paper), whether you highlight, whether you listen, and how much you care about owning your archive.
So rather than one ranked list, here are the best picks for each way of reading. All apps below were checked as available and maintained at the time of writing. That check matters: Pocket, long the default choice, was shut down by Mozilla in July 2025.
Best overall: Instapaper
Instapaper does the core job with very little friction. The free plan gives you unlimited saves, sync across web, iOS and Android, and folders. The paid Premium plan adds full-text search, a permanent archive, a PDF reader, unlimited notes, Kindle sending, text-to-speech playlists and speed reading.
Why it wins: it runs on the web, iOS, Android and Kobo e-readers, and the free plan is genuinely usable.
Trade-off: search and Kindle sending need Premium.
Best for Kobo and Kindle readers
Kobo: Instapaper is built into Rakuten Kobo eReaders. Kobo switched to it in August 2025 after Pocket closed. Link your account in the Kobo's settings and your saved articles sync to the device under More, My Articles, for offline reading.
Kindle: Instapaper Premium and Matter's premium plan both include sending articles to a Kindle.
Other e-ink tablets: Readwise Reader has apps for e-ink devices such as BOOX tablets.
Best for highlighting and research: Readwise Reader
Readwise Reader is built for people who read to remember. It handles articles, PDFs, EPUBs, newsletters, RSS feeds, YouTube videos and X threads in one place, with highlighting, tagging and notes on all of them. Highlights can resurface through Readwise's Daily Review and sync to note-taking apps like Obsidian, Notion and Evernote. It runs on the web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and in Chrome, Firefox and Safari.
Trade-off: there is no free plan beyond the trial, and its depth is more than a casual reader needs.
Best for listening: Matter
Matter's premium text-to-speech is its standout feature, and its AI Co-Reader answers questions about what you are reading. The free version is generous: an uncapped library, full-text search, unlimited tags, and custom themes and fonts. Premium adds the high-quality voices, newsletter and RSS syncing, unlimited highlights and notes, integrations and Send to Kindle.
Trade-off: apps are for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision, plus the web. There is no Android app listed.
Instapaper Premium and Readwise Reader also read articles aloud, so if you already use one of them, you may not need a separate app for listening.
Best for Apple users who hate subscriptions: GoodLinks
GoodLinks is a clean, fast reader for iPhone, iPad and Mac with highlights, notes, tags, summaries and Markdown export of your highlights. There is no account to create; everything syncs through iCloud. It is a one-time purchase.
Trade-off: Apple only, and no web version.
Best free option: the one already in your browser
If you save a handful of articles a week, you may not need an app at all.
- Safari Reading List syncs across your iPhone, iPad and Mac through iCloud and can save pages for offline reading. On iPhone, turn that on under Settings > Apps > Safari > Automatically Save Offline. On Mac, choose Safari > Settings > Advanced and select "Save articles for offline reading automatically."
- Chrome's reading list lives under Bookmarks and lists > Reading list and opens in a side panel.
Trade-off: no highlights, tags or search worth the name, and no e-reader support.
For a free app with more structure, Instapaper's free plan and Matter's free version are both solid.
Best for organizing links: Raindrop.io
Raindrop.io is a bookmark manager rather than a reading app, but if your saving habit is closer to collecting than reading, it is the best of the bunch. Collections, tags, highlights, previews, duplicate and broken link detection, shared collections, and apps for Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android and every major browser. The free plan covers unlimited bookmarks, collections and devices. Full-text search and permanent copies of pages are part of the paid Pro plan.
Best for owning your archive: wallabag or Karakeep
Pocket's shutdown was a reminder that a reading list on someone else's server can disappear. Two open-source apps let you run your own.
- wallabag is a dedicated read-it-later app: it extracts the article, strips distractions, and syncs to apps, browser extensions and e-readers. Run it yourself, or use the paid hosted version, wallabag.it, which has a free trial.
- Karakeep saves links, notes, images and PDFs, keeps full-page archives against link rot, and adds AI tagging and full-text search. It runs self-hosted with Docker or as a cloud service, with apps for iOS and Android.
Trade-off: self-hosting means you are the one doing updates and backups.
Comparison table
| App | Free option | Platforms | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instapaper | Yes | Web, iOS, Android, Kobo | Simple, built into Kobo |
| Readwise Reader | Trial only | Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, e-ink | Highlights and notes |
| Matter | Yes | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision, web | Text-to-speech |
| GoodLinks | No (one-time purchase) | iPhone, iPad, Mac | No account, no subscription |
| Safari / Chrome lists | Yes | Built into the browser | Already installed |
| Raindrop.io | Yes | Everything | Organizing links |
| wallabag | Self-hosted | Self-hosted or hosted | You own the data |
| Karakeep | Self-hosted | Self-hosted or cloud | Archives and AI tags |
How to choose
Ask yourself three questions:
- Where will I actually read? If the answer is an e-reader, pick the app that supports yours (Instapaper for Kobo; Instapaper Premium or Matter Premium for Kindle). If it is your phone, any of them works.
- Do I highlight? If yes, Readwise Reader. If rarely, skip paying for it.
- How much do I save? A few articles a week fits a browser reading list. Dozens a week needs search and tags.
Then try your top pick for two weeks. The best read-it-later app is the one where saved articles actually get read.
Best for reading on paper: Offprint
Every app above assumes you will read on a screen. If the articles you save tend to wait because reading long pieces on a phone never quite happens, Offprint is a different take on read-it-later: you text it a link whenever you find something worth reading, and your saves become a printed magazine mailed to your door. It takes articles, X threads and PDFs, and there is nothing to install. For one article on paper today, see How to print an article without ads.