Thought leadership articles, self-help blogs, and even fun listicles promise to solve our problems and enrich our lives, but very few people have the time to read every webpage they come across.
Read-it-later apps offer a solution to this problem.
What Is a Read-it-Later App?
Read-it-later apps do exactly what the name says. They allow you to create an archive of online articles and read them at your leisure.
The best read-it-later apps store the entire article, whereas others just store the title and a link to it. On top of that, plenty of them come with organization tools, which makes it possible to streamline your reading experience.
Read-it-later apps eliminate pressure and allow you to explore interesting topics at your own pace.
Let’s look at a few of the best read-it-later apps.
Price: Free, but the Premium subscription costs $4.99/month
Features at a glance:
- Good for turning articles into podcasts
- Audio feature reads the article to you
- Lots of organizational options
- Automates workflows
If you are looking for the best read-it-later app, Pocket could be the answer to your problems. It is considered to be one of the most cohesive, comprehensive read-it-later apps on the market.
Pocket is integrated into several apps, making it easy to send articles over. Any articles that you send to Pocket won’t be disrupted during the transfer. You get to read articles as they are, whenever it suits you. This app even has an audio feature that reads the article to you, essentially turning written content into podcasts.
There are plenty of organization tools to play with, including an archive for past reading, a favorites tag, and a highlighter.
One of the best features of Pocket is the automated workflow tool. You can automatically send links from Tweets you like into Pocket or even import an entire RSS Feed. This feature isn’t just limited to Twitter and RSS Feeds, you can explore workflows for thousands of apps.
The Premium subscription costs $4.99 a month, but it’s worth it if you want access to suggested tags, full-text search, and a permanent backup plan for your saved articles.
Pros:
- Compatible with Android, iOS, and the Web
- Supports a broad range of devices
- Streamlined workflow
Cons:
- For full access, users have to purchase the Premium plan
- Limited organization tools
- No notes feature
Instapaper
Price: Free, but the premium subscription costs $3/month
Features at a glance:
- Add your own notes
- Connect to your Kindle
- Speedy snippet feature
In the world of read-it-later apps, Pocket and Instapaper are the top contenders. So, what makes Instapaper different?
Instapaper has a unique snippet feature that flashes one word at a time at a speed predetermined by each user. This new way of reading might appeal to people who struggle with concentration. The quick-fire system keeps your brain occupied, and you will have read an article in no time.
Depending on your preferences, the black-and-white interface can be positive or negative. For some, it might look dull compared to the other best read-it-later apps on our list.
Users can create highlights, add their own notes, and adjust the font size, line spacing, and background colors, which Pocket doesn’t allow.
Unfortunately, there’s a big difference between the free plan and the Premium plan. On the free plan, users can save unlimited articles, write five notes per month, and only use the speed-reading feature for 10 articles a month.
On Instapaper Premium, users can access the text-to-speech tool, unlimited speed-reading, and Kindle connectivity feature. That being said, the Premium plan is relatively affordable, and if you opt for the annual Premium plan the price is reduced by 17%.
Pros:
- Compatible with macOS, iOS, and Android for phones
- Compatible with Kindle via a USB connection
- Customization options
- Browser extensions for Chrome Safari and Firefox
- Minimalist, scannable interface
- More affordable than Pocket
Cons:
- Black and white color scheme
- Premium plan costs extra
- Limited organization options
- No search tool in the free version
- Kindle connectivity is only available on the Premium plan
EmailThis
Price: Free, but the Premium Plan costs $19 a year
Features at a glance:
- Removes ads and clutter from articles
- Send articles straight to your email
As the name suggests, EmailThis operates on a simple premise: it sorts all the articles in your inbox. It’s entirely operated through a browser extension.
Once you have found an article that you want to read, just use the share menu and send a link to save@emailthis.me. EmailThis removes all the ads, sidebars, and other clutter from the article and sends it straight to your email.
This is a slightly different type of read-it-later app, and it definitely doesn’t have as many customization and organization options as Pocket or Instapaper. However, it does allow you to add notes, which is a handy feature to have.
Pros:
- Attach notes
- No third-party app is necessary
- Save articles in different email attachment formats including PDFs, Excel, or Doc files
Cons:
- Limited customization options
- More user-friendly on desktop
- No organization features
Raindrop
Price: Free, but the Premium plan is $3 per month
Features at a glance:
- Upload any type of media
- Detailed search function
We can’t talk about the best read-it-later apps without mentioning Raindrop. This app made it onto our list because it has an extensive free plan. Users can enjoy unlimited bookmarks, unlimited highlighting, and multi-device access without spending a dollar.
Raindrop allows you to save anything from the internet, including recipes, websites, and articles. As long as it is within your 100MB per month allowance, you can save whatever peaks your interest.
One of the biggest benefits of Raindrop is the search functionality. You can use text, filters, and tags to search through thousands of documents in just a few seconds.
The user interface is super simple and easy to use, adding to the appeal of this already interesting app. Even better, Raindrop automatically creates a media preview of the content you upload, creating a home screen that is perfect for visual people.
Pros:
- Aesthetically pleasing media previews
- Allows you to save any media types
- Available on mobile and desktop
- Relatively affordable
Cons:
- Full-text search is only available in the Premium plan
- Only works with an active internet connection
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