A read-later app saves articles you find during the day so you can read them properly later, without ads or clutter, and often offline. The field changed when Pocket shut down on 8 July 2025 and Omnivore closed in November 2024, sending their readers looking for a new home.
Here are the read-later apps worth choosing between today. We make Kaizen, so we have tried to be as plain about where it falls short as about the others. Prices are in US dollars unless noted and were checked in October 2026; they change, so confirm them on each app’s site.
At a glance
| App | Best for | Platforms | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kaizen | Reading at your desk and asking Claude or ChatGPT about what you saved | macOS, Windows, Linux; extension for Chromium browsers | 14-day free trial, then $49 a year or $99 once |
| Readwise Reader | Putting articles, feeds, newsletters, PDFs and ebooks in one queue | Web, iPhone, iPad, Android; browser extensions | $9.99 a month billed yearly, with Readwise; 30-day trial |
| Instapaper | A simple, long-standing reader with a usable free plan | Web, iPhone, iPad, Android; sends to Kindle | Free; Premium $5.99 a month or $59.99 a year |
| Matter | Reading and listening to articles on an iPhone | iPhone, iPad, web | Free; Premium has been $8 a month or $60 a year |
| Raindrop.io | Organising links more than reading them | Web, iPhone, iPad, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux; browser extensions | Free; Pro about $28 a year in the US |
How to choose
- You read mostly on your phone: Instapaper, Matter (iPhone only) or Readwise Reader.
- You want articles, feeds, newsletters and PDFs in one place: Readwise Reader.
- You read at a computer and want your library private, with an AI assistant that can search it: Kaizen.
- You collect links more than you read them: Raindrop.io.
The apps
Kaizen
Kaizen is our app, so weigh this entry accordingly. It is a desktop read-later app and RSS reader that keeps your library in an encrypted database on your computer, with no account. A built-in MCP server lets Claude Desktop, Claude Code, the ChatGPT desktop app and Codex search your articles and highlights while you work.
Platforms: macOS, Windows, Linux; extension for Chromium browsers. Price: 14-day free trial, then $49 a year or $99 once.
Good
- Saves articles as clean Markdown, from the app or a browser toolbar button that sends the page as you see it, including pages you’re signed in to
- RSS, Atom and JSON feeds, kept apart from your library until you save an item
- Highlights, notes, tags, and export to Markdown or PDF
- Nothing to sign up for, and your reading never leaves your computer unless you connect an assistant
- A one-time Lifetime plan: $99 for the first 500 buyers, then $129
Watch for
- No phone or tablet app, and no sync between computers
- The extension works in Chrome, Brave, Edge, Chromium, Vivaldi and Arc, not Safari or Firefox
- ChatGPT on the web can’t connect, because the MCP server runs on your computer
- Paid after the trial; there is no free plan
Readwise Reader
The most complete read-later app on this list. Reader takes nearly anything with text in it, syncs your highlights to note apps through Readwise, and has an AI assistant, Ghostreader, inside the reader.
Platforms: Web, iPhone, iPad, Android; browser extensions. Price: $9.99 a month billed yearly, with Readwise; 30-day trial.
Good
- Articles, RSS, email newsletters, PDFs, EPUBs and YouTube videos in one place
- Highlights flow to Obsidian, Notion and other note apps through Readwise
- An official MCP server for Claude, ChatGPT and other assistants
- Apps on every major platform
Watch for
- The priciest option here, and there is no plan for Reader on its own
- Your library lives on Readwise’s servers
- The number of features takes time to learn
Instapaper
One of the original read-later apps, and the closest thing to Pocket still running. The free plan saves as many articles as you like; Premium adds full-text search and lifts the limits on notes and other extras.
Platforms: Web, iPhone, iPad, Android; sends to Kindle. Price: Free; Premium $5.99 a month or $59.99 a year.
Good
- Unlimited saving on the free plan
- Clean, quiet reader on phone, tablet and web
- Sends articles to a Kindle
Watch for
- No RSS feeds
- Full-text search needs Premium
- Changes slowly compared with newer apps
Matter
A polished reader with natural-sounding text-to-speech and a home for newsletters. It is built for the iPhone first.
Platforms: iPhone, iPad, web. Price: Free; Premium has been $8 a month or $60 a year.
Good
- Text-to-speech that is pleasant enough for long articles
- Forward newsletters to Matter to read them away from your inbox
- A generous free plan
Watch for
- No Android app
- The best listening voices and some exports need Premium; check the App Store for today’s price
Raindrop.io
A bookmark manager with a reader built in. It shines when you collect links into collections and share them, rather than read long articles in a queue.
Platforms: Web, iPhone, iPad, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux; browser extensions. Price: Free; Pro about $28 a year in the US.
Good
- Collections, nested folders, tags and sharing
- Apps on nearly every platform
- Pro keeps permanent copies of pages and searches their full text
Watch for
- The reading view is simpler than a dedicated reader
- Prices vary by country
What happened to Pocket?
Mozilla stopped Pocket on 8 July 2025, left it open for exports until 8 October 2025, and then deleted its data. If you exported your saves in time, you have a file of your links; most apps above can save them again, and Instapaper, Readwise Reader and Raindrop.io import Pocket exports directly.
Try Kaizen
If a private desktop library that Claude or ChatGPT can search sounds right, try every feature free for 14 days, with no card or account. Download Kaizen or read the latest release notes.