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Pocket alternatives: 7 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Pocket: no longer available: all apps and extensions are shut down, and saved libraries had to be exported before the closure. We ranked 7 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Pocket, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Instapaper currently ranks first.

Pocket has been discontinued. Mozilla shut Pocket down in 2025, retiring the web, mobile and macOS apps and the browser extensions.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1wallabag logowallabagOpen sourceYesWeb, iOS, Android +24 of 457.2
2Karakeep logoKarakeepOpen sourceYesWeb, iOS, Android +25 of 552.3
  1. wallabag logo

    1. wallabagTop pick

    Best for: People who want to own their read-later archive, self-hosted or on a cheap European host

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, iOS, Android, Browser extension, Self-hosted

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Pocket

    Open source and self-hostable, with a Pocket importer and an affordable hosted option.

    Pros

    • Free and open source, with self-hosting fully supported
    • Imports from Pocket, Omnivore, Instapaper and Pinboard
    • Works with e-readers and RSS readers
    • Affordable official hosting with European data storage

    Cons

    • Interface is plainer than commercial read-later apps
    • Self-hosting means handling updates and backups
    • Article extraction occasionally fails on complex sites
    Visit wallabag Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is wallabag a good Pocket alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Imports
    Pocket, Omnivore, Instapaper, Pinboard
    Checked Oct 25, 2026wallabag.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Hosted plan trial
    14 days (wallabag.it)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026wallabag.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026wallabag.org(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Karakeep logo

    2. Karakeep

    Best for: Home-server users who want AI-tagged, searchable bookmarks, notes and images

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, iOS, Android, Browser extension, Self-hosted

    52.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Pocket

    Self-hosted, with AI tagging and a Pocket importer for people who want to own their archive.

    Pros

    • Saves links, notes and images with automatic AI tagging
    • Works with local models through Ollama
    • Full-page archiving, OCR and full-text search
    • Self-hosted version is free with every feature

    Cons

    • AI features need an API key or a local model to set up
    • Self-hosting involves several containers
    • Cloud free tier is small and meant for trying it out
    Visit Karakeep Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.353
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Karakeep a good Pocket alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    License
    AGPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Cloud Pro price
    $4/month or $40/year
    Checked Oct 25, 2026karakeep.app(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Free, all features
    Checked Oct 25, 2026karakeep.app(opens source in a new tab)
    Local AI models
    Yes, via Ollama
    Checked Oct 25, 2026docs.karakeep.app(opens source in a new tab)
    Imports
    Chrome, Pocket, Linkwarden, Omnivore
    Checked Oct 25, 2026docs.karakeep.app(opens source in a new tab)

The best Pocket alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Instapaper logo

Best Pocket alternative for most people

Instapaper

The closest like-for-like replacement: a long-running read-later service with a free tier and Premium extras.

wallabag logo

Best Pocket alternative for a free option

wallabag

Open source and self-hostable, with a Pocket importer and an affordable hosted option.

Matter logo

Best Pocket alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Matter

A polished iPhone, iPad and web reader with natural-sounding text-to-speech, much like Pocket's listen feature.

Karakeep logo

Best Pocket alternative for open source

Karakeep

Self-hosted, with AI tagging and a Pocket importer for people who want to own their archive.

wallabag logo

Best Pocket alternative for self-hosting

wallabag

Open source and self-hostable, with a Pocket importer and an affordable hosted option.

Readwise Reader logo

Best Pocket alternative for Mac

Readwise Reader

A richer reading app that also handles PDFs, newsletters and RSS, with strong highlighting.

Raindrop.io logo

Best Pocket alternative for Windows

Raindrop.io

Good if you used Pocket mostly as a bookmark pile and want collections and tags with a generous free plan.

Instapaper logo

Best Pocket alternative for iPhone and Android

Instapaper

The closest like-for-like replacement: a long-running read-later service with a free tier and Premium extras.

Instapaper logo

Best Pocket alternative for working in the browser

Instapaper

The closest like-for-like replacement: a long-running read-later service with a free tier and Premium extras.

Pocket alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Pocket?

Instapaper ranks first right now. The closest like-for-like replacement: a long-running read-later service with a free tier and Premium extras. Readwise Reader and Matter follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Pocket?

Yes. Instapaper (free plan + paid), Matter (free plan + paid), wallabag (open source) and Raindrop.io (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Pocket?

Yes: wallabag and Karakeep. wallabag and Karakeep can also be self-hosted.

Why do people switch from Pocket?

The complaints we hear most: no longer available: all apps and extensions are shut down; saved libraries had to be exported before the closure.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Pocket, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.