In May 2025, Mozilla announced the discontinuation of Pocket, the widely-used read-it-later application it had acquired in 2017. This decision left many users seeking alternative platforms to manage their saved articles and online content. Below is an overview of notable alternatives that have gained traction in the wake of Pocket’s shutdown.
Matter
Matter is an iOS application complemented by browser extensions for Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. It allows users to save articles and transcribe favorite podcasts. While the app is free, a premium subscription priced at $79.99 per year offers enhanced features such as improved transcriptions for podcasts and YouTube videos, adjustable reading speeds, and integrations with applications like Gmail and Kindle. In March 2025, Matter introduced an AI-powered co-reader designed to answer user queries related to their reading material.
Instapaper
Established in 2008, Instapaper is one of the pioneering read-it-later services. Available on both iOS and Android platforms, it enables users to save unlimited articles and videos at no cost. A premium subscription, available for $59.99 per year, provides additional functionalities including note-taking, permanent article archiving, text-to-speech playlists, full-text search capabilities, and the option to send articles directly to Kindle devices. To facilitate the transition for former Pocket users, Instapaper offered a seamless import feature and extended a three-month free trial of its premium service to those who migrated their accounts.
Raindrop.io
Raindrop.io functions primarily as a bookmark management tool with mobile applications for iOS and Android that support reading saved articles and PDFs. The free version offers unlimited bookmark saving and integrations with services like Zapier and IFTTT. For $33 per year, the Pro version introduces AI-powered organizational suggestions, full-text search, bookmark reminders, duplicate and broken link detection, and an increased file upload limit of 10GB per month.
Plinky
Developed by former Twitter engineer Joe Fabisevich, Plinky allows users to save and categorize various types of links, including articles, videos, recipes, and memes. The application is available across all Apple platforms and includes browser extensions for easy link saving. Users can organize content using folders and tags and set reminders for specific reading times. The free version permits saving up to 50 links, creating three folders, and using five tags. To access unlimited features, users can opt for a subscription at $3.99 per month, $39.99 per year, or a one-time payment of $159.99.
The discontinuation of Pocket has prompted users to explore these and other alternatives, each offering unique features tailored to different reading and content management preferences. As the digital landscape evolves, these platforms continue to adapt, integrating advanced functionalities such as AI-powered tools and cross-platform support to meet the diverse needs of users.
