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Tool review — Read-later · Updated
GoodLinks Review (2026)
Native Apple read-later app, one-time purchase
$9.99 one-time
- App
- Extension
What is GoodLinks?
GoodLinks is a read-later app for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro, made by independent developer Ngoc Luu (also known for the text editor 1Writer) and released in 2020. It saves web articles, strips ads and page clutter, and presents clean extracted text for reading, with tags, stars, and full-text search for organization. Links, highlights, tags, and reading position sync across devices through iCloud, so no separate account is needed, and the developer states no user data is collected. It leans heavily on Apple platform integration: a Safari web extension, Shortcuts and Siri support, widgets, Focus Filters, AppleScript on the Mac, and custom actions for building export and sharing workflows. Highlights can be exported as Markdown, plain text, or PDF.
Key features
- Article extraction that removes ads and clutter, with customizable fonts, spacing, themes (light, dark, sepia, night), and synced reading position
- Color-coded highlights with attached notes, collected in a Notebook view, exportable as customizable Markdown, plain text, or PDF
- Tags, stars, and full-text search across titles, authors, descriptions, and article content
- Deep Apple integration: Safari web extension, Shortcuts and Siri, home screen widgets, Focus Filters, AppleScript, and custom export/share actions
- iCloud sync of links, highlights, tags, and reading position across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro with no account required
Where it saves to
GoodLinks app (synced via iCloud)
Pricing
GoodLinks is a $9.99 one-time purchase on the App Store that includes all current features plus one year of new feature updates. After that year, new features require an optional Annual Feature Upgrade in-app purchase ($4.99); features you unlock stay yours permanently even if you stop paying. Optional tip-jar purchases ($0.99–$19.99) are also offered.
Best for
People fully inside the Apple ecosystem who want a private, one-time-purchase alternative to subscription read-later services. Especially good for automation fans who use Shortcuts, AppleScript, and Markdown export workflows.
Pros
- Cheap one-time purchase instead of a recurring subscription, with a fair paid-upgrade model for later features
- Privacy-friendly: iCloud sync with no account, and the developer states no data is collected
- Strong automation via Shortcuts, Siri, AppleScript, custom actions, and a URL scheme
- Highlights and notes export cleanly to Markdown, plain text, or PDF for use in other tools
Cons
- Apple-only: no Android, Windows, or web app, and sync depends entirely on iCloud
- New features released more than a year after purchase require an additional paid annual upgrade
- Browser extension is Safari-only; saving from Chrome or Firefox relies on share sheets or workarounds rather than a dedicated extension
Alternatives to GoodLinks
Open-source read-later, the main Pocket successor
Self-host free; €11/yr hosted
Highlight and annotate web pages and PDFs
Free + Premium
FAQ
Is GoodLinks free?
No. GoodLinks is a $9.99 one-time purchase on the App Store. That includes all current features and one year of new features; later additions require an optional $4.99 Annual Feature Upgrade, and unlocked features remain yours permanently.
Does GoodLinks work on Android or Windows?
No. GoodLinks is a native Apple app only, running on iOS 16+, iPadOS 16+, macOS 13+, and visionOS. There is no Android, Windows, or web version, and sync works exclusively through iCloud.
Does GoodLinks work with Firefox or Chrome?
GoodLinks ships a Safari web extension for saving pages. It does not advertise Chrome or Firefox extensions; on a Mac you can still save from other browsers via the share menu, Shortcuts, or its URL scheme.
Does GoodLinks require an account?
No. GoodLinks syncs links, highlights, tags, and reading position across your devices through iCloud, so no separate account or sign-up is needed, and the developer states no user data is collected.
Where GoodLinks fits
- Category: Best Read-Later Apps (2026)
- If it ever shuts down: Save tool graveyard
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