Classic minimalist read-later service since 2008
Free + $5.99/mo
Tool review — Read-later · Updated
Readwise Reader Review (2026)
Power-user reader with highlights, RSS, and newsletters
$9.99/mo (annual)
- Extension
- App
What is Readwise Reader?
Readwise Reader is a read-it-later app from Readwise, a bootstrapped company operating profitably since 2017. It consolidates saved web articles, PDFs, EPUBs, RSS feeds, email newsletters, YouTube videos (with transcript highlighting), and Twitter/X threads into a single inbox with a triage workflow for managing reading overload. Highlights and annotations are central: you can highlight text, images, and tables, and sync everything to Notion, Obsidian, Roam, Evernote, or Logseq via the companion Readwise app. It runs on the web, iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows, with browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, plus e-ink support for BOOX and Daylight devices. It also includes Ghostreader, a GPT-powered assistant, full-text offline search, and text-to-speech, and ships updates nearly every week.
Key features
- Saves and reads articles, PDFs, EPUBs, RSS feeds, email newsletters, YouTube transcripts, and Twitter/X threads in one app
- Highlighting and annotation across all content types, synced to Notion, Obsidian, Roam, Evernote, and Logseq
- Ghostreader, a GPT-powered assistant for defining terms, summarizing, and questioning documents
- Full-text search that works offline, plus keyboard-driven triage and navigation
- Apps for web, iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows; extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari; e-ink support for BOOX and Daylight
Where it saves to
Readwise library (highlights sync) · Notion · Obsidian · Roam Research · Evernote · Logseq · Markdown/CSV/OPML export · API/CLI
Pricing
Reader is included only in the Readwise Full plan at $9.99/mo billed annually ($12.99/mo monthly). The cheaper Readwise Lite plan ($5.59/mo annual) covers highlight reviews but does not include Reader. There is a 30-day free trial, extendable via referrals, and a 50% discount for students, educators, nonprofits, military, and first responders.
Best for
Heavy readers and note-takers who want articles, newsletters, RSS, PDFs, and video transcripts in one triage-focused inbox, with highlights flowing into tools like Obsidian or Notion. Less suited to casual users who just want a free bookmark pile.
Pros
- Handles more content types than most read-later apps: articles, PDFs, EPUBs, RSS, newsletters, YouTube, and Twitter/X threads
- Highlights sync automatically to Notion, Obsidian, Roam, Evernote, and Logseq, with API, CLI, and MCP access
- Broad platform coverage: web, iOS, Android, desktop apps, three major browser extensions, and e-ink devices
- Actively maintained by a profitable, bootstrapped company, with updates shipping nearly every week
Cons
- No free tier — after the 30-day trial everything is behind a subscription, and Reader requires the pricier Full plan
- At $9.99/mo (annual) it costs more than most competing read-later tools
- The feature-dense, keyboard-centric interface and triage workflow can be overkill for casual saving
Alternatives to Readwise Reader
FAQ
Is Readwise Reader free?
No. Reader has a 30-day free trial, after which it requires the Readwise Full subscription at $9.99/mo billed annually or $12.99/mo monthly. The cheaper Lite plan does not include Reader.
Can I import my Pocket data into Readwise Reader?
Yes. Readwise Reader supports importing your saved data from Pocket, as well as from Instapaper, so you can migrate an existing read-later library.
Does Readwise Reader work with Firefox?
Yes. Reader offers browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, alongside a web app, iOS and Android apps, and Mac and Windows desktop apps.
Can Readwise Reader export highlights to Obsidian or Notion?
Yes. Through the companion Readwise sync, highlights export to Obsidian, Notion, Roam Research, Evernote, and Logseq, and you can export data as Markdown, CSV, OPML, or ZIP.
Where Readwise Reader fits
- Category: Best Read-Later Apps (2026)
- If it ever shuts down: Save tool graveyard
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