Native Apple read-later app, one-time purchase
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Tool review — Read-later · Updated
Wallabag Review (2026)
Open-source read-later, the main Pocket successor
Self-host free; €11/yr hosted
- Open source
- Extension
- App
What is Wallabag?
Wallabag is an open-source read-it-later application, launched in 2013 and built in PHP/Symfony by Nicolas Loeuillet and a community of maintainers. When you save a page via the browser extension, mobile apps, or open API, it extracts the article text, strips ads and clutter, and stores it in your own archive — either on a server you run yourself or on the paid wallabag.it hosted service (started 2016, EU servers). It supports tags, full-text search, annotations, favorites, RSS feeds of your saved items, e-reader compatibility, and imports from Pocket, Omnivore, Instapaper, and Pinboard. The project is MIT-licensed, has around 13k GitHub stars and over 12,000 commits, and is widely treated as the leading self-hostable Pocket replacement.
Key features
- Extracts clean, distraction-free article text from saved web pages
- Self-hostable on your own server, with full control of data and backups
- Imports from Pocket, Omnivore, Instapaper, and Pinboard
- Official Android and iOS apps plus a browser extension (wallabagger)
- Tags, search, favorites, annotations, RSS feeds, and an open API
Where it saves to
Your own server (self-hosted) · wallabag.it hosted service
Pricing
Self-hosting Wallabag is free — the software is MIT-licensed open source. If you don't want to run a server, the official wallabag.it hosted service starts at €11 per year, with a 14-day free trial that requires no credit card. The hosted plan includes professional support, automatic upgrades, daily backups, and storage on European servers.
Best for
Privacy-conscious readers and self-hosters who want a Pocket-style read-later queue they fully own, without ads, tracking, or dependence on a company's roadmap.
Pros
- Fully open source (MIT) with a decade-plus track record and active development
- Free when self-hosted; hosted option is cheap at €11/year
- No ads, tracking, or data resale — you own your archive
- Broad ecosystem: mobile apps, browser extension, RSS, e-reader support, open API
Cons
- Self-hosting requires running and maintaining a PHP/Symfony server yourself
- Article extraction can fail or render poorly on complex or paywalled sites
- Interface and mobile apps feel more utilitarian than polished commercial rivals like Instapaper
Alternatives to Wallabag
Highlight and annotate web pages and PDFs
Free + Premium
Classic minimalist read-later service since 2008
Free + $5.99/mo
FAQ
Is Wallabag free?
Yes, the software is free and MIT-licensed open source if you self-host it. The official hosted service, wallabag.it, costs from €11 per year and includes support, upgrades, and daily backups, with a 14-day free trial.
Can I import my Pocket data into Wallabag?
Yes. Wallabag has built-in importers for Pocket, as well as Omnivore, Instapaper, and Pinboard, so you can migrate your existing reading archive.
Does Wallabag have mobile apps?
Yes. There are official Android and iOS apps, a browser extension called wallabagger, a community GNOME/Linux app, and e-reader compatibility, all syncing with your Wallabag server.
Do I have to self-host Wallabag?
No. You can either install it on your own server for free or subscribe to the official wallabag.it hosted service (from €11/year on European servers) and skip server maintenance entirely.
Where Wallabag fits
- Category: Best Read-Later Apps (2026)
- Also in: Best Free Save-to Tools (2026)
- Also in: Best Open-Source Save-to Tools (2026)
- If it ever shuts down: Save tool graveyard
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