Compare Raindrop, Instapaper, Readwise Reader, and Pocket: Which App is the Best?

Instapaper does what you need: save articles, read them offline, and organize with folders and tags. You can pay for extras like searching your saved stuff or adding more notes, but most people won't need that. Some things are missing or work better on iPhone than Android, and sometimes syncing is slow. But overall, it covers the basics really well.

Raindrop.io has lots of useful features:

• Sync bookmarks across all your devices
• Organize with collections and tags
• Add your own icons for a personal touch
• Pro plan gives you full-text search and saves copies of pages

We wish there were more ways to highlight and connect with other apps, but overall, it covers what most people need. 8 out of 10.

Instapaper is fast and works well most of the time. We didn't have crashes, and reading is smooth. Sometimes syncing is slow or articles take a while to show up, especially on Android. But for everyday use, it's reliable.

Performance presents a tale of two experiences - the core reading functionality works smoothly and reliably, but recent updates have introduced stability issues that affect the overall user experience.

The strong points are evident during daily use. Reading feels responsive with smooth scrolling and quick page navigation. Content synchronization across devices works consistently, and importing articles, PDFs, and RSS feeds processes efficiently. The basic reading, highlighting, and annotation functions that form the app's foundation operate reliably.

Recent developments tell a different story though. The significant drop from a 4.3 overall rating to 3.78 for recent reviews signals genuine stability problems with newer versions. Android users report more issues than their iOS counterparts, including navigation problems and functionality regressions. Some users have experienced critical issues like being unable to add new content after updates, while others consistently note that search performance remains poor.

Device compatibility also varies, with particular issues reported on e-ink devices and certain Android configurations. While active development appears to be addressing these concerns, the reliability issues prevent the app from achieving the stability users expect from a paid service.

We like how Instapaper looks. It's clean and simple, so you can just read without distractions. You can change the font or switch to dark mode if you want. The Android app could look a bit more modern, but it's still nice to use.

The design philosophy centers on creating a distraction-free reading environment, and it largely succeeds. Users consistently describe the app as "gorgeous," and the overall aesthetic genuinely supports focused reading with clean typography and thoughtful spacing.

Design strengths that impressed us:

• Clean Reading Interface: Minimal distractions with focus on content consumption
• Consistent Visual Language: Cohesive design across different content types (articles, PDFs, ebooks)
• Customizable Reading Experience: Good control over fonts, spacing, and display preferences
• Intuitive Navigation: Logical information architecture for managing large content libraries

The cross-platform execution reveals some inconsistencies though. The app clearly prioritizes iOS, and this shows in the Android experience. Navigation elements don't always follow Android design conventions, and gesture interactions occasionally feel foreign to the platform. While the core reading experience remains visually appealing, the iOS-first approach creates noticeable polish differences that affect the overall experience on Android devices.

The free version is great—you get all the basics and no ads. The paid plan costs more now and doesn't add a lot unless you really need the extra features. If you just want to save and read, stick with the free version. If you want more, think about if it's worth it for you.

It's really easy to get started with Instapaper. Saving and reading is simple, and you don't have to mess with a lot of settings. Sometimes it's hard to find certain features on Android, and syncing can be a bit slow, but most of the time it just works.

The usability picture is mixed - while the core reading experience feels intuitive once you're up and running, several barriers can frustrate new users during the initial setup and exploration phases.

Where the app excels in usability:

• Intuitive Reading Controls: Highlighting, bookmarking, and annotation tools are discoverable and easy to use
• Smooth Content Import: Adding articles, PDFs, and connecting RSS feeds works reliably
• Logical Organization: Content management and library organization follow expected patterns
• Responsive Interface: Most interactions feel immediate and predictable

The friction points become apparent early on though. The mandatory account creation before even testing the app frustrates many potential users, and Android users face additional hurdles with gesture navigation that doesn't behave as expected. The wealth of features also means there's a genuine learning curve - power users eventually find everything intuitive, but newcomers need time to discover and understand all capabilities. These initial barriers prevent the app from being truly accessible to everyone, despite its strong foundation once you're familiar with it.

Instapaper doesn't show ads or track you much, which we like. You do need an account to sync your articles, but we didn't see any big privacy problems. It's not the most private app ever, but it feels safe enough for everyday use.