App Closing Down: Explore These Alternatives for Your Read-Later Needs Instead of Pocket
Mozilla, the creators of Firefox, have announced the impending shutdown of Pocket, the popular read-later platform they acquired in 2017. Founded in 2007 as Read It Later, the platform has garnered over 30 million users since its inception.
Pocket allowed users to save web pages, articles, and videos for easy access, making it an essential tool for many. It offered both a free service and a paid premium subscription, priced less than $50 a year. Despite its popularity and utility, Mozilla has chosen to shutter the platform due to changes in the way people use the web, with resources instead being allocated to Firefox.
The closure will take effect on July 8, 2025, but users will be able to export their data until October 8, 2025. After this date, all user data will be permanently deleted.
For those seeking alternatives to Pocket, a number of read-later services remain available. Instapaper and Readwise are two popular options, with Instapaper offering a minimalist design and Readwise featuring more comprehensive knowledge management capabilities.
In addition to these services, an app called GoodLinks is a viable alternative. Unlike Pocket and its counterparts, GoodLinks is a downloadable app for Mac and iOS devices rather than a service storing data on a server. It comes at a one-time cost of $9.99 and offers all the same features for offline reading, downloadable archives, highlights, notes, and more, with data stored locally and synchronized via iCloud.
Another option for those seeking a more video-focused alternative to Pocket is Play, a watch-later app that keeps track of YouTube videos, channels, and playlists. Like GoodLinks, Play stores data locally and synchronizes via iCloud. It can be unlocked across all devices with a one-time purchase of $2.99.
For Pocket users seeking a bookmarking alternative, Anybox or Raindrop.io are popular options. Raindrop.io offers the most robust premium features, while Anybox offers a free plan with the option to unlock additional features for a subscription.
As Pocket prepares to bid farewell in 2025, these alternatives provide choices for users seeking a read-later service that suits their needs. Making the transition from Pocket, users should consider their priorities, whether it be simplicity, integration with other apps, or advanced knowledge management.
The deadline for Pocket users to export their saved articles and migrate to these alternatives is October 8, 2025.
- Despite the closure of Pocket, other read-later services like Instapaper, Readwise, GoodLinks, and Anybox continue to thrive, offering a variety of features to cater to different user needs.
- GoodLinks, an app for Mac and iOS devices, stands out from competitors as it offers a one-time purchase and stores user data locally for offline reading.
- For users seeking a video-focused alternative to Pocket, Play, a watch-later app for YouTube videos, channels, and playlists, is available with a one-time purchase and syncs data via iCloud.
- Raindrop.io offers the most extensive premium features among bookmarking alternatives, while Anybox provides a free plan with the option to unlock additional features through a subscription.
- A number of tech gadgets such as smartphones running Android or Apple's iOS, as well as computers powered by Google's Chrome OS or Microsoft's Windows, support various read-later apps and services available in the tech market.
- Social media platforms like Twitter and YouTube also have saved-for-later features built-in, allowing users to save, revisit, and share videos, articles, and similar content easily.
