Omnivore has shut down: what now?
Omnivore was a promising open-source read-it-later app that gained a loyal following for its clean interface, highlights, and integrations with tools like Obsidian and Logseq. In October 2024, its founding team was acquired by ElevenLabs, an AI voice startup, and the hosted service was shut down.
For many readers, Omnivore was not just a tool — it was a philosophy: open source, community-driven and free. If you are looking for something that carries those values forward — and sticks around — here is what to consider.
Some alternatives
Several services are picking up readers who used Omnivore:
- Readwise Reader is a full reading environment with highlights, notes and AI-assisted features. It is powerful, but at €96 a year it is significantly more expensive, and it is a proprietary, US-based service.
- Instapaper offers a clean reading experience with highlights and notes. Its best features, however, are locked behind an expensive subscription, and its ownership history is uncertain.
- Raindrop.io is more of a visual bookmarking tool than a true reading app. It does have a reader view, but its core focus is organising links and websites.
If what you valued in Omnivore was the open-source ethos, privacy, and actually reading your saved articles — one alternative stands out.
Meet wallabag.it
wallabag.it is the hosted version of wallabag, an open-source read-it-later app that has been running since 2013. It was built around one idea: your reading list should belong to you.
Here is why it makes a strong alternative to Omnivore:
Full article storage
wallabag fetches the full text of every page you save, cleaned up and ad-free. Even if the original website disappears, your copy stays intact.
Privacy by design
wallabag does not track you, sell your data or show you ads. It is open-source software, run by people who believe in user freedom rather than exploitation.
Hosted in Europe
All data on wallabag.it is stored on servers located in Europe, protected by strict EU privacy laws and fully GDPR-compliant. A genuine reassurance for anyone wary of US data-handling practices.
Offline reading
Sync your saved articles across all your devices — phones, tablets and even e-readers like Kobo — and read them without a connection.
Tags, annotations and search
Organise your articles with tags, take notes, and find past reads quickly with full-text search.
Easy migration from Omnivore
wallabag.it includes a built-in import tool that supports Omnivore exports — your articles come across in one step, with their metadata intact.
Pricing comparison
Here is how wallabag.it compares with other popular services:
| Service | Yearly cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| wallabag.it | €11/year | All features included, privacy-focused, open source |
| Readwise Reader | €96/year | Highlights sync, AI features, proprietary US service |
| Instapaper | €55/year | Highlights, notes, text-to-speech |
| Raindrop.io | €26/year | Bookmark-focused, limited reader view |
wallabag.it offers the best value: a complete, distraction-free reading experience for just €11/year, with no ads or upsells. You can also support development more generously with the supporter plan at €30/year, or try the service for €4 over 3 months.
Final thoughts
Omnivore’s closure is a reminder that free services built on venture capital are fragile. wallabag.it has been running since 2013, funded by subscribers who believe in what it does. If you are looking for a sustainable, open-source, privacy-first alternative that will still be here in ten years, wallabag.it is a natural home.