Readeck: a strong choice if you want to self-host
Readeck is one of the most interesting read-it-later projects to appear in recent years. It is open source, modern, and built for people who want to run their own service.
If you enjoy maintaining a server, backups, updates and monitoring, Readeck can be a very good option.
But not everyone wants another service to administer.
The real question: self-hosting or hosted service?
For many people leaving Pocket or Omnivore, the choice is not only between two apps. It is between two responsibilities:
- self-hosting, where you control the server and also maintain it;
- a hosted service, where you pay a small subscription and someone else keeps it running.
wallabag.it is for the second case. You keep the benefits of an open-source read-it-later tool, but without running the infrastructure yourself.
Where wallabag.it fits
wallabag.it is the hosted version of wallabag. It is built around the same simple idea as the open-source project: save articles, clean them up, read them later, and keep control of your reading list.
Hosted in Europe
Your wallabag.it account is hosted in Europe and operated by the wallabag team. You do not need to configure Docker, updates, backups or email delivery.
Open source, but no server work
You can self-host wallabag if you want full infrastructure control. Or you can use wallabag.it if you want the service maintained for you.
Reading across devices
Save articles from your browser, read on mobile, export, search, tag, annotate, and keep reading offline. wallabag.it also works well with e-readers such as Kobo.
Sustainable pricing
wallabag.it starts at €11/year. The subscription funds the hosted service and the ongoing maintenance of the project.
Quick comparison
| Service | Best for | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Readeck | People who want to self-host a modern app | You maintain the server yourself |
| wallabag self-hosted | People who want full control of wallabag | You maintain the server yourself |
| wallabag.it | People who want hosted read-it-later in Europe | Paid subscription, starting at €11/year |
Final thoughts
If your priority is running your own stack, Readeck deserves a look. If your priority is reading later without maintaining yet another service, wallabag.it is the easier choice.