Why I Stopped Using Paid Read-it-Later Apps
Let's say someone shares an article with you or you find something with a headline that really grabs you. You want to read it now but you're busy trying to run a business here!
You don't have time so you save it to your read-it-later app. And never look at it again...
Here’s why read-it-later apps didn’t work for me and the cost-free solution I've found instead.
Omnivore’s Shutdown
If you haven't heard, Omnivore recently shut down. It was a lot of peoples favourite read-it-later app, including mine. And it was free. But they've joined the ElevenLabs team and aren't going to be running Omnivore anymore.
It was a harsh reminder of the instability that comes with “free” apps.
Omnivore was fantastic: it was minimalistic, let you highlight text, and even integrated perfectly with Obsidian.
But because it was free, it couldn’t sustain itself in the long run.
Lesson learned: If an app offers too much for free, be cautious. The service might not last, or worse, it could end up costing you in lost time and data.
Why Paid Apps Didn’t Meet My Needs
After Omnivore’s shutdown, I explored paid alternatives like Readwise Reader and Matter. But each option felt like a big leap from Omnivore’s zero-cost setup. Readwise is around $120 a year and Matter close behind.
No way I could justify those expenses just to read some articles.
I realised something. I wasn’t getting true value from these apps.
Sure, they offered extra features like AI summaries and temp email addresses for newsletters, but they didn’t really help me retain and act on the content I saved.
The more I thought about it, the clearer it became. Read-it-later apps might make us feel productive, but really they're just creating more digital clutter.
The Solution: Microsoft Edge Collections
Enter Microsoft Edge’s Collections feature. It’s free, simple, and syncs across all devices.
Yeah I know, I warned about free at the top of this article. But Microsoft aren't relying on you paying them for the read-it-later functionality. They make their money in loads of other places.
Anyway, here’s how it meets my needs:
Seamless Syncing: I can access my saved articles across my Windows PC, iPad, iPhone, and MacBook.
Enhanced Reading Experience: Edge’s Reader mode offers a clean, distraction-free reading experience. Mine is set to a lovely, calm, sepia colour. Plus, it has a built-in text-to-speech feature so I can listen to articles while walking the dog.
Intentional Note-Taking: Now, I only save articles I genuinely want to learn from. If it’s valuable, I’ll go back, read it with focus, and take notes manually in Obsidian.
Now I have less digital clutter and a more intentional (and free again) reading habit.
Check out this 25-second clip where I show how easy it is to add something to a collection:
https://x.com/productive_will/status/1852661242634125440
Final Thoughts
Read-it-later apps are great in theory, but they create more digital clutter than they solve. Let's simplify our approach and be more intentional about what we save.
Try it out: Set up a collection in Microsoft Edge and start saving only what truly matters. It’s a small change, but it might save you some money if you're looking for an Omnivore alternative.
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