Matter vs Plinky

Matter

• iPhone and iPad readers who want articles and newsletters in one queue
• Listening to saved articles, newsletters and podcasts as audio
• Sending highlights to Notion, Obsidian, Roam or Readwise

Plinky

• iPhone, iPad and Mac users who want one place for links from apps and browsers
• People who save videos, recipes and social posts as well as articles
• Shortcuts users who want to automate saving and finding links

Matter

• No Android app is listed: Matter is offered for iPhone, iPad and the web.
• Newsletter sync, RSS feeds, HD text to speech, Send to Kindle and unlimited highlights need a paid plan.
• The website has no pricing page, and the App Store lists several different Premium and Pro prices.
• The API and CLI are limited to paying Matter Pro subscribers.

Plinky

• Apple platforms plus browser extensions only; no Android, Windows or web app is listed.
• The free version caps saved links, tags, folders, reminders and pins, and the listing does not state the numbers.
• The App Store listing requires iOS or iPadOS 18.5 or macOS 26 or later.
• The lifetime unlock is $159.99, about four times the price of a year of Plinky Pro.

Matter

Save articles, PDFs and threads

Save from the iPhone and iPad apps or from the Chrome, Safari and Firefox extensions. Saved pages are parsed into a clean reading view and are available offline.

Podcast and YouTube transcripts

Saved YouTube videos and podcast episodes are transcribed into text that stays in sync with playback, so they can be read or listened to.

Newsletters, writers and feeds

Paid subscribers can pull newsletters in through Gmail or a personal Matter email address, follow individual writers and add RSS feeds.

Text to speech

Articles and newsletters can be played as audio, with highlighting while listening. HD text to speech for all articles is a paid feature.

Highlights and exports

Highlight by long-pressing and dragging, or with Apple Pencil on iPad, and sync highlights to Notion, Obsidian, Roam and Readwise.

API and CLI

A REST API and a terminal client give read and write access to the library, tags and annotations. Both require a Matter Pro subscription.

Plinky

Saving from any app or browser

A share extension on iPhone and iPad and browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Safari save links from other apps and the web. Chromium browsers such as Edge, Brave and Arc use the Chrome extension.

Folders, tags and pins

Links are organized into folders and tags, with suggested tags to start from, and the links, folders and tags used most can be pinned to the top.

Reminders

A reminder can be set on any link so that it resurfaces inside Plinky at a chosen date and time, without a separate to-do app.

Reader Mode

Links can open in Safari's Reader Mode without leaving Plinky, either for every article by default or through a swipe or long-press action.

Widgets and customization

Widgets for the Home Screen, Lock Screen and Control Center show recent or pinned links or the contents of a folder or tag, and the colors and layout of links, tags and folders can be changed.

Shortcuts, URL schemes and API

Shortcuts actions cover what the app itself can do, and URL schemes and a developer API let other tools save, update and manage links.

Matter

• Free$0

  Uncapped read-later library, saving from mobile and browser extensions, unlimited tags, full-text search, and custom themes and fonts.

• Premium$59.99 to $79.99

  per year; monthly items are listed at $7.99, $12.99 and $14.99

  HD text to speech, AI Co-Reader, newsletter sync, writer and RSS feeds, unlimited highlights, notes and integrations, and Send to Kindle. Also labelled Matter Pro.

Plinky

• Free$0

  Save and organize links with capped numbers of links, tags, folders, reminders and pins. The caps are not stated on the listing.

• Plinky Pro$3.99

  per month, or $39.99 per year (US App Store)

  Unlimited saved links, tags, folders, reminders and pinned links on iPhone, iPad and Mac.

• Plinky Lifetime Unlock$159.99

  one-time payment that never renews

  The same unlimited features as Plinky Pro for a single payment instead of a subscription.

Matter

No public discounts listed.

Plinky

• Annual discount

  About 16% off with the annual subscription

  The US App Store listing gives Plinky Pro as $3.99 a month or $39.99 a year, so a year paid up front costs about 16% less than twelve monthly payments.

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime unlock for $159.99

  The App Store listing offers a lifetime option with one payment of $159.99 that never renews, as an alternative to subscribing to Plinky Pro.

• Other savings

  50% off for Unread Premium subscribers

  Unread Premium subscribers can get a yearly Plinky Pro subscription at 50% off through Apple's contingent pricing, and the discount lasts while both subscriptions stay active.