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Instapaper

Read-later app that strips articles down to clean text

Free plan · from $5.99/moRead LaterChecked Oct 5, 20264.6 on the App Store
Instapaper, as pictured on instapaper.com
How Instapaper presents itself. Image from instapaper.com.

Our verdict

Second of our top three read-later and bookmark apps

For: People who save long articles to read later

Instapaper saves an article and reformats it into an uncluttered text view, and its iPhone and Android apps download unread articles to read offline. Saved items sync across the web, iPhone, iPad and Android, and Kobo eReaders link to an account directly. The free plan has unlimited saves, and its iPhone and iPad app averages 4.6 from about 3,500 ratings. It is second because it is a reading queue more than a library for every link, and its paid plan costs more than Raindrop.io's: full-text search, the PDF reader, the permanent archive and unlimited notes need Premium at $5.99 a month or $59.99 a year. Free accounts get 5 notes a month and see ads on the Instapaper website.

See all three and how we rank

What is Instapaper?

Instapaper saves web articles, videos and other pages and reformats them into an uncluttered text view to read later, including offline in its mobile apps. Saved items sync across the web, iOS and Android and can be read on Kindle, Kobo and Boox eReaders. An optional Premium subscription adds full-text search, a PDF reader, a permanent archive and unlimited notes.

Instapaper has a free plan. Paid plans start at $5.99 per month, or $59.99 per year. See every plan

Good for

  • Saving long articles to read later without ads or page clutter
  • Reading saved articles on a Kindle, Kobo or Boox eReader
  • Commuters and travelers who read or listen offline

Worth knowing

  • Full-text search, the PDF reader and the permanent archive all require Premium.
  • Free accounts get 5 notes a month, and 10 summaries and 10 speed-read articles a month.
  • AI summaries are not yet available on Android, according to Instapaper's docs.
  • Free accounts see ads on the Instapaper website; Premium removes them.

Key features

Decluttered reading view
Removes ads, navigation and other page clutter from a saved article and reformats it for reading, with adjustable fonts, margins, line spacing and text size.
Offline reading and sync
The iOS and Android apps download unread articles so they can be read without a connection, and reading lists stay in sync across devices.
Highlights and notes
Highlight passages and attach notes, then export them as plain text, Markdown or HTML or send them to Obsidian, Evernote or Notion.
Kindle, Kobo and Boox delivery
Kobo eReaders link directly to an Instapaper account, free accounts included. Scheduled and manual Kindle digests require Premium.
Text to speech
The iOS and Android apps read saved articles aloud at 0.5x to 2x speed. AI Voices and multi-article playlists come with Premium.
Summaries and speed reading
Generates an AI summary with the key sentences of an article, and can flash text one word at a time. Each is free for 10 articles a month.

Instapaper pricing

Starts at
$5.99 per month, or $59.99 per year
Free plan
Unlimited saves, sync across web, iOS and Android, folders and API access. Notes are capped at 5 a month, and AI summaries and speed reading at 10 a month each.
Free trial
None listed
Free$0Unlimited saved articles, videos and pages, sync across web, iOS and Android, folders and API access. Notes are limited to 5 a month.
Premium$5.99per month, or $59.99 per yearFull-text search, PDF reader, permanent archive, unlimited notes, Kindle digests, AI Voices and text-to-speech playlists, and an ad-free website.

Read from instapaper.com on Oct 5, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Instapaper before you buy.

Pricing in detail

Ways to pay less

  • Annual discountSave over 15% with the yearly plan

    Instapaper's Premium page says the yearly plan saves over 15%: $59.99 a year instead of $5.99 a month.

    Stated on instapaper.com

How people rate the Instapaper app

4.6

out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app

3,542 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Oct 5, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing

Instapaper reviews, and where to read more

Works with

Instapaper alternatives

Common questions

Is Instapaper free?

Instapaper has a free plan. Unlimited saves, sync across web, iOS and Android, folders and API access. Notes are capped at 5 a month, and AI summaries and speed reading at 10 a month each. Paid plans start at $5.99 per month, or $59.99 per year.

How much does Instapaper cost?

Instapaper lists 2 plans. Free: $0. Premium: $5.99 per month, or $59.99 per year. Prices were read from instapaper.com on Oct 5, 2026.

What platforms does Instapaper work on?

Instapaper is available on Web, macOS, iOS and Android. It also has a browser extension.

Does Instapaper offer any discounts?

Instapaper publicly lists the following: Save over 15% with the yearly plan.

How is Instapaper rated?

Instapaper's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.6 out of 5 from 3,542 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 5, 2026. That is the store's rating of the app, not a score from us.

Does Instapaper have a Windows app?

No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Instapaper is listed for Web, macOS, iOS and Android.

Does Instapaper have a Linux app?

No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Instapaper is listed for Web, macOS, iOS and Android.

Is Instapaper open source?

Instapaper is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.

Does Instapaper work offline?

Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.

Does Instapaper have an API?

Yes. Instapaper offers a public API, according to its own site.

What does Instapaper integrate with?

Instapaper's listing names Kindle, Kobo, Boox, Obsidian, Notion, Evernote, Pinboard and Tumblr. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.

Who makes Instapaper?

Instapaper is made by Instant Paper, Inc. It dates from 2008.

What are the alternatives to Instapaper?

The closest alternatives to Instapaper in our directory are Readwise, Matter, Raindrop.io, wallabag and GoodLinks. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Instapaper.

Sources for this page

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 5, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.