The Karakeep Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Karakeep in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Karakeep
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source bookmark app that tags saved links, notes and images
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among read-later and bookmark apps, read from Karakeep’s own pages.
Made by Localhost Labs Ltd · checked Oct 6, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Karakeep’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Karakeep’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 16 of the 36 other read-later and bookmark apps we grade
Karakeep, previously called Hoarder, is an open-source app for saving links, notes, images and PDFs in one searchable collection. A language model tags and summarizes what is saved, and articles can be read and highlighted in a reader view. It is built to be self-hosted with Docker at no charge, and the company behind it also runs Karakeep Cloud, a hosted version with a very small free tier and a paid Pro plan.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Karakeep, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No store rating on record, but on Karakeep Cloud there's nothing to set up: sign up, start saving, and the tagging is done for you.
- 1
Best for self-hosted bookmarks that tag themselves
Self-hosted with Docker it's free with no caps.
- 2
Paid plans start at $3.33 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $4 per month, or $40 per year (Pro, Karakeep Cloud).
- 3
There is a free plan
Karakeep Cloud's Free plan holds 10 bookmarks and 20 MB of storage. The self-hosted version is free with every feature and no cap on bookmarks or storage.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android, with a browser extension too.
- 5
Links, notes, images and PDFs
Save links, text notes, images and PDFs from any device. For links, the title, description and preview image are fetched automatically.
- 6
AI tagging and summaries
A language model tags and summarizes what you save. Self-hosted installs can run local models through Ollama; on Karakeep Cloud, AI tagging is listed under Pro.
- 7
Full-text and semantic search
Search covers the full text of saved content in keyword, hybrid or semantic mode, and OCR makes the text inside images and screenshots searchable.
- 8
A 2.8 GPA, above 16 of 36
That is against the other read-later and bookmark apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of Karakeep you could make: bookmarks, read later and highlights. What surrounds it you could not. The 5 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Karakeep at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $4 per month, or $40 per year (Pro, Karakeep Cloud)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- Made by
- Localhost Labs Ltd
- Category
- Read Later & Bookmarks
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
The report card
Best for self-hosted bookmarks that tag themselves
Karakeep, formerly Hoarder, is an open-source home for links, notes, images and PDFs where a language model tags and summarizes what you save. Self-hosted with Docker it's free with no caps. The hosted free plan holds just 10 bookmarks and 20 MB without AI tagging or full-text search, so hosted use really costs $4 a month, Pro stops at 50,000 bookmarks, and there's no desktop app.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Free only if you run it yourself, and that means a server and a Docker afternoon. Anyone else pays for Karakeep Cloud Pro: $4 a month, or $40 a year, which is this category's middle to the penny. The hosted free plan holds 10 bookmarks, so it isn't a way of using the thing. |
| Free plan and trial | B | The free route one person could really live on is the self-hosted one, with the lot and no limits. Karakeep Cloud's free plan is only a taster at 10 bookmarks and 20 MB, and even AI tagging and full-text search are listed under Pro there. |
| Features | B | It covers the whole job: links, notes, images and PDFs tagged and summarised for you, full-text and semantic search with OCR reading the words inside screenshots, a reader view with highlights, full-page archives, rules, RSS feeds saved automatically, and an API, CLI and MCP server. Linkwarden does much the same. |
| Ease of use | B | No store rating on record, but on Karakeep Cloud there's nothing to set up: sign up, start saving, and the tagging is done for you. Hosting your own copy is a Docker afternoon, which is a different proposition. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, iPhone and Android apps and browser extensions, with a REST API, webhooks, a command-line tool and a first-party MCP server, plus local models through Ollama if you self-host. No desktop app, which is what holds it to a B. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Karakeep is for
- Fits if you keep links, notes, images and PDFs and want them in one searchable place
- Works for self-hosters, who get every feature free with no cap on bookmarks or storage
Who it is not for
- Tight if you want it hosted and free, as Karakeep Cloud's Free plan stops at 10 bookmarks and 20 MB
- Skip it if Docker means nothing to you and you won't pay, because free here means running your own server
- Not for you if your team needs single sign-on on the hosted service, as that's the custom-priced Corporate plan
- Watch out: Pro is capped at 50,000 bookmarks and 50 GB, and it has a 7-day money-back guarantee rather than a trial
- Skip it if you want a desktop app, as it's web, phone apps and browser extensions
Good to know
Good for
- People who keep links, notes, images and PDFs in one collection
- Self-hosters who want a bookmark manager with no feature limits
- Anyone who prefers automatic tagging to filing bookmarks by hand
Worth knowing
- The free Karakeep Cloud plan stops at 10 bookmarks and 20 MB of storage, so regular hosted use needs Pro at $4 a month.
- On Karakeep Cloud, AI-powered tagging and full-text search are listed under Pro and not under the Free plan.
- Pro is capped at 50,000 bookmarks and 50 GB of storage; only the self-hosted version is unlimited.
- Single sign-on and user management on the hosted service are part of the custom-priced Corporate plan.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$3.33
A month to start, paid by the year. There is a free plan too
Karakeep has a free plan. Paid plans start at $4 per month, or $40 per year (Pro, Karakeep Cloud).
Free only if you run it yourself, and that means a server and a Docker afternoon.
Free
$0
Karakeep Cloud for trying the product: 10 bookmarks and 20 MB of storage, with the mobile and web apps and browser extensions.
Self-Hosted
Free
Unlimited bookmarks and storage on your own server, with every feature and community support.
Pro
$4
per month, or $40 per year
Karakeep Cloud with 50,000 bookmarks, 50 GB of storage, AI-powered tagging and full-text search. 7-day money-back guarantee.
Corporate
Custom
Managed deployment for teams, priced per seat: everything in Pro plus a custom domain, single sign-on, user management and priority support.
The free plan
Karakeep Cloud's Free plan holds 10 bookmarks and 20 MB of storage. The self-hosted version is free with every feature and no cap on bookmarks or storage.
Read from karakeep.app on Oct 6, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save 17% with yearly billing
The pricing page lists Pro at $4 a month or $40 a year, and labels the yearly option as a 17% saving.
Stated on karakeep.app
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
4
Places it runs: Web, iOS, Android and Browser extension
Open-source bookmark app that tags saved links, notes and images. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, public API, AI features, read later, bookmarks, highlights.
No desktop app, which is what holds it to a B.
- Links, notes, images and PDFs
- Save links, text notes, images and PDFs from any device. For links, the title, description and preview image are fetched automatically.
- AI tagging and summaries
- A language model tags and summarizes what you save. Self-hosted installs can run local models through Ollama; on Karakeep Cloud, AI tagging is listed under Pro.
- Full-text and semantic search
- Search covers the full text of saved content in keyword, hybrid or semantic mode, and OCR makes the text inside images and screenshots searchable.
- Reader view, highlights and archives
- Articles open in a reader view where passages can be highlighted, the mobile apps keep content for offline reading, and full-page archives protect against link rot.
- Rules, RSS feeds and shared lists
- A rule engine tags or files new bookmarks by conditions such as the URL, subscribed RSS feeds are saved automatically, and a list can be shared with editors or viewers.
- API, CLI and MCP server
- A REST API with scoped keys, webhooks, a command-line tool and a first-party MCP server let scripts and AI assistants search and save bookmarks.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
- Browser extension
What it works with
- Ollama
- floccus
- SingleFile
Karakeep is made by Localhost Labs Ltd.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
16/36
Other read-later and bookmark apps it is graded above
Karakeep's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 16 of the 36 other read-later and bookmark apps we grade, and level with 5.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 15 of 36) and worst on value for money (C, above 6).
Its paid plans start at $3.33 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $3 for the category: 13 of the 24 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 37 read-later and bookmark apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Karakeep’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 6 of 36
- BFree plan and trialAbove 15 of 36
- BFeaturesAbove 10 of 36
- BEase of useAbove 15 of 36
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 10 of 36
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 33 read-later and bookmark apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Karakeep is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of Karakeep you could make: bookmarks, read later and highlights. What surrounds it you could not. The 5 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It costs $40 a year. Karakeep is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Bookmarks, read later and highlights: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, Ollama, floccus and SingleFile among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Karakeep’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Linkwarden, Raindrop.io, linkding, Readeck and wallabag
The 5 tools Karakeep is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
Linkwarden
Free plan · from $3/mo
Open-source bookmark manager that preserves a copy of each page.
- 3.2GPA
Raindrop.io
Free plan · from $28/yr
Bookmark manager with collections, tags and highlights.
- Only Raindrop.io lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Karakeep is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.8GPA
linkding
Free
Minimal, self-hosted bookmark manager with tags and archiving.
- Only Karakeep lists iOS and Android apps.
- Karakeep also covers highlights.
- 3.0GPA
Readeck
Free
Open-source, self-hosted read-later and bookmark archive.
- Only Readeck lists a macOS app.
- 3.2GPA
wallabag
Free plan · from €11/yr
Open-source read-it-later app you can self-host or use hosted.
- Karakeep also covers bookmarks.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Karakeep free?
Karakeep has a free plan. Karakeep Cloud's Free plan holds 10 bookmarks and 20 MB of storage.
How much does Karakeep cost?
Karakeep lists 4 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Karakeep work on?
Karakeep is available on Web, iOS and Android. It also has a browser extension.
Does Karakeep offer any discounts?
Karakeep publicly lists the following: Save 17% with yearly billing.
Does Karakeep have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Karakeep is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Karakeep have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Karakeep is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Karakeep open source?
Yes. Karakeep is open source, according to its own site.
Does Karakeep have an API?
Yes. Karakeep offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Karakeep integrate with?
Karakeep's listing names Ollama, floccus and SingleFile. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Karakeep?
Karakeep is made by Localhost Labs Ltd.
What are the alternatives to Karakeep?
The closest alternatives to Karakeep in our directory are Linkwarden, Raindrop.io, linkding, Readeck and wallabag.
How does Karakeep compare with other read-later and bookmark apps?
Karakeep's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 16 of the 36 other read-later and bookmark apps we grade, and level with 5.
Is Karakeep good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Karakeep C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $3.33 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $3 for the category: 13 of the 24 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Karakeep?
The plain part of Karakeep you could make: bookmarks, read later and highlights.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Karakeep’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Karakeep's own pages on 6 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-04-01.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Localhost Labs Ltd. Prices change, so check karakeep.app before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Karakeep, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/karakeep
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Karakeep: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/karakeep
Know someone choosing between read-later and bookmark apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/karakeep/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded read-later and bookmark apps after Karakeep, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Read Later & Bookmarks Insider's GuideEvery one of the 37 read-later and bookmark apps we grade, compared
- FeedFlow Insider's GuideFree, open-source RSS reader for mobile and desktop3.2 GPA
- Flipboard Insider's GuideFree news aggregator built around topics and shared Magazines3.2 GPA
- Miniflux Insider's GuideMinimalist open-source feed reader, self-hosted or hosted3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Karakeep’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Karakeep is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Localhost Labs Ltd. Prices and plans change: check karakeep.app before you buy.