The Pinboard Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Pinboard 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.
Pinboard
The Insider’s Guide
Paid bookmarking site with tags, privacy and page archiving
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among read-later and bookmark apps, read from Pinboard’s own pages.
Made by Nine Fives Software · checked Oct 5, 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 Pinboard’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Pinboard’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 0 of the 36 other read-later and bookmark apps we grade
Pinboard is a bookmarking site, run independently since 2009, for saving links with titles, descriptions and tags. Bookmarks can be public or private, and a read-later status holds pages to come back to. A higher-priced archival account stores a copy of every bookmarked page and adds full-text search and dead-link checks. The site carries no ads or trackers, and every account is paid for by the year.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Pinboard, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No store rating on record, since there's no app of its own.
- 1
Best for plain, private bookmarks with no ads
Pinboard is a plain, text-based bookmarking site for saving links with tags, private if you like, with no ads or trackers, for $22 a year.
- 2
Paid plans start at $1.83 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $22 per year.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web, with a browser extension too.
- 4
Bookmarks, tags and privacy
Each bookmark has a title, URL, a description of any length and optional tags. Any bookmark can be private, and an account can default to private.
- 5
Read later
A read-later bookmarklet adds a page to an unread list without asking for details. Unread bookmarks are visible only to you until marked as read.
- 6
Archiving and full-text search
Archival accounts get a crawled copy of every bookmarked page that stays viewable if the original goes offline, plus search across page text.
- 7
A 2.2 GPA, above 0 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.
- 8
Your call
A read-later list at its plainest is saved links with tags.
Pinboard at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid, from $22 per year
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, Browser extension
- Made by
- Nine Fives Software, since 2009
- Category
- Read Later & Bookmarks
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for plain, private bookmarks with no ads
Pinboard is a plain, text-based bookmarking site for saving links with tags, private if you like, with no ads or trackers, for $22 a year. There's no free plan and no trial, just a refund within seven days, no phone apps of its own, stored page copies and full-text search need the $39 account, and even then paywalled pages, YouTube and Twitter links aren't saved properly.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | $22 a year is $1.83 a month, inside the cheapest quarter for reading tools here, below the $2.42 line. The archival account, with a stored copy of every page and full-text search, is $39 a year. The sign-up page says paying for several years is steeply discounted, but won't say by how much. |
| Free plan and trial | F | Nothing is free. There's no free plan and no free trial. You pay first, and the fee is refundable within seven days of signing up, which is a money-back window and not a trial. |
| Features | C | It does one smaller job, bookmarking, and does the basics of it: tags, private bookmarks, read later, notes, tab sets and tag bundles. The gaps are in the listing: stored copies and full-text search need the $39 account, and even then the crawler skips paywalled pages, YouTube and Twitter. |
| Ease of use | B | No store rating on record, since there's no app of its own. The listing shows a site with nothing to set up: sign up, add the bookmarklet or a browser extension, and save links. It's plain text and a tag box, so there's not much to learn. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | A website with extensions for Safari, Chrome and Firefox, a full API modelled on Delicious and an RSS feed for every bookmark page, which third-party clients like Reeder use. No native mobile apps, though, so on a phone it's the mobile site or somebody else's app. |
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 Pinboard is for
- Fits if you want a text-based bookmark list with no ads or trackers, private by default if you like
- Works for people who want an API and an RSS feed for everything they save
Who it is not for
- Not for you if you want to try before paying, as there's no free plan or trial, only a seven-day refund
- Skip it if you want a native phone app, because it's a mobile website plus third-party apps
- Pricey if saved page copies are the point, as those and full-text search need the $39 account, not the $22 one
- Watch out: the archive crawler can't save paywalled pages, and the FAQ says YouTube and Twitter links aren't saved properly
- Watch out: the sign-up page says paying for several years is discounted but doesn't say by how much
Good to know
Good for
- People who want a fast, text-based bookmark archive without ads or trackers
- Users who keep most or all of their bookmarks private
- Developers who want an API and RSS feeds for their bookmarks
Worth knowing
- There is no free plan and no free trial; a payment is refundable within seven days of signup.
- Stored page copies and full-text search require the $39 archival account.
- There are no native mobile apps: Pinboard offers a mobile website and relies on third-party apps.
- The archive crawler cannot save paywalled pages, and the FAQ says YouTube and Twitter links are not saved properly.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$1.83
A month to start, paid by the year
Pinboard is a paid product, starting at $22 per year.
The sign-up page says paying for several years is steeply discounted, but won't say by how much.
Regular account
$22
per year
Bookmarks with tags, private bookmarks, read later, notes, tab sets, the API and RSS feeds. Refundable within seven days of signup.
Archival account
$39
per year
Everything in a regular account, plus a stored copy of every bookmarked page, full-text search and dead-link checks.
Read from pinboard.in on Oct 5, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Other savings
Discounts for paying for several years
The sign-up page says there are steep discounts for signing up for multiple years, chosen on the payment page. The amounts are not shown publicly.
Stated on pinboard.in
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: Web and Browser extension
Paid bookmarking site with tags, privacy and page archiving. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, read later, bookmarks.
It does one smaller job, bookmarking, and does the basics of it: tags, private bookmarks, read later, notes, tab sets and tag bundles.
- Bookmarks, tags and privacy
- Each bookmark has a title, URL, a description of any length and optional tags. Any bookmark can be private, and an account can default to private.
- Read later
- A read-later bookmarklet adds a page to an unread list without asking for details. Unread bookmarks are visible only to you until marked as read.
- Archiving and full-text search
- Archival accounts get a crawled copy of every bookmarked page that stays viewable if the original goes offline, plus search across page text.
- Bookmarklets, extensions and email
- Save with a bookmarklet, with browser extensions for Safari, Chrome and Firefox, or by emailing a URL to a personal Pinboard address.
- API and RSS feeds
- A full API modeled on version 1 of the Delicious API supports third-party clients, and every bookmark page has a matching RSS feed.
- Notes, tab sets and tag bundles
- Notes save snippets of text as bookmarks, tab sets store all open browser tabs for later, and tag bundles group related tags on one page.
Where it runs
- Web
- Browser extension
What it works with
- Instapaper
- Reeder
Pinboard is made by Nine Fives Software, and has been around since 2009.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
0/36
Other read-later and bookmark apps it is graded above
Pinboard's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 0 of the 36 other read-later and bookmark apps we grade, and level with 2.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 19 of 36) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $1.83 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $3 for the category: 4 of the 24 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 37 read-later and bookmark apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Pinboard’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 19 of 36
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 36
- CFeaturesAbove 0 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. Pinboard 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.
Your call
A read-later list at its plainest is saved links with tags.
You could make the core of Pinboard for yourself: bookmarks and read later. What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. At $22 a year it costs less than the weekend it would take to replace, which is the argument for keeping it.
What you could make
- Bookmarks and read later: an app builder makes these well.
- It runs in a browser, which is where something home-made would run too.
What you could not
- It plugs into other products, Instapaper and Reeder among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. Pinboard’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
Raindrop.io, linkding, Diigo, Linkwarden and Karakeep
The 5 tools Pinboard is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.2GPA
Raindrop.io
Free plan · from $28/yr
Bookmark manager with collections, tags and highlights.
- Raindrop.io has a free plan. Pinboard does not.
- Only Raindrop.io lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Raindrop.io also covers highlights.
- 2.8GPA
linkding
Free
Minimal, self-hosted bookmark manager with tags and archiving.
- linkding has a free plan. Pinboard does not.
- linkding is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.4GPA
Diigo
Free plan · from $40/yr
Bookmarking with highlights and sticky notes on web pages and PDFs.
- Diigo has a free plan. Pinboard does not.
- Only Diigo lists an iOS app.
- Pinboard also covers read later.
- 2.8GPA
Linkwarden
Free plan · from $3/mo
Open-source bookmark manager that preserves a copy of each page.
- Linkwarden has a free plan. Pinboard does not.
- Only Linkwarden lists iOS and Android apps.
- Linkwarden is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.8GPA
Karakeep
Free plan · from $4/mo
Open-source bookmark app that tags saved links, notes and images.
- Karakeep has a free plan. Pinboard does not.
- Only Karakeep lists iOS and Android apps.
- Karakeep is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
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 Pinboard free?
No. Pinboard is a paid product, starting at $22 per year.
How much does Pinboard cost?
Pinboard lists 2 plans. Regular account: $22 per year.
What platforms does Pinboard work on?
Pinboard is available on Web. It also has a browser extension.
Does Pinboard offer any discounts?
Pinboard publicly lists the following: Discounts for paying for several years.
Does Pinboard have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Pinboard is listed for Web.
Does Pinboard have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Pinboard is listed for Web.
Is Pinboard open source?
Pinboard is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Does Pinboard have an API?
Yes. Pinboard offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Pinboard integrate with?
Pinboard's listing names Instapaper and Reeder. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Pinboard?
Pinboard is made by Nine Fives Software. It dates from 2009.
What are the alternatives to Pinboard?
The closest alternatives to Pinboard in our directory are Raindrop.io, linkding, Diigo, Linkwarden and Karakeep.
How does Pinboard compare with other read-later and bookmark apps?
Pinboard's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 0 of the 36 other read-later and bookmark apps we grade, and level with 2.
Is Pinboard good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Pinboard B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $1.83 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $3 for the category: 4 of the 24 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Pinboard?
A read-later list at its plainest is saved links with tags. You could make the core of Pinboard for yourself: bookmarks and read later.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Pinboard’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Pinboard's own pages on 5 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-07-02.
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 Nine Fives Software. Prices change, so check pinboard.in 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
- Pinboard, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/pinboard
- 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, "Pinboard: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/pinboard
Know someone choosing between read-later and bookmark apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/pinboard/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded read-later and bookmark apps after Pinboard, 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 Pinboard’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. Pinboard is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Nine Fives Software. Prices and plans change: check pinboard.in before you buy.