Pocket alternatives for iPhone: what to use now that Pocket is gone

What should you use instead of Pocket?

It depends on what you used Pocket for. For reading articles offline, Instapaper, Readwise Reader or Matter. For an AI-flavored reading library, Cubox. For a bookmark library you own, Raindrop.io, GoodLinks or self-hosted wallabag. For a built-in, no-install choice, Safari's Reading List. For saves that are things to do, KEEP.

Pocket began in 2007 as Read It Later and was acquired by Mozilla in 2017. Mozilla announced the closure on May 22, 2025, per Wikipedia's Pocket article). The service shut down on July 8, 2025, with exports available until October 8, 2025. If you did not export before that date, your old library may be gone. Apps below were checked on the US App Store on October 10, 2026.

Which Pocket replacement is best for reading?

Instapaper is the closest to old Pocket: a save button, a clean reading view, highlights, notes, text-to-speech, folders and offline access. Premium adds full-text search and unlimited highlights. The Instapaper comparison goes into detail. Readwise Reader is the heavier option, taking in articles, newsletters, RSS, PDFs and EPUBs, with highlighting and search. Matter focuses on newsletters and reading with text-to-speech.

Cubox leans on AI. Its listing mentions summaries, text-to-speech, nested folders and tags, and syncing to Obsidian, Notion and Readwise. It says you can import from Pocket and Instapaper. It offers a free plan and Pro subscriptions.

What if I want to own my data?

Two routes. GoodLinks is a one-time purchase that syncs through iCloud with no account, so no company keeps your list on a server. wallabag is free, open-source software you can host yourself, and its iPhone app Wallabag Reader connects to your server. The cost is setup and upkeep, and the listing rating is lower, partly because it needs a server. If a vendor shutting down worries you, owning the data is the real answer. Pocket was not the first to close: the read-it-later app Omnivore also shut down, as the read-it-later guide explains.

What about bookmarks?

Raindrop.io keeps a permanent copy of saved pages, supports collections, tags and sharing, and has browser extensions. It suits people who curate links for research or work. See KEEP vs Raindrop.io. If you only need a queue of articles inside the browser you already use, Safari's built-in Reading List is free and works offline when you turn on offline saving.

Where does KEEP fit?

KEEP was not a Pocket clone and does not try to be one. It is an iPhone app, in development, for things you save and mean to do: a restaurant, a recipe, a video to remake, a gift. You pick one of eight reasons per save. The AI may note a place or a person count, but you choose the reason. Today and Do show what you can act on now. Articles fit under the Learn reason, with options to understand, remember or apply, but KEEP stores the link, preview and your note, not an offline copy.

Limits: no reader mode, no iPad or Android version, no account (items are tied to a device ID), English and Russian only.

How do I move from Pocket?

1. Find your export file, if you saved one before October 8, 2025.
2. Check which new app lists Pocket import. Readwise Reader and Cubox do in their listings.
3. Import, then delete anything you will not read. A fresh start is a good time to cut.
4. Keep the new list short, and review it weekly.

What should I check before I commit to a new app?

Pocket's closure is a reminder to check four things before you move your library.

Run two apps in parallel for two weeks. The one you open without thinking is the one to keep.

• Export. Can you get your data out in a standard format? Cubox lists Markdown, HTML and PDF export in its listing. Ask the same of any app.
• Ownership. Who runs the servers? A company can close, change terms or raise prices. A one-time purchase or a self-hosted tool changes that risk.
• Pricing. Free tiers often limit search, highlights or storage. Premium for Instapaper is $5.99 a month or $59.99 a year in the US store, and Raindrop.io Pro is $2.99 a month or $27.99 a year. Prices change, so check the listing.
• Fit. Test with ten real saved links, not a demo.

Which one would I pick for each type of reader?

A commuter who reads long articles on the train: Instapaper or Readwise Reader. Someone who collects research for work: Raindrop.io, with tags and full-text search. A person who wants nothing in the cloud: GoodLinks. A person who loves tinkering: wallabag. Someone who reads a few articles a week and never wants to install anything: Reading List. And someone whose saved list is mostly places, recipes and videos: KEEP, or one of the apps in the roundup of save-for-later apps.