Save it for Later

There are so many great articles to read online these days but sometimes you need to save it for later. There are apps that help you save these articles in a format that makes them easier to read by stripping the article from the website and downloading it into the app. The two apps that I will review both are multiplatform which means they work on every type of device so you can find an article on your desktop computer, save it using a browser extension, and then read it on your phone later. Both companies have great how to videos on their websites. I decided not to include the links to all the app stores but those links can be found on each company’s website. I think that each app has its strong points and for users it will ultimately be about style. I really like Pocket because of the interface design, tags, and recommendations but dislike that it has ads.

I was inspired to write this week’s review based on a recent episode of Android App Arena https://twit.tv/shows/android-app-arena/episodes/120 and the fact that Instapaper this week announced that all of their premium features are now free http://blog.instapaper.com/post/152600596211

Instapaper (Free) Android, iOS, Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Amazon – After signing up for an account Instapaper sends an e-mail to walk new users through the process of using the app and browser extension. Users can customize their reading experience by changing font, spacing, background color, and brightness. There is a really interesting speed reading feature that shows you one word at a time quickly. The menu also has a video category so you can also curate YouTube videos or the ones embedded in an article. A lot of users like the newspaper like layout. There is a nice "Notes" section that users can save highlighted text and notes about what they've read. The app suggests articles based on your reading preferences and ones that are popular with other Instapaper users.

Website: https://www.instapaper.com/

The picture below shows the Chrome extension in action:

The pictures below are some screenshots of the app:

Pocket (Free with premium features) Android, iOS, Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Android – Easy to use with a bright and friendly interface. Users can customize font type, font size, switch to the web view, and change background color. Saving articles is a breeze by either using a browser extension or e-mailing it to your pocket account. Unfortunately, other customization options are a part of the premium package. The app can read the article to users. Users can put tags on articles so that they can quickly find what they are looking for in their saved list. The app has ads that can be removed if you purchase the premium package. Where the Pocket app was superior was in article recommendations. Users can get article recommendations from the Pocket community, their contacts, social media connections, writers, and influencers. The app’s premium features: dark mode, eliminate ads, further customization, and unlimited archival storage that saves an article even if the website version goes away, cost $4.99 a month or $44.99 a year.

Website: https://getpocket.com

The picture below is the Chrome extension in action:

The pictures below are screenshots of the app: