Instapaper vs PaperSpan
Instapaper
instapaper.comPaperSpan
paperspan.comSide by side
| Figure | Instapaper | PaperSpan |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $5/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 3 |
| Spec score · Read-later apps | 9.0 (#4) | 9.2 (#2) |
| Spec score · Read-It-Later Apps | 8.7 (#8) | 9.0 (#4) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Kindle integration | Kindle integration is included with Premium. | Articles can be sent to a Kindle device or app, including multiple articles as a crafted book. |
| Offline access | Yes | Yes |
| Offline reading | Saved content can be read offline. | Articles can be read, listened to, and managed while offline, with automatic syncing afterward. |
Plans
Instapaper
- FreeFree
- Premium$5.99 a month
- Premium monthly$5.99 a month
- Premium yearly$59.99 a year
In their own words
Instapaper
Instapaper saves internet content for later reading and organization. A single action can save articles, videos, recipes, song lyrics, and other pages; saved articles and videos sync across supported devices and can be read offline. Readers can highlight and comment on article text, then store, retrieve, quote, and share selected passages. The free plan includes unlimited article, video, and page saves, folders, synchronization, and API integration, with a limit of five notes per month. Premium adds full-text search, a permanent archive of articles, PDF reading, unlimited notes, Kindle integration, and mobile AI Voices and text-to-speech playlists. Premium costs $5.99 a month or $59.99 a year. Supported platforms include the web, iOS, Android, macOS, and a Chrome extension; listed devices also include Kindle, Kobo, and Boox eReaders. Speed reading is listed as processing articles up to three times faster.
PaperSpan
PaperSpan is a reading service for saving articles and returning to them on iPhone, iPad, Android, the web, Chrome, and Firefox. Browser extensions and a bookmarklet save articles, while offline access lets readers read, listen to, and manage them; changes sync when a connection returns. Readers can highlight passages for later review, listen to articles read aloud, or send articles to a Kindle device or app. Multiple articles can be sent together as a crafted book. The free plan is available on mobile and web. Premium adds full-text, author, notes, and other advanced search options, uninterrupted listening playlists, and reading insights covering read rate, peak reading time, categories, and popular sites. PaperSpan says it has no ads or tracking. Premium costs $8.99 per year through an auto-renewing subscription, with price variation possible by location. It renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before the period ends, and cannot be canceled during an active period.