Omnivore vs PaperSpan
Omnivore
github.comPaperSpan
paperspan.comSide by side
| Figure | Omnivore | PaperSpan |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 3 |
| Spec score · Read-later apps | 8.7 (#7) | 9.2 (#2) |
| Spec score · Read-It-Later Apps | 8.4 (#12) | 9.0 (#4) |
| Browser extension | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Highlight export | Yes | Yes |
| Highlighting | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile apps | Yes | Yes |
| Offline access | Yes | Yes |
| Text to speech | Text-to-speech is available in the iOS app, including offline audio playback downloads. | The app reads articles aloud while users walk, cook, commute, or work out. |
Plans
In their own words
Omnivore
Omnivore is an open-source read-it-later service for saving articles, newsletters, PDFs, and documents for focused reading. It supports notes, highlights, and synchronization across devices, with labels, filters, and indexed text search to organize saved material. An email inbox can receive newsletters, PDFs, and article emails, including Substack newsletters. Browser extensions and mobile apps are available. On iOS, text-to-speech includes offline audio downloads. Plugins synchronize saved reading, highlights, and notes with Logseq and Obsidian. Rules can trigger actions when articles are created or changed, but remain a web-only beta feature. The project can be extended or deployed on a user's own server; its Docker setup includes PostgreSQL, a web frontend, an API server, and a content-fetching service. The cloud application was deprecated in November 2024, so Omnivore is now self-hosted. The Free (self-hosted) plan is free. Omnivore and its Readability.js extensions use the AGPL-3.0 license.
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.