Readwise Reader review

Readwise Reader is built for people who read a lot and want to keep what they read. One library takes saved articles, RSS feeds, newsletters forwarded by email, uploaded PDFs and EPUBs, YouTube videos with highlightable transcripts and X threads compiled into long-form text. Highlighting is the focus: you can mark images, tables and rich text, annotate the open web through the browser extension and work entirely from the keyboard. Ghostreader, the built-in AI assistant, can summarize, explain or translate a document, and full-text search works even offline. Readwise also exposes your library through a CLI, MCP server, API and ChatGPT Connector. The Reader only plan is $7.99 a month billed yearly, and full Readwise, which adds highlight imports from Kindle and 40+ sources plus Daily Review, is $9.99 a month billed yearly or $12.99 monthly. The main drawback is that there is no free tier after the 30-day trial.

Who it is for

power readers who highlight and export notes

Price

Reader only plan $7.99 per month billed yearly; full Readwise $9.99 per month billed yearly; 30-day free trial.

Reader only A home for everything you want to read. Not included: Access to Highlights. $7.99 /mo billed yearly
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 13, 2026.

Key features

• Saves articles, PDFs, EPUBs, emails, YouTube videos, RSS and X threads
• Highlights images, tables and rich text, plus web highlighting through a browser extension
• Ghostreader AI summarizes, explains and translates any document
• Full-text search that also works offline, plus text to speech
• CLI, MCP server, API and ChatGPT Connector give an AI agent access to your library

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Replaces a separate RSS reader and newsletter inbox
• Strength: Keyboard-based reading for highlighting and annotating without a mouse
• Strength: 50% discount for students, educators, non-profits, military and first responders on request
• Weakness: No free plan once the 30-day trial ends
• Weakness: The Reader only plan leaves out Readwise Highlights and Daily Review
• Weakness: More settings and views to learn than Instapaper or GoodLinks

Key facts

• Free trial: 30 days, no credit card required
• Reader only: $7.99 a month billed yearly
• Full Readwise: $9.99 a month billed yearly, $12.99 monthly
• Formats: Articles, PDFs, EPUBs, emails, RSS, YouTube, X threads

Where it ranks

Readwise Reader is No. 2 in our Best Read It Later Apps verdict.