Readwise
Readwise
Capture, organize, and continuously revisit highlights from Kindle, web, PDFs, and more—plus a powerful “read-it-later” app and note-taking sync, all in one subscription.
Key Features
- Universal Highlight Import
- Daily Spaced-Repetition Review
- Tags, Notes & Search
- Export to Note-Taking Apps
- Readwise Reader (Read-It-Later)
- RSS & Newsletter Inbox
- Text-to-Speech & Offline Mode
- Ghostreader AI Copilot
- Full-Text Search & Filters
- Cross-Device Sync
- Open REST & Reader APIs
What is Readwise?
Readwise began as a “read-better” utility that rescues highlights from Kindle and other reading platforms, resurfaces them via daily review, and syncs them to your knowledge base. In 2023 it launched Readwise Reader, a full read-it-later service that ingests articles, newsletters, RSS feeds, PDFs, EPUBs, tweets, and more. Together, Readwise + Reader form an integrated reading workflow: capture everything, annotate anywhere, remember forever, and export seamlessly to the note-taking tool you already use.
Pros
- Consolidates highlights from dozens of sources in one library
- Daily spaced-repetition email/app boosts long-term retention
- Deep, two-way sync to Notion, Obsidian, Roam, Logseq, etc.
- Reader unifies web, newsletters, RSS, PDFs, and ebooks in one inbox
- Ghostreader AI answers questions, summarizes, and simplifies texts
- Open API enables custom automations and community plugins
Cons
- Subscription price rises as features expand
- No collaborative or team sharing features yet
- Self-hosting not supported; data lives on Readwise servers
- Desktop Reader still in beta on macOS/Windows
Who It’s For
- Power readers & researchers who annotate heavily and need spaced review
- Note-taking enthusiasts in Notion, Obsidian, Roam, Logseq, Evernote, etc.
- Newsletter addicts & RSS users wanting one unified reading queue
- Students & lifelong learners seeking better retention of books and articles
- Developers & tinkerers building custom reading workflows via API
Universal Highlight Import
Readwise automatically pulls highlights from Kindle, Apple Books, Instapaper, Pocket, Kobo, web clippings, physical books (via OCR), and dozens more. A browser extension lets you highlight any page; email forwarding grabs newsletters.
Daily Spaced-Repetition Review
Using proven spaced-repetition science, Readwise re-surfaces a personalized set of highlights each day via email, mobile, or web so you actually remember what you read.
Tags, Notes & Search
Add inline notes, tags, and favorites to highlights. A global, full-text search with filters (author, source, tag, date) lets you find any quote instantly.
Export to Note-Taking Apps
One-click continuous sync sends new highlights to Notion, Obsidian, Roam, Logseq, Evernote, and plain-text Markdown. Templates are fully customizable.
Readwise Reader (Read-It-Later)
Reader ingests articles, PDFs, EPUBs, newsletters, RSS, and tweets into a distraction-free interface with powerful keyboard commands. Highlights sync back to Readwise automatically.
RSS & Newsletter Inbox
Each account gets a unique “newsletter email” plus an OPML-friendly RSS engine. All inbound content lands in Reader’s Inbox ready for annotation.
Text-to-Speech & Offline Mode
Reader converts any document to human-like audio and caches it for offline listening or reading on mobile and desktop.
Ghostreader AI Copilot
Select text and ask questions, get summaries, translate, or simplify complex passages—powered by GPT-4 yet constrained to your document for privacy.
Full-Text Search & Filters
Search every document, highlight, tag, or note—across books, web articles, and PDFs—with Boolean operators and saved searches.
Cross-Device Sync
Web, iOS, Android, and desktop clients stay perfectly in sync; progress, highlights, and reading positions follow you everywhere.
Open REST & Reader APIs
Developers can programmatically fetch highlights, push new documents into Reader, or automate exports using secure token-based APIs.
Pricing
- Free 30-day trial on all plans
- Lite – $5.99 / mo (or $4.49 / mo billed annually): daily review & basic highlight sync
- Full – $11.99 / mo (or $8.99 / mo annually): includes Reader, tag/note/search, all exports, AI tools
- Student/Educator Discount – 50% off any tier Cancel anytime; refunds available within 60 days.
Verdict
Readwise transforms scattered highlights into a living knowledge system, while Reader modernizes read-it-later into an all-format, AI-enhanced workspace. If you value retaining what you consume and integrating it into your thinking, no other service matches this depth of import, review, and export. The subscription isn’t cheap, but for serious readers, researchers, and note-takers, the return on retained knowledge is priceless.
Frequently Asked Questions about Readwise
What is Readwise?
Readwise began as a “read-better” utility that rescues highlights from Kindle and other reading platforms, resurfaces them via daily review, and syncs them to your knowledge base. In 2023 it launched Readwise Reader, a full read-it-later service that ingests articles, newsletters, RSS feeds, PDFs, EPUBs, tweets, and more. Together, Readwise + Reader form an integrated reading workflow: capture everything, annotate anywhere, remember forever, and export seamlessly to the note-taking tool you already use.
Pros
- Consolidates highlights from dozens of sources in one library
- Daily spaced-repetition email/app boosts long-term retention
- Deep, two-way sync to Notion, Obsidian, Roam, Logseq, etc.
- Reader unifies web, newsletters, RSS, PDFs, and ebooks in one inbox
- Ghostreader AI answers questions, summarizes, and simplifies texts
- Open API enables custom automations and community plugins
Cons
- Subscription price rises as features expand
- No collaborative or team sharing features yet
- Self-hosting not supported; data lives on Readwise servers
- Desktop Reader still in beta on macOS/Windows
Who It’s For
- Power readers & researchers who annotate heavily and need spaced review
- Note-taking enthusiasts in Notion, Obsidian, Roam, Logseq, Evernote, etc.
- Newsletter addicts & RSS users wanting one unified reading queue
- Students & lifelong learners seeking better retention of books and articles
- Developers & tinkerers building custom reading workflows via API
Universal Highlight Import
Readwise automatically pulls highlights from Kindle, Apple Books, Instapaper, Pocket, Kobo, web clippings, physical books (via OCR), and dozens more. A browser extension lets you highlight any page; email forwarding grabs newsletters.
Daily Spaced-Repetition Review
Using proven spaced-repetition science, Readwise re-surfaces a personalized set of highlights each day via email, mobile, or web so you actually remember what you read.
Tags, Notes & Search
Add inline notes, tags, and favorites to highlights. A global, full-text search with filters (author, source, tag, date) lets you find any quote instantly.
Export to Note-Taking Apps
One-click continuous sync sends new highlights to Notion, Obsidian, Roam, Logseq, Evernote, and plain-text Markdown. Templates are fully customizable.
Readwise Reader (Read-It-Later)
Reader ingests articles, PDFs, EPUBs, newsletters, RSS, and tweets into a distraction-free interface with powerful keyboard commands. Highlights sync back to Readwise automatically.
RSS & Newsletter Inbox
Each account gets a unique “newsletter email” plus an OPML-friendly RSS engine. All inbound content lands in Reader’s Inbox ready for annotation.
Text-to-Speech & Offline Mode
Reader converts any document to human-like audio and caches it for offline listening or reading on mobile and desktop.
Ghostreader AI Copilot
Select text and ask questions, get summaries, translate, or simplify complex passages—powered by GPT-4 yet constrained to your document for privacy.
Full-Text Search & Filters
Search every document, highlight, tag, or note—across books, web articles, and PDFs—with Boolean operators and saved searches.
Cross-Device Sync
Web, iOS, Android, and desktop clients stay perfectly in sync; progress, highlights, and reading positions follow you everywhere.
Open REST & Reader APIs
Developers can programmatically fetch highlights, push new documents into Reader, or automate exports using secure token-based APIs.
Pricing
- Free 30-day trial on all plans
- Lite – $5.99 / mo (or $4.49 / mo billed annually): daily review & basic highlight sync
- Full – $11.99 / mo (or $8.99 / mo annually): includes Reader, tag/note/search, all exports, AI tools
- Student/Educator Discount – 50% off any tier Cancel anytime; refunds available within 60 days.
Verdict
Readwise transforms scattered highlights into a living knowledge system, while Reader modernizes read-it-later into an all-format, AI-enhanced workspace. If you value retaining what you consume and integrating it into your thinking, no other service matches this depth of import, review, and export. The subscription isn’t cheap, but for serious readers, researchers, and note-takers, the return on retained knowledge is priceless.