Found a long article you want to read on your commute, flight, or offline? Here is how to save articles for offline reading using Pocket, Instapaper, browser reading lists, and PDF — with a breakdown of what each method gets right and wrong.
Free — 3 PDFs per month. No credit card required.
Four methods, from read-later apps to browser features.
Pocket (now owned by Mozilla) is the most widely used read-later service.
Free tier: Basic saving and reading. Premium ($5/mo): Permanent library backup, full-text search, suggested tags, and highlighted passages.
Instapaper focuses on a clean, distraction-free reading experience.
Free tier: Basic saving with ads. Premium ($6/mo): Full-text search, speed reading, text-to-speech, and no ads.
Chrome has a built-in reading list that requires no extensions or accounts.
Chrome's reading list is free and requires no account, but it only works in Chrome and does not sync to mobile in all configurations.
Safari's Reading List is Apple's built-in read-later feature.
Safari Reading List syncs across all Apple devices via iCloud but does not work on Windows, Android, or Chrome.
Convenient, but every method has the same fundamental trade-offs.
Pocket requires the Pocket app. Instapaper requires the Instapaper app. Chrome Reading List requires Chrome. Your saved articles are locked inside a specific app — switch to a different platform and you lose access to your reading library.
Read-later services can shut down, get acquired, or change terms. Instapaper has changed ownership multiple times. Your saved articles live on someone else's servers. If the service disappears, your reading library goes with it.
Chrome Reading List does not work in Firefox or Safari. Safari Reading List does not work on Windows or Android. Pocket works across browsers but still requires its own app on mobile. No solution works everywhere without an account.
Read-later apps cache articles for offline use, but caching can fail. Large images may not download. If you did not open the app on Wi-Fi before going offline, articles may not be available. The "offline" promise is conditional.
Read-later apps strip formatting to fit their own reader interface. Tables break, code blocks lose syntax highlighting, and image layouts change. The article does not always look the same as the original — especially for technical content.
One file. Any device. Forever. No app required.
PDF is the universal document format. A saved PDF works on every phone, tablet, laptop, and e-reader without installing any app. You own the file — it does not depend on a service, an account, or a sync engine. Save it once, read it anywhere, for as long as the file exists.
A long-form piece, a technical tutorial, a recipe, research — anything you want to read offline. Open it in Chrome so the page is fully loaded.
The extension strips ads, navigation, sidebars, cookie banners, and clutter. Just the article content remains — text, images, headings, and formatting.
Pick Clean or Minimal for comfortable reading. Download the PDF to your device or save to your Pretty PDF cloud library for access across devices. The file is yours forever.
| Feature | Pocket / Instapaper | Pretty PDF |
|---|---|---|
| App required | Yes — their specific app | No — any PDF reader |
| Works offline | Conditional — must sync first | Always — it is a file |
| Content ownership | Stored on their servers | You own the file |
| Cross-platform | Requires their app everywhere | Any device with PDF reader |
| Professional formatting | Their reader format only | 5 professional templates |
| Service risk | Service can shut down | Files persist forever |
Free — 3 PDFs per month. No credit card required.
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