Omnivore Shut Down. Here's a Read-It-Later App That Won't.
Summary (TL;DR)
Omnivore shut down two weeks after ElevenLabs acquired it. The problem was venture capital needing an exit. Readplace is self-funded at $3.99/mo. Subscriptions pay for servers, with no investors expecting an exit. It ships Firefox and Chrome extensions, reader view, AI TL;DR summaries, full data export, and source-available code under AGPL. Hosted in Sydney under Australian privacy law.
On November 1, 2024, ElevenLabs acquired Omnivore. On November 15, the service shut down and data deletion began. Users had two weeks to export years of saved articles, highlights, and notes.
Two weeks. That was the entire window between "your app still works" and "your data is gone."
Omnivore was open source, community-loved, and had a clear mission. None of that mattered once the acquisition closed. The codebase went read-only, the API stopped responding, and the newsletters stopped arriving.
The problem was the business model
The problem was not Omnivore's intentions. The team built a good product. The problem was venture capital. VC-funded apps need an exit. The exit arrives, and users become an afterthought.
Many Omnivore users moved to Readwise Reader at $12.99/month. Others went to self-hosted options like Karakeep or Wallabag. Each option has trade-offs. Readwise is feature-rich but expensive. Self-hosted tools are free but need you to run a server and deal with updates.
I built Readplace as a middle ground. A hosted read-it-later app with a clear revenue model: subscriptions pay for servers and development, with no investors expecting an exit. For a full breakdown of each option, see the best read-it-later apps in 2026.
Built by a developer who reads
I maintained a personal reading pipeline for ten years before turning it into Readplace. Pocket was abandoned. Omnivore disappeared. I turned that system into a product. One developer, building in public, one feature at a time.
What works today
These features are shipped and live right now:
- Firefox and Chrome extensions. Save any page with one click, a keyboard shortcut, or the right-click menu.
- Reader view. Clean article layout powered by Mozilla's readability engine. No clutter.
- TL;DR summaries. AI-generated summary per article. Key points in seconds. Included in every plan.
- Web app. Manage your reading list from any browser. No app store needed.
- Auto dark mode. Matches your system preference.
- Secure auth. OAuth with PKCE. Tokens stored locally in your browser.
- Full data export. Export your saved articles anytime. Even after you cancel.
- Privacy first. Hosted in Sydney under the Australian Privacy Act, with no tracking scripts or ads.
What Omnivore had, and where Readplace stands
Omnivore had years of development. Readplace is newer. Here is an honest look at the gaps.
| Feature | Omnivore | Readplace | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Browser extension | Yes | Yes | Shipped |
| Reader view | Yes | Yes | Shipped |
| TL;DR summaries | No | Yes | Shipped |
| Dark mode | Yes | Yes | Shipped |
| Full data export | Yes | Yes | Shipped |
| Open source | Was (archived) | Yes | Shipped |
| Highlights and notes | Yes | No | Planned |
| Full-text search | Yes | No | Planned |
| Newsletter inbox | Yes | No | Planned as Gmail import |
| Labels / tags | Yes | No | Planned |
| Native mobile apps | Yes | No | Planned |
| RSS feed reader | Yes | No | Not planned yet |
| API access | Yes | OAuth only | Extension API exists but not yet for public consumption |
I would rather be honest about gaps than pretend they don't exist.
Features ship one at a time, and the roadmap is public.
Your data, your terms
AGPL source-available. The full source code is on GitHub. If Readplace disappears tomorrow, anyone can run it. That's the point.
Full export, anytime. Export all your data, even after you cancel. Data export is a core promise: your saved articles stay available for export regardless of your subscription status.
Australian hosting. Hosted in Sydney, governed by the Australian Privacy Act, outside US jurisdiction. The app runs without tracking scripts, ads, or data sales.
No venture capital. Readplace is self-funded. Revenue comes from subscriptions. There is no board expecting an exit and no acquisition to chase.
Pricing
$3.99/month. TL;DR summaries are included.
Readwise Reader is a great choice for power users at $12.99/month. Readplace is simpler and cheaper. The product stays focused on saving and reading articles rather than building a full research platform.
The first 50 founding members get full access free, forever. Sign up here.
Common questions from Omnivore users
What happened to Omnivore?
ElevenLabs acquired Omnivore on November 1, 2024, and shut it down on November 15. Users had about two weeks to export their data before deletion began. The open-source repository was archived.
The team moved to ElevenLabs to work on text-to-speech, not reading tools. Omnivore is not coming back.
Is there a free Omnivore alternative?
Readplace is free for the first 50 founding members. Full access, forever. After that, it costs $3.99/month. Self-hosted alternatives like Karakeep and Wallabag are free but require you to run your own server. Readwise Reader is the most feature-complete option at $12.99/month.
Can I import my Omnivore data into Readplace?
You can send Omnivore data file to readplace+migrate@readplace.com and I'll do it for you. If you exported your data before the shutdown, keep that file. You can start fresh right now with the browser extension. Save any article with one click.
Your reading list should not have an expiry date
Install the extension. Save an article. See if it fits how you read.