Summary (TL;DR)
Readplace is a read-it-later app built by Fayner Brack, creator of js-cookie, as a replacement for services like Pocket and Omnivore. It offers a clean reader view with TL;DR summaries, browser extensions for Firefox and Chrome, a public reader for sharing articles without an account, and privacy-focused hosting in Australia. Current features include auto dark mode, secure OAuth, and self-updating extensions. The founder plans to add link import, preference learning, personalized summaries, Gmail integration, and highlights. A founding member tier offers free access for the first 50 users, with a $3.99/month plan afterward. The app emphasizes data ownership and export.
Paste any article link. See it instantly.
A clean reader view with a TL;DR summary — in seconds. No signup. No download. Try it with that one article you've been meaning to read.
Free. No account. Works with any article.
A home for articles, newsletters, essays, longreads, news, blogs, stories, posts, reports, and interviews.
Pocket is gone. Omnivore is gone. I built Readplace from a personal system I've maintained for 10 years. Save articles with one click, read them when you're ready.
Also available for Firefox
Save an article. Read it later.
Desktop
Firefox Extension
Chrome Extension
What works today.
These features are shipped and working right now. Install the extension and try them.
Reader View
Clean article view powered by Mozilla Firefox's Readability engine — the same library Firefox uses. No ads, no sidebars, no pop-ups.
Browser Extensions
Save any page with one click, Ctrl/Cmd+D, or right-click. The extension captures the full rendered page — picking the most complete version of the content over what a URL-only crawl would see. Available for Firefox and Chrome.
TL;DR Summaries
Every saved article gets a TL;DR outlining the most important points. Built on the same AI that powers the reading experience.
Public Reader View
Paste any link to read or share it — no account, no signup.
Mobile Web
Works in any mobile browser. No app store, no native install.
Web App
Manage and organise your reading list from any browser.
Auto Dark Mode
Follows your system preference automatically.
Secure Auth
OAuth with PKCE. Tokens stored locally in your browser.
Self-Updating Extension
No browser store dependency. The extension updates itself.
Privacy First
Hosted in Sydney. Australian Privacy Act compliant. No tracking, no ads.
What I'm building next.
- Links Import Upload any text file — notes, an email, a dump of bookmarks — and Readplace pulls every URL out of it and queues them all as unread.
- Preference Learning "More like this" and "less like this" buttons that update a personal preference model, re-ranking your reading list and surfacing articles that match what's interesting to you. You can review your preferences.
- Personalised Summaries Summaries tailored to what you prefer to learn.
- Gmail Integration Import ALL links from your existing unread newsletters automatically and process them all. No more 19,577 unread emails.
- Highlights & Notes Highlight passages and add notes as you read.
I'm Fayner Brack. You might know me as the creator of js-cookie, a JavaScript library with over 22 billion downloads per year on jsDelivr. I've been building for the web for a long time.
For the past 10 years, I've maintained a personal reading system — a pipeline of Gmail filters, DynamoDB tables, and Reddit automations that helped me save, organise, and actually read the articles I cared about. That system generated 300,000+ Reddit karma across technical communities.
When Pocket was acquired and then abandoned, and Omnivore shut down overnight, I realised the tool I needed didn't exist as a product anyone could use. So I'm turning my personal system into Readplace — built in Australia, one feature at a time.
This is a solo project. I'm building it in public, and I'd rather be honest about what works today than promise features that don't exist yet.
| Readplace | Readwise Reader | Instapaper | Raindrop.io | Karakeep | Wallabag | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99/mo | $9.99/mo | Free / Premium | Free / $3/mo | Free (self-hosted) | Free (self-hosted) |
| AI Features | TL;DR summaries + full-content capture (extension picks the most complete DOM, beats URL-only crawl) | Ghostreader AI | ✗ | ✗ | Auto-tagging | ✗ |
| Open Source | Source-available | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Offline Reading | Planned | ✓ | ✓ | Pro only | ✓ | ✓ |
| Platforms | Mobile + Desktop Web, Chrome, Firefox (no native app needed) | Web, iOS, Android, Extensions | Web, iOS, Android, Kobo | Web, iOS, Android, Extensions | Web, Chrome, Firefox | Web, iOS, Android, Extensions |
| Public Reader (no account) | Paste any link to view or share — no signup | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Privacy Focus | AU hosting, no tracking | US-hosted | US-hosted | — | Self-hosted | Self-hosted |
43 / 50 founding members
First 50 Users
Founding Member
$0 forever
Be one of the first 50 users. Get full access free, forever. Help shape the product. $3.99/month for everyone else — includes TL;DR summaries.
- Save unlimited articles
- Firefox and Chrome extensions
- TL;DR summaries included
- All features as they ship
- Direct access to the developer
"Even If You Cancel" Promise
Export everything, anytime. Your data is yours. Cancel and your saved articles stay available for export.
I'm building this in public.
Try the extension, tell me what to build next. Readplace gets better with every user who shows up and says what they need.
