10 Great Mac Bookmarking Apps and Services: How They Compare

The web is a firehose of information. Whether you’re saving academic references, must-read articles, or links to projects and resources, a good bookmarking tool can make or break your cognitive productivity. On the Mac, there’s no shortage of options—each with its own strengths. Here’s a comparative look at 10 top bookmarking tools and services, including well-known names like Instapaper and Safari, lesser-known gems like Pins and GoodLinks, and the powerful linking app Hookmark:

Raindrop.io
Pinboard
Pins
Safari Reading List
Instapaper
Anybox
GoodLinks
Linkding
DEVONthink
Hookmark

Not all this software is an either/or proposition. For example, DEVONthink has plenty of features in addition to its bookmarking capabilities. Hookmark works with Pinboard, GoodLinks, Instapaper, and Linkding. (If Raindrop were a link-friendly app, Hookmark would work with it too.)

So here goes…

1. Raindrop.io – The Visual Bookmarking Powerhouse

Best for: Users who want a polished, cross-platform bookmarking service.

Features:

Visually rich interface with thumbnails and tags.
Browser extensions, iOS and Android apps.
Cloud-based syncing and backup.
Collaborative collections.

Pros:

Intuitive design and powerful search.
Supports organizing via folders and tags.
Full-text search.

Cons:

No offline or local-first support.
Not a link-friendly app
Requires subscription for full feature set.

2. Pinboard – The Hacker’s Archival Tool

Best for: Minimalists and developers who want fast, reliable archiving.

Features:

Tagging, full-text search, and optional archiving.
Long-standing, no-nonsense web UI.
Scriptable via its API.

Pros:

Fast, stable, and highly customizable.
Ideal for long-term reference.
Integrates with Hookmark.

Cons:

No official app.
Requires third-party apps (e.g., Pins) for a modern UI.

3. Pins – A Beautiful Mac App for Pinboard

Best for: Mac users who want a native app interface for Pinboard.

Features:

Mac-native bookmarking experience for Pinboard.
Tagging, search, and offline access.
Smart collections and rating system.

Pros:

Sleek design.
Integrates smoothly with Pinboard.

Cons:

Only works with Pinboard.
Not a link-friendly app

4. Safari Reading List – Built-in and Basic

Best for: Apple users who want a simple, no-frills way to save web pages.

Features:

Built into Safari.
Saves articles for later (offline).
Syncs via iCloud.

Pros:

Requires no extra setup.
Great for casual use.

Cons:

No tags or organization.
Only works with Safari.

5. Instapaper – Read-it-Later with Highlights

Best for: Focused reading and highlighting.

Features:

Clean reading mode.
Highlighting, notes, and speed reading.
Supports tagging.
Available on web, iOS, Android.

Pros:

Excellent for digesting long-form content.
Organize with folders.
Integrates with Hookmark.

Cons:

Limited offline support on macOS.
No official macOS app (but integrates with Hookmark).

6. Anybox – A Polished Bookmark Manager That Also Stores Files

Best for: Mac users who want to save not only bookmarks but also notes, images, and files in one unified interface.

Features:

Save web links, text snippets, images, files, and even web archive snapshots.
Full-text search across all content.
Smart folders and tag-based organization.
Native macOS and iOS apps with iCloud sync.
Drag-and-drop support and share extension.

Pros:

Clean, fast, and beautifully Mac-native UI.
Stores local files—not just links.
Privacy-first with optional iCloud sync.
Integrates with Hookmark (works well with .hookmark files and links).

Cons:

No collaboration or multi-user features.
Not cross-platform beyond Apple devices.

Anybox is ideal for users who want a fast, elegant way to organize digital content beyond just web bookmarks. It’s somewhere between GoodLinks and Keep It in functionality—with the simplicity of the former and some of the file-handling capabilities of the latter.

7. GoodLinks – Offline-First, Markdown-Friendly

Best for: Mac and iOS users who want local-first, private bookmarking.

Features:

Offline reading.
Full Markdown support.
Clean and fast macOS and iOS apps.

Pros:

Beautiful UI.
No account or cloud dependency.
Integrates with Hookmark.

Cons:

No web version.
No collaboration/sharing features.

8. Linkding – Self-Hosted Power for Developers

Best for: Privacy-conscious or technical users who want full control.

Features:

Self-hosted bookmark manager.
Tagging, search, and API access.
Minimal UI, focused on efficiency.

Pros:

Open source and highly customizable.
Integrates with Hookmark (via Linkding API).

Cons:

Requires technical setup (e.g., Docker).
No official macOS app—use browser

Read our article about saving your bookmarks in Linkding with Hookmark.

9. DEVONthink – For Serious Research and Archiving

Best for: Researchers, academics, and power users.

Features:

Advanced database system.
Import, bookmark, and link any file or web page.
AI-powered content discovery and search.

Pros:

Handles massive archives.
Privacy-focused, local storage.
Extremely feature rich: much more than just a bookmarking app
Updated regularly
Integrates well with Hookmark

Cons:

Learning curve.

Read our article about integration between Hookmark and DEVONthink.

10. Hookmark – Link Anything on Your Mac

Best for: Mac users who want to link, not just save, digital content.

Features:

The only universal bookmarking app: bookmark not just web pages but also files, folders, emails, PDFs, and information in any link-friendly app.
Create bidirectional links between
“Copy Link” and “Copy Markdown Link” for contextual references.
Built-in bookmarking with searchable links.
Supports tags
Automatic bookmarking of links (e.g., when you copy Copy Link or hook items together).
Local-first, privacy-conscious.
Supports .hookmark bookmarks in Finder. Like Finder aliases and .webloc files but can link to anything.
Deep links to specific locations in PDFs.
Hookmark Pal for iPhone and iPad due in July 2025

See the relatively complete list of Features.

Pros:

Integrates with Pinboard, DEVONthink, Instapaper, Linkding, and Goodlinks. Add a bookmark in Hookmark and it can appear in other bookmarking apps and services.
Bidirectional linking (“hooks”) between any linkable resource.
Extensive automation.
Pocket integration coming soon.
Ease of Use.

Cons:

Not a traditional bookmarking tool—but a powerful complement.

Summary Table

#	Tool	Tags	Local Storage	Visual UI	Official App	Hookmark Integration
1	Raindrop.io	✅	❌	✅	✅	❌
2	Pinboard	✅	❌	❌	❌	✅
3	Pins	✅	✅	✅	✅ (Mac only)	✅ (via Pinboard)
4	Safari List	❌	✅	❌	✅	❌
5	Instapaper	✅	❌	✅	❌	✅
6	Anybox	✅	✅	✅	✅ (Mac + iOS)	✅
7	GoodLinks	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
8	Linkding	✅	✅ (self-hosted)	❌	❌	✅
9	DEVONthink	✅	✅	❌	✅	✅
10	Hookmark	✅	✅	❌	✅ (Mac only)	—

Final Thoughts

Bookmarking is no longer just about saving links—it’s about reclaiming context and building bridges between the fragments of our digital lives. Whether you’re collecting articles to read later, organizing research, or weaving together a project from scattered sources, there’s a tool here that fits your style.

If you want a system that links everything together—web and local, now and later—Hookmark is uniquely positioned as a bookmarking engine for your mind. And when used alongside tools like Goodlinks, Instapaper, Pinboard, or Linkding, it gives you unprecedented control over your personal web of knowledge.

Cognitive Productivity

Bookmarking is a topic I cover under the banner of the Surf strategically principle of Cognitive Productivity with macOS: 7 Principles for Getting Smarter with Knowledge.

Why not Join the discussion of this article on the Hookmark forum where I have asked: What are your favorite bookmarking tools for the Mac?