I have been looking for a "convenient" read-it-later app for a long time. I have used well-known products like Instapaper, Pocket, and Raindrop.io, and I have also tried deploying my own wallabag. Each of them has its own features, but there are also aspects that I am not very satisfied with. Recently, I came across a newly released native app for Apple platforms called MarkMark, which caught my attention. Although it is still in the early stages of development and may have some minor bugs, it doesn't stop me from recommending this excellent app to Apple users.
Let's talk about my needs first#
I believe MarkMark is an excellent app that meets my needs. Before this, I mainly used Instapaper and self-deployed wallabag, but there were some aspects that I was not very satisfied with. For example, Instapaper cannot fetch images in WeChat public account articles, and free users do not have the option to save articles offline. Although self-deployed wallabag overcomes these two issues, the speed is relatively slow due to my own server configuration. Additionally, the page design of wallabag is too outdated, making it very inconvenient to organize text, and the iOS app is extremely poor in terms of user experience. It is usable but not user-friendly.
To summarize my needs:
- Ability to save articles offline, especially WeChat public account articles. (Instapaper ❌, Wallabag ✅)
- Smooth and excellent client experience. (Instapaper ✅, Wallabag ❌)
- Easy to organize and bookmark articles. (Instapaper ✅, Wallabag ❌)
- Low cost. (Instapaper ❌, Wallabag ✅)
Introduction to MarkMark#
MarkMark is an app that was released just a month ago and is still in the rapid update and iteration phase. Its functionality is simple, helping users collect and organize articles, websites, and various web pages. However, what sets it apart is that MarkMark is a native app designed specifically for Apple users. It can sync and backup using iCloud and provides iPhone, iPad, and Mac apps. Currently, all platform clients are free to use.
Download link
Features#
1. Native app experience#
As described in the app's introduction, MarkMark is an app designed specifically for Apple users. It supports various Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It can sync and backup collected articles using iCloud, so Apple users don't have to worry about privacy and security issues. Furthermore, even the UI interface of MarkMark is consistent with the native app style. Although it may not be fancy, it is simple and beautiful enough, making it very easy for Apple users to get started. MarkMark supports organizing and categorizing articles using tags and folders, with simple and intuitive operations. Compared to the "retro" design of Wallabag, the user experience is excellent.
2. Support for offline articles#
Since there are often situations where bookmarked articles cannot be read due to the original link becoming invalid, whether a read-it-later app supports offline reading is something I care about. MarkMark provides offline functionality. In the collection of articles, simply click on the download-style icon at the top to save the article offline. Even if you lose internet connection or the original link becomes invalid, you can still read the article within the app. Additionally, you can export offline articles to your local device in .webarchive format. Right-click on the file and open it with Safari to read. (Since the .webarchive file format is not commonly used and not convenient, I contacted the author via email, and he told me that he is considering saving websites in PDF format, which may be updated in future versions.)
3. Support for annotating article content#
For websites and articles that can be viewed in reading mode, you can annotate and make notes on the content, which is a very useful feature for those who like to read and take notes at the same time. Additionally, you can easily view the annotated notes within the app.
Expectations for future updates#
As a read-it-later app exclusively for Apple platforms that was recently released, MarkMark already provides a good basic experience, but I still have more expectations for it. Here are some areas where I personally think it needs improvement or updates:
- Hope to provide Android and Windows versions (although the author has explicitly stated that there are no plans for this).
- Hope to provide a switch to choose whether to default to offline bookmarking of articles.
- Provide more formats for saving articles offline.
- Ability to export notes.
Apart from being limited to the Apple ecosystem, MarkMark seems to meet all my expectations for a read-it-later app. The interface is clean and simple, the operations are easy and intuitive, it supports offline articles, runs smoothly, and is currently free to use. If you are also an Apple user and have a need for this type of app, you might as well download MarkMark and give it a try. Perhaps you will also like this app just like me.