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Software · head to head

Instapaper vs Mailgun

Instapaper logo

Instapaper

Software

Save anything for reading later

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mailgun logo

Mailgun

Software

Email delivery built for developers

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Instapaper has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Instapaper full text search across saved articles is Premium only, at $5.99 a month or $59.99 a year; Mailgun free plan caps at 100 emails per day

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Instapaper and Mailgun actually diverge.

Attributes where Instapaper and Mailgun differ
AttributeInstapaperMailgun
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownusage-based
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, Kindle, E-readers (BOOX)Web
Founded2008Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Instapaper

  • Save for later
  • Clean reading
  • Highlighting
  • Full-text search
  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support
  • Safari support

Only in Mailgun

Nothing recorded that Instapaper does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Instapaper

  • Saving articles to read later with the clutter stripped outnot Mailgun
  • Building a searchable personal archive of things worth keepingnot Mailgun

Mailgun

No use cases recorded yet. See the Mailgun review.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Instapaper

  • Full text search across saved articles is Premium only, at $5.99 a month or $59.99 a year
  • Free accounts are limited to 5 notes a month, against unlimited on Premium
  • Text to speech, speed reading and the permanent archive are all Premium only
  • The free web experience carries advertising

Mailgun

  • Free plan caps at 100 emails per day
  • Basic plan starts at $15/mo for 10,000 emails then overages from $1.80 per 1,000; Foundation and Scale plans discount overage rates but still meter every email beyond the included volume
  • Foundation ($35/mo) and Scale ($90/mo) plans are free for the first month only, then bill at full price

Pricing, plan by plan

Instapaper

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Instapaper review.

Mailgun

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Mailgun review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Instapaper if

  • You need save for later.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Kindle, E-readers (BOOX).
  • You also want clean reading.
Instapaper review

Choose Mailgun if

Nothing in the data separates Mailgun from Instapaper on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Mailgun review

Questions people ask

Is Instapaper or Mailgun better?
Neither clearly leads. Instapaper starts at Free and Mailgun at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Instapaper or Mailgun?
Instapaper has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Instapaper and On request for Mailgun.
Does Instapaper or Mailgun run on more platforms?
Instapaper runs on Web, iOS, Android, Kindle, E-readers (BOOX). Mailgun runs on Web.
Can I use Instapaper for free?
Yes. Instapaper has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Mailgun starts at On request.
What is Instapaper best used for?
Instapaper is most often used for saving articles to read later with the clutter stripped out, building a searchable personal archive of things worth keeping. Of those, saving articles to read later with the clutter stripped out and building a searchable personal archive of things worth keeping are not what Mailgun is typically brought in for.
What can Instapaper do that Mailgun cannot?
Instapaper covers Save for later, Clean reading, Highlighting, Full-text search.
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Related pages

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