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Instapaper vs Save to Google Drive

Instapaper logo

Instapaper

Software

Save anything for reading later

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Save to Google Drive logo

Save to Google Drive

Software

Save web content to Google Drive

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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; Save to Google Drive cannot capture chrome:// pages or Chrome Web Store pages due to browser security restrictions
  • They diverge on capability: Instapaper covers Save for later, Save to Google Drive covers Save to Drive.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Instapaper and Save to Google Drive actually diverge.

Attributes where Instapaper and Save to Google Drive differ
AttributeInstapaperSave to Google Drive
Pricing modelUnknownfree
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, Kindle, E-readers (BOOX)Chrome
Founded20082013

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support
  • Safari support

Only in Save to Google Drive

  • Save to Drive
  • Multiple formats
  • Screenshot capture
  • Context menu integration

Both cover

  • Chrome support

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 Save to Google Drive
  • Building a searchable personal archive of things worth keepingnot Save to Google Drive

Save to Google Drive

No use cases recorded yet. See the Save to Google Drive 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

Save to Google Drive

  • Cannot capture chrome:// pages or Chrome Web Store pages due to browser security restrictions
  • Full-page image capture often fails despite correct settings configuration
  • Authorization errors when saving images via context menu occur intermittently
  • Save as Google Document feature gets stuck on 'Downloading' for some users
  • No automatic file organization or categorization upon saving

Pricing, plan by plan

Instapaper

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Instapaper review.

Save to Google Drive

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Save images
    • Save documents
    • Save web pages

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 Save to Google Drive if

  • You need save to drive.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome.
  • You also want multiple formats.
Save to Google Drive review

Questions people ask

Is Instapaper or Save to Google Drive better?
Neither clearly leads. Instapaper starts at Free and Save to Google Drive at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Instapaper or Save to Google Drive?
Instapaper starts at Free and Save to Google Drive at Free.
Does Instapaper or Save to Google Drive run on more platforms?
Instapaper runs on Web, iOS, Android, Kindle, E-readers (BOOX). Save to Google Drive runs on Chrome.
Can I use Instapaper for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Save to Google Drive is typically brought in for.
What can Instapaper do that Save to Google Drive cannot?
Instapaper covers Save for later, Clean reading, Highlighting, Full-text search. Save to Google Drive covers Save to Drive, Multiple formats, Screenshot capture, Context menu integration. Both handle Chrome support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Save to Google Drive: What file formats can Save to Google Drive capture?

The extension can save pages as PDF, Google Docs, raw HTML, MHTML, or images (visible or full page), with configurable options for each save.

Source
Save to Google Drive: Does Save to Google Drive count against storage limits?

Yes, all content saved to Google Drive counts against your storage limit. Free Google accounts come with 15GB shared across Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos.

Source
Save to Google Drive: Can the extension capture entire web pages?

The extension has reported issues with full-page capture functionality, despite settings configured for 'Image of entire page' - this feature reportedly worked better in the past.

Source
Save to Google Drive: Does the extension have organization features?

No, the extension has no automatic organization features. Files land in whatever folder you designate with no built-in categorization or tagging.

Source
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