Software · head to head
Readwise Reader vs Artifact
Readwise Reader
Software
The read-it-later app for power readers
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Artifact has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Readwise Reader there is no free tier, only a 30 day trial; Artifact wound down in early April 2024. Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger closed it, saying the market opportunity was not large enough to keep investing
- They diverge on capability: Readwise Reader covers Read-it-later, Artifact covers AI recommendations.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Readwise Reader and Artifact actually diverge.
| Attribute | Readwise Reader | Artifact |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Ios, Android, Web | Ios, Android |
| Founded | 2017 | 2022 |
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 Readwise Reader
- Read-it-later
- RSS aggregation
- Newsletter inbox
- PDF support
- Highlighting
- Notion
- Obsidian
- Roam Research
Only in Artifact
- AI recommendations
- Article summaries
- Clickbait detection
- Social sharing
- Topic following
- Social sharing
Both cover
- Ios support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Readwise Reader
- Saving and reading articles, PDFs and newsletters in one placenot Artifact
- Reviewing highlights from books and articles over timenot Artifact
Artifact
- News consumptionnot Readwise Reader
- Content discoverynot Readwise Reader
- Staying informednot Readwise Reader
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Readwise Reader
- There is no free tier, only a 30 day trial
- Reader is bundled into the full plan rather than sold separately, so it cannot be had at the cheaper Lite price
- The Lite plan at $5.59 a month billed annually is daily email review only, without the web app or tagging
- Paying monthly rather than annually raises the full plan from $9.99 to $12.99
Artifact
- Wound down in early April 2024. Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger closed it, saying the market opportunity was not large enough to keep investing
- Yahoo acquired the personalisation technology and folded it into Yahoo News, so the app itself is not coming back
- The founders stayed only in an advisory capacity through the transition
Pricing, plan by plan
Readwise Reader
On request- Reader Lite$8.99/month
- Unlimited articles
- Highlighting
- RSS feeds
- Full$12.99/month
- Everything in Lite
- Readwise integration
- Spaced repetition
Artifact
Free- FreeFree
- AI-powered recommendations
- Article summaries
- Social features
Which should you pick?
Choose Readwise Reader if
- You need read-it-later.
- You work on Ios, Android, Web.
- You also want rss aggregation.
Choose Artifact if
- You need ai recommendations.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Ios, Android.
- You also want article summaries.
Questions people ask
- Is Readwise Reader or Artifact better?
- Neither clearly leads. Readwise Reader starts at On request and Artifact at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Readwise Reader or Artifact?
- Artifact has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Readwise Reader and Free for Artifact.
- Does Readwise Reader or Artifact run on more platforms?
- Readwise Reader runs on Ios, Android, Web. Artifact runs on Ios, Android.
- Can I use Artifact for free?
- Yes. Artifact has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Readwise Reader starts at On request.
- What is Readwise Reader best used for?
- Readwise Reader is most often used for saving and reading articles, pdfs and newsletters in one place, reviewing highlights from books and articles over time. Of those, saving and reading articles, pdfs and newsletters in one place and reviewing highlights from books and articles over time are not what Artifact is typically brought in for.
- What can Readwise Reader do that Artifact cannot?
- Readwise Reader covers Read-it-later, RSS aggregation, Newsletter inbox, PDF support. Artifact covers AI recommendations, Article summaries, Clickbait detection, Social sharing. Both handle Ios support, Android support.