If you’re like me, you save quotes, insights, and notes while reading. But most of them end up sitting unused. That is why I built PastReads: a free application to manage, review, and get more from your highlights and notes across books, ebooks, and web articles.
In just seconds, you can import your entire collection and start creating your personal library.
PastReads vs Readwise
I was using Readwise for a long time to manage my reading highlights. It's a great tool that helps organize insights from Kindle, Apple Books, and other platforms.
However, Readwise has shifted most of its attention to its other product, Reader. The original Readwise product has seen fewer updates, it sometimes feels dated, and its monthly subscription can be a concern.
PastReads is a free, focused alternative that covers the essential functionality most readers need to manage and remember their highlights. Without a required subscription.
It comes with, among other things:
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Multi-Platform Import - Upload unlimited highlights from Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, web articles + many more.
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Content Management - Edit highlights, add personal notes, and capture content using your camera.
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Smart Organization - Create collections, add tags, favorite important content, and use full-text search.
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Reading Recaps - A daily review to resurface your highlights to keep you engaged.
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User-Friendly Interface - Clean, intuitive design that makes managing your highlights simple and enjoyable.
Review & Engage with Your Highlights
PastReads goes beyond just storing highlights. It helps you actively review and engage with your reading insights. Like Readwise’s Daily Review, it helps you revisit what you’ve read, even on a free account.
Every account gets a Daily Review. When you turn it on, PastReads brings highlights back for you to go through. As you review, you can favorite, tag, edit, or archive them.
If you want more control, Pro unlocks custom schedules, richer settings and smart repetition (a Spaced Repetition method that decides when a highlight should come back). This is all optional though; the free version brings your content back to your attention so you can use and apply what you’ve read.
Pricing Differences
PastReads provides the essential highlight management features that most users need, completely for free. The organization tools are familiar to Readwise users, as you can see below:
| Feature | PastReads | Readwise |
|---|---|---|
| Library management | ✅ Free | 💰 Paid (Lite plan) |
| Unlimited uploads & highlights | ✅ Free | 💰 Paid (Lite plan) |
| Unlimited notes | ✅ Free | 💰💰 Paid (Full plan) |
| Email import | ✅ Free | 💰 Paid (Lite plan) |
| Tags | ✅ Max 3 free (unlimited with Pro) | 💰💰 Paid (Full plan) |
| Collections | ✅ Max 3 free (unlimited with Pro) | ❌ |
| Library search | ✅ Free | 💰 Paid |
| Export tools | 💰 Pro | 💰 Paid |
| Reading Recaps & reminders | ✅ Basic free (Pro for advanced) | 💰 Paid |
| Chat to your highlights (Claude / ChatGPT) | 💰 Pro | 💰 Paid |
There are also some pricing differences to consider. While most of PastReads’ features are free, the Pro plan (which unlocks a few extra features) is actually less expensive than Readwise’s Lite plan, even when billed monthly:
| Plan |  PastReads Pro |  Readwise Lite / Full |
|---|---|---|
| Paying monthly | $4.99 | $6.99 / $12.99 |
| Paying yearly | $49.99 | $67.08 / $119.88 |
PastReads never locks you into a subscription. You can use and access your library for free forever and only upgrade to Pro when you want the extra features.
App & Platform Experience
PastReads is fully responsive and works seamlessly on mobile devices. The web interface automatically adapts to your screen, so you can manage your highlights from anywhere on your phone, tablet, or desktop. It is fully optimised for mobile and desktop browsers.
If you prefer a native app in the same spirit as Readwise's mobile apps, there is an iOS app on the App Store and an Android App, which support capturing text from physical books too.
Weighing the Trade-offs
Every tool has trade-offs, and it's important to be honest about them. Readwise offers a read-it-later app called Reader, a solid user base, and several great (export) integrations. If you need those extras and don't mind the monthly cost, it might be the right choice.
PastReads focuses on core functionality and being free forever. You won't get a reader app (yet), but you'll have a freely accessible highlight management system without expensive costs.
The Migration Experience
If you're thinking about switching, the migration process is simple. Readwise makes it easy to export your data, and PastReads can import everything directly. In just about five minutes, all your highlights are transferred over.
Everything comes across: highlights, notes, tags, and favorites. The interface is familiar, so you won’t need to relearn anything.
Is It Right for You?
The decision really depends on your priorities and how you use highlight management tools. If you're someone who values having a read-it-later app with native Readwise integration and exporting functionality, Readwise might be worth the monthly investment. If you're looking for an easy, user-friendly and affordable way to manage your highlights, PastReads offers a compelling alternative.
The great thing is that you can easily try both options. Export your highlights from Readwise, test out PastReads for a while, and see which workflow suits you best. With PastReads, you might find that the free plan has everything you need, or that the Pro features are a worthwhile upgrade.
Final Thoughts
I've developed PastReads as an accessible alternative to Readwise so you can get the most out of your reading. All the essentials (such as unlimited imports, advanced library management, and full-text search) are available at any time.
If you're encountering any difficulties or notice anything missing, please reach out.
Interested in trying PastReads? Import your library in minutes, explore PastReads for free, and see how effortless it is to stay connected with what you’ve read. 👉 Create your free account.