PastReads: The Free Readwise Alternative

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, its UI 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 the following:

• Multi-Platform Import - Upload unlimited highlights from Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, and web articles.

• Content Management - Edit highlights, add personal notes, and favorite important content.

• Smart Organization - Create collections, add tags, and use full-text search to find any highlight or note.

• Gamified Experience - Earn badges for milestones and set up highlight recaps to keep you motivated and engaged.

• User-Friendly Interface - Clean, intuitive design that makes managing your highlights simple and enjoyable.

Plus, PastReads includes gamification elements to keep you engaged. You can track your reading progress with visual achievements and badges like "Highlight Collector" or "Note Taker". These subtle motivational tools help build consistent reading habits without feeling forced.

Review & Engage with Your Highlights

PastReads goes beyond just storing highlights. It helps you actively review and engage with your reading insights. Similar to what makes Readwise so powerful, the Recaps feature turns your highlights into an interactive experience where you can:

• Set up recaps - Choose what highlights to include and how often you want them
• Review anywhere - Revisit your insights in PastReads or via email
• Take action - Favorite, tag, edit, or archive highlights as you review
• Track & build habits - Earn badges, track streaks, and make reviewing part of your routine

Rather than leaving highlights behind in your library, Recaps bring them back to your attention so you can actually use and apply what you’ve read.

Set up routines to receive recaps of your highlights

Pricing Differences

PastReads provides the essential highlight management features that most users need, completely for free. The organization tools are familiar to Readwise users, such as tagging, full-text search, and more.

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 when billed annually:

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. Only for the Pro upgrade you pay a small fee, because some features (as shown above) have ongoing costs, like email delivery and AI processing.

App & Platform Experience

PastReads is fully responsive and works seamlessly on mobile devices. While there's no native app to download like Readwise has, the web interface automatically adapts to your screen size, so you can manage your highlights from anywhere. It's fully optimised for phone, tablet, or desktop.

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 will be 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 beauty of this situation is that you can test both. Export your highlights from Readwise, try PastReads for a while, and see which workflow works better for you. With PastReads, you might find that the free option meets all your needs, or you might decide that the Pro features are worth the cost.

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.