Compare Diigo and Instapaper: Which Extension is the Best?

	Diigo	Instapaper
	Diigo is a handy tool for bookmarking, highlighting, and annotating web pages. It has many features, but its old design and limited highlight colors might make it less appealing. Highlighter Bookmark Manager	Instapaper lets you save, organize, and highlight articles, videos, and web pages for offline reading. Features include folders, Kindle sync, text-to-speech, and mobile apps Web Clipper Reader Mode
Key Features	Highlighting: Works well and highlights are recreated on refresh. Notes: You can add notes to your highlights. Link Creation: Create links to your highlights, although this feature is not very reliable. Sidebar Outliner: Simple design but requires time to understand. Syncing: Highlights are synced across devices.	Offline Reading: Save web pages to read later without internet connection Text View: Clean, distraction-free reading experience Highlighting: Mark important passages in your saved articles Kindle Integration: Send articles directly to your Kindle device Browser Extension: Quick save functionality across major browsers Mobile Apps: Access your reading list on iOS and Android devices Folder Organization: Create custom folders to organize your saved content
Our Rating	7.8	8.2
Total users	200,000	214,048
Total ratings	2,319	657
Average rating	4.6 ⭐	4.1 ⭐
Entry Level Price	Free	Free
Chrome	4.6 2.3K+ ratings 200.0K+Users	3.8 542 ratings 200.0K+Users
Edge	-	-
Firefox	-	4.4 115 ratings 14.0K+Users
Safari	-	-
Features	8.5 Diigo offers basic features for a highlighter and bookmarking tool. It works well and we were able to highlight most websites and they were recreated when revisiting them. The highlighter popup makes it easy to highlight text offering 4 colors. It looks like this: We would have wished to have more color options. Also, note-taking and the tagging functionality are working, but its design does not look appealing. The dashboard where your highlights are stored works well and gives you an overview of all your highlights.	8.8 Instapaper's feature set is impressive in its core functionality. The service excels at its primary purpose of saving and reading web content offline. The text view feature provides an excellent reading experience, stripping away distractions and presenting content in a clean, readable format. The highlighting and note-taking capabilities are useful tools for active readers, though they could benefit from some refinement. The Kindle integration works seamlessly, making it easy to transfer articles to your e-reader. Mobile apps offer reliable synchronization across devices, ensuring your reading list is always up to date. However, the service lacks some modern features like social sharing that competitors offer. The search functionality in the free tier is somewhat basic, and customization options are more limited compared to other services in this space.
Performance	8.0 Diigo performs well in terms of highlighting and syncing across devices. The fact that highlights are always synchronized can cause some loading delays. It's not as fast as other highlighters that use an offline-first approach, but it works reasonably well. However, the unreliable link creation feature and the simple sidebar outliner design need improvement.	8.0 Instapaper’s performance is strong overall, but the initial setup leaves much to be desired. After installing the Chrome extension, there was no response or prompt—no indication that any further action was needed. It wasn’t until we read a user review that we realized we had to manually visit the Instapaper website and log in. Without that information, we likely would have assumed the extension was broken and uninstalled it. Once past that rocky start, however, the service works reliably. Web pages save quickly, and saved content loads without issue. Offline access is stable, and synchronization across devices keeps your reading list up to date. The mobile apps offer smooth performance and quick navigation, while the text view provides a responsive and comfortable reading experience. The search function is usable, though slightly slow at times. Despite the poor onboarding, Instapaper delivers solid functionality once everything is properly set up.
Design	7.0 The design fulfills its functionality. The design of Diigo is outdated and could use a modern refresh. The lack of a nice overview of all your highlights on the page itself means you have to open the dashboard on diigo.com instead. The dashboard on diigo.com is okay, but other highlighters like Web Highlights have a much nicer user interface.	8.5 The design of Instapaper focuses on simplicity and readability. The interface is clean and minimalist, putting the content front and center. The text view is particularly well-designed, offering a comfortable reading experience with good typography and spacing. The mobile apps follow their respective platform design guidelines, providing a native feel on both iOS and Android. The browser extension maintains this simplicity with a straightforward interface. However, some UI elements feel dated and could use a refresh. While the reading experience is consistent across platforms, the navigation could be more intuitive in some areas. The limited customization options might disappoint users who prefer more control over their reading environment.
Value for Money	8.0 The free version of Diigo offers basic features and is fine for most users. The paid plans are reasonably priced and similar to other highlighters. However, we think other highlighters offer more value for the same price.	8.0 The pricing structure of Instapaper offers a basic free tier that's functional but limited. The premium features are reasonably priced, offering good value for heavy readers. The pricing is competitive compared to alternatives in the market. However, some features that are currently premium could potentially be included in the free tier to provide more value to basic users. The annual subscription offers good savings for committed users. While the premium features are well-implemented, the free tier could offer more value to attract new users and provide a better experience for casual users.
Ease of Use	7.8 Diigo is fairly easy to use, but the sidebar outliner takes some time to get used to. You can't see all your highlights on the page itself, so you have to go to the dashboard on diigo.com. We wish there was a sidebar to quickly access all our highlighted pages, like in the Web Highlights extension.	7.0 Instapaper’s setup process is not beginner-friendly. After installing the browser extension, there was no response or guidance—no prompt, login window, or confirmation. We had to manually visit the website and log in, something we only discovered thanks to a tip in another user’s review. Without that, we likely would have uninstalled the extension, assuming it didn’t work. However, once logged in, the service functions smoothly. Saving content is quick, the interface is clean and intuitive, and managing your reading list is simple and efficient.
Security & Privacy	7.5 Diigo takes reasonable steps to protect user data. However, since you need an account and your data is stored in their database, absolute protection can't be guaranteed. We think a highlighter should work without needing to sign up, but this feature is missing in Diigo.	9.0 Instapaper takes user privacy and security seriously. The service maintains a clear and transparent privacy policy, explicitly stating that user data is not sold to third parties. The company has demonstrated a strong commitment to user privacy through its GDPR compliance and Privacy Shield certification. Data storage is secure, and the service regularly updates its security measures. The data collection practices are transparent, with clear explanations of what information is collected and how it's used. This high level of attention to privacy and security makes Instapaper a trustworthy choice for users concerned about their data.
Conclusion	Diigo is a handy tool for collecting stuff from the web, like bookmarks, highlights, and notes. It’s a good deal with its premium plans, but the old-fashioned design and limited highlight colors might be a turn-off. If you want something that looks nicer and offers more customization, check out alternatives like Web Highlights.	Instapaper is a reliable “read-it-later” service that is characterized by its core features. The service has maintained its position in the market by focusing on what matters most to readers: a clean, distraction-free reading experience and reliable offline access to stored content. While it doesn't offer the breadth of features of some newer competitors, its simplicity and reliability make it a solid choice for those who primarily want to save articles and read offline. Recent issues with the Chrome extension and some user complaints about the save feature need to be addressed, but the core service remains stable and useful. For users who appreciate a simple, straightforward approach to saving and reading web content, Instapaper remains a good choice. However, those looking for advanced features or a more modern interface should look for alternatives.
	Install Diigo	Install Instapaper
Our Recommendation	In our comparison between Diigo and Instapaper, Instapaper came out on top, scoring 8.2. Instapaper is the most widely used, with over 214k users and 657+ reviews—and it also delivered the strongest performance in our tests. User reviews for Instapaper reflect our findings, while we rate Diigo lower than users do. Notably, Diigo has the highest user rating in the Chrome Web Store at 4.60, which is even higher than our rating of 7.8. In the end, the differences between these extensions are minimal, so your choice may come down to personal preference or specific features. Looking for the richest feature set? Instapaper stands out with a rating of 8.8. On the other hand, Diigo lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.5. Performance-wise, both deliver: Diigo and Instapaper. In the Performance category, Diigo has scored a good 8. It performs reliably, though it may not excel in all scenarios. Design lovers, take note: Instapaper stands out with a rating of 8.5. On the other hand, Diigo lags behind in this area with a rating of 7. Best deal? You can't go wrong with either: Diigo and Instapaper. In the Value for Money category, Diigo has scored a fair 8. It provides decent value for money, though there may be better options in its price range. If you hate complicated tools, Diigo stands out with a rating of 7.8. On the other hand, Instapaper lags behind in this area with a rating of 7. With privacy and security becoming ever more important, Instapaper stands out with a rating of 9. On the other hand, Diigo lags behind in this area with a rating of 7.5. If you want a quick recommendation, Instapaper is our top pick. But as always, the best choice depends on what matters most to you.