Compare Save to Pocket and New Tab Notes: Which Extension is the Best?

Save to Pocket is a browser extension that lets you save articles, videos, and more. With over 2 M+ users, it promises a cross-device reading experience for perfect organization. But does it deliver?
Transform your new tab into a distraction-free notepad with New Tab Notes. Offering rich text formatting, auto-sync, and customization, it's a handy tool for seamless note-taking.
Key Features
  • One-Click Saving: Save articles, videos, and more with a single click.
  • Cross-Device Sync: Access your saved content across all your devices.
  • Tagging System: Organize your saved items with tags.
  • Clean Reading Environment: Enjoy a distraction-free space to read your saved content.
  • Pocket Premium: Offers additional features like custom fonts, a permanent library, and unlimited highlights.
  • Rich Text Formatting: Use markdown and shortcuts for easy text styling.
  • Auto-Sync: Notes are saved and synced across devices without an account.
  • Customization: Adjust fonts, zoom, and toggle between dark/light themes.
  • Export Options: Download notes as Markdown, HTML, or plain text.
Our Rating
7.4
8.6
Total users
2,000,000
1,232
Total ratings
7,810
16
Average rating
4.2 ⭐
4.7 ⭐
Entry Level PriceFreeFree
Chrome
Chrome Web Store logo
4.2
3.34
7.8K+ ratings
2.0M+Users
Chrome Web Store logo
4.4
4.62
15 ratings
1.0K+Users
Edge
-
Microsoft Edge Store logo
5.0
5.0
1 ratings
232Users
Firefox
-
-
Safari
-
-
Features
7.2

Save to Pocket offers a range of useful functions.
The standard is that of saving websites with one click and subsequent cross-device synchronization. This worked almost in real-time in the test and is a strong advantage of the tool.

synchro

The tagging system is particularly helpful for anyone who wants to organize and find their tags. This did not always work perfectly in the test. Sometimes websites were tagged, but these did not appear in the search with a unique search term.

search

Compared to competitors such as Web-Highlights, the highlighting function is only possible after saving a website in the pocket and then searching there. It is not possible to highlight directly on the website.

highlight
8.7

New Tab Notes offers a range of functions for quickly and effectively storing information and ideas in a structured manner. Headings are generally used to achieve a clear structure of the notes so that you can return to the notes you are looking for on the note sheet, which is always updated.

Overview

The Markdown and shortcut support are particularly worth mentioning here, as they allow users to format the notes effectively and quickly. Anyone who already has experience with Notion, for example, will find it easy to use. However, new users may miss out on this function, as the markdowns are not described again in the extension itself and must be learned on the website. A small manual at the beginning should help new users to be able to use them as well. In addition to the headings, formats such as bullet lists, numbered lists, and codes can also be embedded.

Headings

Other functions such as highlighting notes or integrating links can also be very helpful. For advanced users, a few functions may still be missing here, for example, to highlight them visually using different font colors.

links

The automatic synchronization by the browser is used by the extension to synchronize data across devices. A big difference from other competitors is that the data is not stored on separate servers. Furthermore, the saved notes can be exported in various file formats so that they can be sorted and saved elsewhere later if necessary.

export

Overall, the extension offers all the essential functions for general users to create structured notes. For advanced users, however, additional organizational tools could be beneficial.

Performance
6.0

The extension works when saving and synchronizing content on different devices. This happens almost in real-time.
However, there are performance problems with the login process, where the tab is closed on the first attempt without a login. It worked on the second attempt. There are many reports of problems with the login process in the reviews.
Searching for tags also did not work properly, 4 pages were tagged with “Web Clipper”, when searching for it only 2 pages were displayed again.

8.8

In our tests, New Tab Notes works reliably and without any significant noticeable reduction in browser performance.
When opening a new tab, the extension loads quickly and smoothly. There may be short delays with large notes that need to be synchronized, but these are hardly noticeable.
Overall, the performance should be sufficient for most basic users without any performance problems, although there could still be room for improvement for advanced users.

Design
8.0

The extension has a clear and intuitive design. The distraction-free reading environment is a good feature. However, the login process could be a little clearer.

8.5

The design of New Tab Notes is clean and minimalistic. It creates a distraction-free environment where you can easily take structured notes without getting distracted.
Since the design is specifically meant to be distraction-free, this is good. However, there could be a few more customization options, especially when it comes to the color design, including the notes. Overall, the design fulfills its purpose, but it does not win a beauty award.

Value for Money
8.0

The free version offers basic functions that should be sufficient for many users. The premium version offers additional functions such as full-text searches or improved tagging. The price-performance ratio is fine for us but could be too high for many basic users if they only use it occasionally.

8.7

As a free extension, New Tab Notes offers excellent value for money. For the basic user, the range of functions should be sufficient, considering that it is a free tool. For advanced users, there are still a few functions missing that other providers already have. If these were also added free of charge, the price-performance ratio would be unbeatable.

Ease of Use
7.0

The tool is generally easy to use, but the lack of initial instructions can be a problem for new users. There are also recurring registration problems, which are reported by other users in the reviews.

8.5

New Tab Notes was easy to install in the test and the learning curve was very fast. Even Basic users should have no problems finding and using most of the functions straight away. However, one suggestion for improvement would be a small tutorial for new users on advanced features such as markdowns and shortcuts. Everyone who installs but doesn't see the website with instructions may not know about these features.

Security & Privacy
8.0

Save to Pocket uses industry-standard security measures, including encryption and firewalls. However, there could be stronger assurances regarding data security and liability for third-party services.

8.2

New Tab Notes is an extension that stores all data exclusively via the browser. This approach is ideal for the user, as it eliminates the need for an account and reduces the risk of data breaches associated with other external cloud storage. This was apparent to us in our tests, but it is not clear whether the basic user is aware of this, as we were unable to find a privacy policy from the provider either in the store or on the website.

This would be an important point of improvement to allow every user to read the extension's guidelines.

Conclusion

Save to Pocket is a tool for anyone who wants to save and organize web content efficiently.

Its cross-device synchronization makes it a valuable addition to your productivity toolkit. However, it does have some drawbacks, such as occasional login issues and a lack of detailed instructions. Beginners in particular may struggle here.

Overall, it's a solid choice for anyone who needs a reliable content storage solution.

With New Tab Notes, ideas, and information can be quickly and easily noted and saved directly in the browser without distractions.

Text formatting features such as headings and the accompanying markdowns and shortcuts make it quick and easy to write them down in a structured way. The design is very user-friendly, but the extension could still benefit from additional export options and possibly more advanced functions.

Overall, it is the perfect choice for anyone looking for a simple and effective solution to quickly save notes.

Our Recommendation

In our comparison between Save to Pocket and New Tab Notes, New Tab Notes came out on top, scoring 8.6.

Save to Pocket is the most widely used, with over 2 million users and 8k+ reviews, but New Tab Notes outperformed it in our review. User reviews for New Tab Notes reflect our findings, while we rate Save to Pocket lower than users do.

Notably, New Tab Notes has the highest user rating in the Chrome Web Store at 4.70, which supports its strong performance in our review.

There are some noticeable differences between these extensions, so it's worth considering your priorities and the details below.


  • Looking for the richest feature set? New Tab Notes stands out with a rating of 8.7. On the other hand, Save to Pocket lags behind in this area with a rating of 7.2.
  • Need top performance? New Tab Notes stands out with a rating of 8.8. On the other hand, Save to Pocket lags behind in this area with a rating of 6.
  • Design lovers, take note: New Tab Notes stands out with a rating of 8.5. On the other hand, Save to Pocket lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.
  • Want to get the most for your money? New Tab Notes stands out with a rating of 8.7. On the other hand, Save to Pocket lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.
  • If you hate complicated tools, New Tab Notes stands out with a rating of 8.5. On the other hand, Save to Pocket lags behind in this area with a rating of 7.
  • With privacy and security becoming ever more important, New Tab Notes stands out with a rating of 8.2. On the other hand, Save to Pocket lags behind in this area with a rating of 8.

If you want a quick recommendation, New Tab Notes is our top pick. But as always, the best choice depends on what matters most to you.