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Distraction-free reading mode with AI summaries, notes and annotations - free, easy to use, no sign-up required. Turns any webpage into a clean reading experience — and saves a complete offline copy.
Average Chrome Web Store rating from the last 100 reviews
Reader Mode turns any webpage into a clean, distraction-free reading view — and saves a full offline copy you can access anytime, on any device. It also creates quick AI summaries, and even if the original site disappears or the article gets deleted, your saved copy stays safe and readable.
It's perfect for focused reading, long-term research, and building your own archive of valuable content. Add highlights, take notes, organize with tags, and revisit any article from any device.
Reader Mode + Notes & Annotations offers a generous free version. Advanced features, including cross-device sync, full-text search, and offline web access via the web app, are available with the Premium or Ultimate plans.
Reader Mode + Notes & AI Summary - Web Highlights earned a score of 9.4 out of 10 in our tests. This rating reflects an exceptional tool, excelling in nearly every category with remarkable results.
In our review of Reader Mode + Notes, we considered the categories Features, Design, Ease of Use, Security & Privacy, Value for Money and Performance. Each category was given equal importance and we'll dive into the details of each in the following section.
This tool isn’t just a basic reader mode — it goes way beyond that. Yes, it gives you the distraction-free reading experience you'd expect (cleans up almost any webpage beautifully), but it also lets you highlight in multiple colors, add notes, organize with tags, and save a full offline version of the article — which is super helpful if a page ever gets taken down.
One of my favorite parts is how smooth the AI-powered summary feature enables you to get a quick overview of the website content. The AI can create summaries in different styles based on your needs:
Another great thing is that it offers plenty of export options: Markdown, Notion, Obsidian, Capacities, PDF... it just works. It even has a spaced repetition feature that helps you remember what you read long-term.
It’s basically a powerhouse for anyone doing research or deep reading.
The design is clean, modern, and just pleasant to use. You can switch between different color modes like dark, sepia, or high contrast, and you can customize font size, spacing, and width — which makes reading long texts super comfortable.
It doesn’t feel overwhelming or cluttered. It’s intuitive and looks polished both on desktop and mobile. I especially liked how the sidebar slides in to show your notes and highlights without breaking your focus.
This extension just works — no setup, no confusion.
I installed it, clicked on the icon while reading an article, and boom — instant reader mode. From there, highlighting was as easy as selecting text. Notes? Just a click away. Bookmarks and tags? Super straightforward.
Even advanced features like syncing or exporting are done in a really user-friendly way. There are many things to discover, but if you want to dive deeper, there are helpful guides and blog posts too.
What I really respect is that you don’t need an account to use it. Everything you save stays on your device, so your highlights and notes are private by default.
If you do choose to create an account (which unlocks syncing and cloud access), your data is still treated with care — no ads, no tracking, no selling your info. It's a great balance between usability and privacy. Especially rare for a free tool.
The free version already gives you most of what you need — clean reading mode, offline access, highlighting, note-taking.
No sign-up, no hidden limits. That alone is worth a lot.
The paid version just builds on that. You get syncing, full-text search, and access to a web app to view your archive from anywhere. For the price (just a few bucks per month), it’s an excellent investment if you read and research online often.
I tested it on several websites — from news articles to blog posts to PDFs — and it handled everything smoothly.
Pages load quickly, the reader view pops up without delay, and saved articles open instantly, even without internet.
Even the offline functionality was seamless. I disconnected from Wi-Fi just to test it — and could still open and read saved articles without a hitch.
Reader Mode + Notes & Annotations is more than just a reader mode extension. It’s a full-fledged research companion. Whether you're saving articles for later, organizing a reading archive, or just want to eliminate distractions, this tool delivers.
If you're serious about focused reading and long-term content access, this might just become your favorite browser extension.
Extraordinary
In the Features category, Reader Mode + Notes has scored an outstanding 9.5. It offers an exceptional range of features that go above and beyond expectations.
In the Design category, Reader Mode + Notes has scored a remarkable 9.6. The design is outstanding, combining aesthetics with functionality in an exemplary manner.
In the Ease of Use category, Reader Mode + Notes has scored a fantastic 9. It is very easy to use, with an intuitive interface that facilitates a smooth user experience.
In the Security & Privacy category, Reader Mode + Notes has scored an outstanding 10. It provides top-tier security and privacy features, ensuring user data is exceptionally well protected.
In the Value for Money category, Reader Mode + Notes has scored a very strong 9.1. It offers great value, providing a lot for its price.
In the Performance category, Reader Mode + Notes has scored a highly impressive 9.4. It performs very well, meeting high standards with ease.
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