Self-hosted archive
Markwise vs Linkwarden
Ask a hosted library vs. keep a copy of the page yourself.
Linkwarden is an AGPLv3 bookmark manager with 19k+ GitHub stars. It collects, annotates, and fully preserves pages. Cloud is $3/user/month billed yearly (14-day trial, 30,000 links). Self-host is the reason many people pick it.
Markwise is a hosted product: save, auto-file, then (on Pro) search by meaning and ask Copilot. Extracted text feeds search; it is not Linkwarden's preservation guarantee if the live URL dies.
People who want retrieval and a Copilot without running Docker, backups, or upgrades.
People who need the page to survive link rot, or who will only trust software they host.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Markwise | Linkwarden |
|---|---|---|
| Full-page preservation | ||
| Self-host / open source | ||
| Semantic search + Copilot | Optional AI tagging | |
| YouTube timestamp capture | ||
| Focus Sessions | ||
| Highlights | ||
| RSS | ||
| Public shareable collections | ||
| Hosted price | Pro $4.90/mo | $3/user/mo yearly |
Comparison reflects publicly available information as of June 2026 and may change.
Pricing
Free tier available; Pro is $4.90/month or $3.25/month billed annually, with a 3-day free trial.
Self-host free (you run it). Cloud $3/user/month billed yearly, 14-day trial, 30,000 links per user.
Linkwarden cloud is cheaper per month than Markwise Pro if billed yearly — and you are buying preservation, not a Copilot.
Rot vs retrieval
If the failure mode is the article vanishing, Linkwarden is the tool. If the failure mode is you forgetting the title, Markwise is the tool.
Markwise's extracted text helps search while the URL still works. It is not a WARC archive.
Operations
Self-hosting is a second job: updates, auth, storage, backups. That is a valid choice. It is not free in time.
Markwise is Reaktif LLC's hosted app. You get export/delete from Settings. You do not get the database.
Why people choose Markwise
- Copilot and meaning search without self-hosting
- YouTube timestamps and Focus Sessions
- A free plan with 50 bookmarks to try retrieval
Where Linkwarden wins
- Full-page preservation and RSS
- Open source, no vendor for the bits
- Lower hosted yearly price per user
- Collections you can share on a stack you host
Frequently asked questions
Can I self-host Markwise?+
No. Markwise is a hosted product. Linkwarden, Karakeep, and Wallabag are the self-host options in this category.
Does Markwise keep a copy if a page 404s?+
You keep the URL, title, summary, and extracted text from when it was saved. That is not the same as Linkwarden's preserved page.
The bottom line
Pick Linkwarden if preservation or self-hosting is non-negotiable.
Pick Markwise if you want to ask a hosted library and will accept that the live web can still rot.
Try Markwise free
Save anything, let AI organize it, and find it again by meaning. Start on the free tier — no card required.
Get started free