Comparison
ReadMark vs Omnivore
Omnivore was acquired by ElevenLabs and shut down in late 2024. If you're looking for a reading companion that can't disappear the same way, ReadMark is local-first, account-free, and always available. Here's an honest comparison — and what ReadMark can and can't replace.
Omnivore
40,000+ (at shutdown) users
⚠️ Service shut down in late 2024
// feature comparison
| Feature | ReadMark | Omnivore |
|---|---|---|
| Service Status | Active — maintained in 2026 | ⚠️ Shut down in late 2024 |
| Data Export Available | N/A (local storage, always accessible) | Export window was limited — now closed |
| Reading Position Tracking | Yes — auto-saves scroll position per URL | Yes — tracked within Omnivore's reader |
| Works on Private / Internal URLs | Yes — any URL your browser can open | No — public articles only |
| Account Required | No | Was required (now defunct) |
| Data Storage | Local-first + Chrome-native sync (no 3rd-party server) | Was cloud-based — data at risk on shutdown |
| Highlights & Annotations | No (planned v2.0) | Yes (was a core feature) |
| Obsidian / Logseq Integration | No | Yes (was excellent — now broken) |
| RSS / Newsletter Integration | No | Yes (was included — now offline) |
| Self-Hostable | No (Chrome extension) | Yes (repo still available on GitHub) |
| Open Source | No | Yes — MIT license (repo archived) |
| Omnivore JSON Import | Planned for v2.0 | N/A |
| Price to Use Today | Free (no account) | Cannot be used (service offline) |
| Long-Term Reliability | Local-first — no server dependency | Cloud dependency proved fatal |
// why choose ReadMark
ReadMark Is Actually Available in 2026
This is the foundational difference: Omnivore shut down in late 2024, following its acquisition by ElevenLabs. The hosted service is offline. For users who did not export their data within the limited window — or who simply need a working tool today — Omnivore is no longer an option. ReadMark is actively maintained, free to install, and works immediately.
Local-First Architecture Prevents This From Happening Again
Omnivore's shutdown was made possible by its cloud architecture: all reading data lived on their servers, and when the servers went offline, the service disappeared. ReadMark has no proprietary server for your reading data — positions stay in your browser. There's no ReadMark server to shut down, and your data doesn't disappear if ReadMark does. It cannot be 'acquired and discontinued' in the way Omnivore was.
Works on Private and Internal URLs
Omnivore, like most read-later apps, required public URLs to archive content. ReadMark saves your position on any URL your browser can open — company Confluence pages, private Notion documents, internal GitHub repositories. The use case Omnivore couldn't serve, ReadMark covers natively.
No Account Required — No Trust Required
Omnivore required an account and trust that the service would remain online. ReadMark requires neither. It installs without sign-up and stores reading positions locally. The Omnivore situation demonstrated the risks of entrusting reading data to a service that can be acquired and shut down with weeks of notice.
Omnivore Import in Development (v2.0)
If you exported your Omnivore reading data before the shutdown, you still have your history. ReadMark v2.0 is planned to include an Omnivore JSON importer — allowing you to restore your saved positions from your export file. If you have your Omnivore export, hold onto it.
// why choose Omnivore
Omnivore Had Superior Highlight and Annotation Features
Omnivore's highlighting and annotation system was one of the best in the open-source read-later space. ReadMark v1.x has no highlighting — this is planned for v2.0 but not yet available. For annotation-heavy reading workflows, Omnivore's feature set was genuinely superior.
Deep PKM Integration (Obsidian, Logseq)
Omnivore's native integration with Obsidian and Logseq was exceptional — bidirectional sync of highlights and notes made it a core part of many knowledge workers' PKM workflow. ReadMark has no PKM integration.
Full Article Archiving
Omnivore archived the full content of public articles for reading in a clean interface — offline capable, with its own reading environment. ReadMark doesn't archive content; it saves positions on the original pages.
Open Source and Self-Hostable
Omnivore was MIT-licensed and self-hostable. Technical users can still run their own Omnivore instance from the GitHub repository. ReadMark is a closed-source Chrome extension.
RSS and Newsletter Integration
Omnivore aggregated RSS feeds and newsletters alongside saved articles, functioning as a complete reading hub. ReadMark is focused solely on position tracking.
// verdict
Omnivore was an exceptional product. For the users who relied on it — particularly those who built PKM workflows around its Obsidian and Logseq integrations — its shutdown was a significant loss, and no single tool fully replaces what it offered. ReadMark is not a complete Omnivore replacement. It covers one specific part of what Omnivore did: tracking where you are in long-form content across multiple reading sessions. For that specific use case — especially for content on private URLs that Omnivore couldn't archive — ReadMark is a practical, privacy-respecting, always-available alternative. For the full Omnivore feature set (highlights, PKM sync, newsletters, clean reading view), Readwise Reader is currently the closest paid alternative.
// faq
What happened to Omnivore?
Omnivore was acquired by ElevenLabs (the AI audio company) in October 2024. The hosted service was shut down shortly after the acquisition. Users were given a short window to export their data as JSON. The open-source repository remains on GitHub and technically-minded users can self-host — but the managed service is no longer available.
I have my Omnivore export. Can I import it into ReadMark?
Not yet. Omnivore JSON import is planned for ReadMark v2.0, currently in development. If you exported your Omnivore data before the shutdown, hold onto the JSON file — the importer will allow you to restore your saved reading positions from that export when it ships.
Is ReadMark a complete Omnivore replacement?
No — and it's important to be honest about this. Omnivore had highlights, annotations, a clean reading view, Obsidian/Logseq sync, RSS feeds, and newsletter support. ReadMark tracks reading position (scroll location) on any URL, stores data locally, and requires no account. These overlap on the 'where was I in this article?' use case but not on highlights, PKM, or content aggregation.
What's the best Omnivore alternative for the full feature set?
For the complete Omnivore experience — highlights, PKM integration, newsletters — Readwise Reader ($7.99/month) is currently the most complete alternative. For the specific use case of tracking reading position across many URLs (especially private ones), ReadMark is the closest local-first option. Many former Omnivore users are using both.
Can I self-host Omnivore instead of switching to ReadMark?
Technically yes — Omnivore's source code is on GitHub under MIT license. However, self-hosting requires infrastructure setup, maintenance, and technical expertise. For most users, this is not a realistic ongoing option. ReadMark works immediately after installation with no infrastructure required.
Ready to try ReadMark?
Install ReadMark for free and see how it compares.
// if you exported your omnivore data
If you downloaded your Omnivore reading history before the shutdown, hold onto that JSON file. ReadMark v2.0 is planned to include an Omnivore import tool that will restore your saved reading positions from the export. The importer is in development — we'll announce when it ships.