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Desklamp VS Readwise

Compare Desklamp VS Readwise and see what are their differences

Desklamp logo Desklamp

A PDF reader that makes reading productive and enjoyable.

Readwise logo Readwise

Effortlessly rediscover and organize your Kindle highlights
  • Desklamp Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-11
  • Readwise Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-10

Desklamp features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Desklamp offers a clean and intuitive user interface, making it easy for users to navigate through its features without a steep learning curve.
  • Customization Options
    The platform provides a variety of customization options, allowing users to tailor their experience to better suit their specific workflow and preferences.
  • Integration Capabilities
    Desklamp supports integrations with popular third-party applications, making it easy to incorporate into existing technology stacks and streamline operations.
  • Real-time Collaboration
    Users can collaborate in real-time, which enhances productivity and ensures that team members are always on the same page.

Possible disadvantages of Desklamp

  • Subscription Costs
    Some users may find the subscription pricing to be on the higher side, especially for smaller teams or individual users with limited budgets.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While basic features are easy to use, mastering some of the more advanced functionalities might require additional time and resources.
  • Limited Offline Functionality
    Desklamp primarily operates online, which means users may face challenges accessing their information without an internet connection.

Readwise features and specs

  • Centralized System
    Readwise allows users to consolidate highlights and notes from various reading platforms, such as Kindle, Instapaper, and Pocket, into one place.
  • Ease of Use
    The platform is user-friendly, making it easy to import, organize, and review highlights.
  • Spaced Repetition
    Readwise uses spaced repetition algorithms to help users retain and recall information over time by regularly revisiting highlights.
  • Customizable Export Options
    Users can export their highlights and notes to other services like Evernote, Notion, or plain text files, allowing for flexible usage of the stored data.
  • Search Functionality
    Readwise offers robust search capabilities, making it simple to find specific highlights or notes across your library.

Possible disadvantages of Readwise

  • Subscription Cost
    Readwise operates on a subscription model, which may be considered expensive for some users relative to the features offered.
  • Limited Functionality Without Subscription
    While there is a free trial available, many features are gated behind a subscription, limiting the usability of the free version.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its overall user-friendliness, some users might find a learning curve when initially setting up and configuring the system to suit their needs.
  • Dependence on Third-Party Integrations
    Readwise’s value is largely dependent on its integrations with third-party services, meaning any changes or issues with those services can impact its effectiveness.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Since Readwise collects and stores data from multiple reading platforms, there may be privacy concerns regarding how this data is handled and stored.

Analysis of Readwise

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Readwise is well-regarded for its utility in helping users actively engage with and digest their reading materials. It provides a streamlined way to revisit and reinforce key concepts, making it a valuable tool for those serious about boosting their information retention.

Why this product is good

  • Readwise is designed to help users retain information from their readings by organizing, highlighting, and revisiting key excerpts. It integrates with various platforms like Kindle, Instapaper, and Pocket to collate highlights in one place. The daily review feature encourages consistent engagement with past highlights, aiding in better recall and comprehension. The platform is beneficial for avid readers, students, and professionals who wish to maximize their learning retention and make the most out of their reading habits.

Recommended for

  • Avid readers looking to remember more from their books
  • Students who need to recall key concepts from academic materials
  • Professionals who want to maintain a repository of valuable insights from articles and reports for reference
  • Anyone interested in personal development and continuous learning through reading

Desklamp videos

Getting Started with Desklamp | A Quickstart Guide

More videos:

  • Review - Lumie Desklamp Product Review

Readwise videos

Readwise: How to use Spaced Repetition with your books

More videos:

  • Review - Keep track of Kindle highlights with Readwise [#49] Adam Franklin

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Desklamp and Readwise)
Bookmark Manager
9 9%
91% 91
Productivity
15 15%
85% 85
Bookmarks
0 0%
100% 100
Group Chat & Notifications

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Desklamp and Readwise

Desklamp Reviews

We have no reviews of Desklamp yet.
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Readwise Reviews

  1. Great help to review books

    I imported my kindle highlights, as many others. Now I daily review some highlights (thanks to a dashboard, I am motivated). And where I didn't create highlights, as I only listened to the audiobooks, I get the highlights from others. It also allows to create beautiful quotes. It adds the book cover and matches quote and background with colours found on the book title! Really nice!

    👍 Pros:    Review books|Beautiful quotes|Dashboard motivates

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Readwise seems to be a lot more popular than Desklamp. While we know about 87 links to Readwise, we've tracked only 2 mentions of Desklamp. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Desklamp mentions (2)

  • Are there any annotation plugins for the PDF viewer yet?
    I really wish they give this feature soon, but currently I ak using a separate app for my pdf [Desklamp](http://desklamp.io, and it works fairly well. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • What PDF reader/editor are you guys using atm?
    I'm using Desklamp. I'm not using the cloud service (I save every file locally). Source: over 2 years ago

Readwise mentions (87)

  • Exporting Mac OSX Book Highlights into an Obsidian Vault or Markdown Files
    The only highlights that Readwise retrieves semi-automatically are from the books I buy from Kindle, by going into the Readwise app and clicking a button. If I upload them to Kindle or need highlights from the Apple Books app, I have to open the book, go to my highlights, select them all, and then email them to a Readwise email address. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Show HN: I combined spaced repetition with emails so you can remember anything
    Readwise also has this feature. I get a daily email with a random assortment of highlights that have been pulled in from multiple sources (Reader, Notion, Kindle, etc.) The product benefit in their case is that it's kind of like Zapier, but for notes. https://readwise.io/. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Building a Code Snippet Library with Readwise, Obsidian, and Visual Studio Code
    Go to readwise.io and create an account if you don't already have one. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • Mastering Knowledge Retention with Readwise and Obsidian
    Sign up for a Readwise account if you haven't already readwise.io. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • Transform Your Note-Taking: How Readwise and Obsidian Enhance Memory and Learning
    Sign Up for Readwise: If you haven’t already, head over to Readwise and create an account. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Desklamp and Readwise, you can also consider the following products

Jiffy Reader - Jiffy Reader is a browser extension that allows you to read any website faster.

Clippings.io - Organize the notes you make on your Kindle

Bionic Reading® - Did you know that your brain reads faster than your eye?

Klib - Kindle & iBooks Highlights Manager

Kindle2Notion - Export your Kindle clippings to a Notion database

Knotes - An efficient, beautiful Kindle highlights & notes manager