Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Instapaper VS Shutter

Compare Instapaper VS Shutter and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Instapaper logo Instapaper

Instapaper is a simple tool to save web pages for reading later.

Shutter logo Shutter

Shutter is a feature-rich screenshot program.
  • Instapaper Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-16
  • Shutter Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-04

Instapaper features and specs

  • Offline Reading
    Instapaper allows users to save articles for offline reading, making it convenient for accessing content without an internet connection.
  • Text-to-Speech
    The app offers a text-to-speech feature, enabling users to listen to their saved articles on the go, which is ideal for multitasking.
  • Clean Reading Experience
    Instapaper provides a clutter-free, distraction-free reading environment by stripping away ads and extraneous elements from web pages.
  • Organizational Tools
    Users can organize saved articles using folders, highlights, and notes, making it easier to manage and reference content later.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Instapaper is available on multiple platforms including web, iOS, and Android, ensuring users can access their saved articles from any device.

Possible disadvantages of Instapaper

  • Limited Free Features
    Some advanced features, such as full-text search and unlimited highlights, require a premium subscription, which might be a drawback for some users.
  • Sync Issues
    Occasional sync issues have been reported, where articles do not always update across all devices promptly.
  • Basic Annotation Tools
    Compared to some competitors, Instapaperโ€™s annotation tools like highlighting and note-taking can be seen as somewhat basic.
  • No Native Video Support
    Instapaper is primarily focused on text content and does not offer native support for saving and viewing video content, limiting its utility for multimedia consumption.
  • Interface Design
    While functional, some users might find the user interface to be less modern and aesthetically appealing compared to other similar services.

Shutter features and specs

  • Comprehensive Screenshot Options
    Shutter provides a wide variety of screenshot options including full screen, window, selection, and even web page capturing, making it versatile for different user needs.
  • Built-in Editor
    The built-in editor allows users to add annotations, shapes, and text to screenshots directly within Shutter, reducing the need for additional software.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Shutter features an intuitive and user-friendly interface that makes it easy for users to navigate and utilize its functions efficiently.
  • Plugin Support
    Shutter supports various plugins to extend its functionality, such as uploading screenshots to image hosting sites or integrating with other software.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Shutter is available for multiple Linux distributions, making it accessible for a large number of Linux users.

Possible disadvantages of Shutter

  • Limited to Linux
    Shutter is only available for Linux platforms, which excludes users on Windows and macOS from using the software.
  • Outdated Dependencies
    Some users have reported issues with outdated dependencies, which can cause compatibility problems with newer Linux distributions.
  • Development Stagnation
    The development of Shutter has slowed down in recent years, leading to fewer updates and potentially lacking some modern features that users might expect.
  • Installation Complexity
    Installing Shutter on certain Linux distributions can be complex and may require the user to manually resolve dependencies or add third-party repositories.
  • Heavy Resource Usage
    Shutter can be resource-intensive compared to other lightweight screenshot tools, which might affect performance on older or less powerful systems.

Analysis of Instapaper

Overall verdict

  • Instapaper is generally considered good due to its user-friendly interface, robust feature set, and excellent readability. It stands out for its simplicity and effectiveness in fulfilling its primary purpose of helping users manage and enjoy their saved articles.

Why this product is good

  • Instapaper is a well-regarded read-it-later service that allows users to save articles and other content for later reading. It offers a clean, distraction-free reading experience, making it ideal for users who want to focus on the content. Additionally, it provides features such as offline reading, text-to-speech, annotation, and organization tools like folders and tags. Its cross-platform availability ensures you can access your saved content on various devices seamlessly.

Recommended for

  • Individuals who frequently encounter articles or content online that they want to read later.
  • Users who appreciate a simple and distraction-free reading experience.
  • People who require or desire offline access to their reading material.
  • Anyone looking for a way to organize and manage content across different devices.

Analysis of Shutter

Overall verdict

  • Good

Why this product is good

  • Shutter is a feature-rich screenshot tool that provides a variety of options for capturing images, such as full screen, specific windows, or custom selections. It also includes an integrated editor for annotating screenshots, which can be handy for creating instructional content. Its user-friendly interface and ability to handle file uploads make it a practical choice for many users.

Recommended for

    Shutter is recommended for users who need a versatile screenshot tool with editing capabilities, especially those creating tutorials, guides, or any visual content that requires annotations. It's also suitable for those who prefer an open-source solution available on Linux platforms.

Instapaper videos

Instapaper Review

More videos:

  • Review - A "Smart" Pocket/Instapaper in Notion
  • Review - App of the Week: Instapaper

Shutter videos

Shutter - Modern Horror Season Review | GizmoCh

More videos:

  • Review - Yoyofactory Shutter Review
  • Review - Shutter (2008) Movie Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Instapaper and Shutter)
Bookmark Manager
100 100%
0% 0
Screenshot Annotation
0 0%
100% 100
Bookmarks
100 100%
0% 0
Screenshots
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

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

Instapaper Reviews

Top 10 browser-independent bookmark managers for efficient web surfing
Instapaper is a beloved browser-independent bookmark manager for avid online readers. Create custom libraries to save articles, videos, notes, and more. With a browser extension, you can easily save webpages to your Instapaper feed with just one click.
Source: www.save.day
Best Read-It-Later Apps in 2024: Top Ways to Save Web Pages & Content
Instapaper is available across all major platforms including macOS, iOS and Android for phones, and provides browser extensions for Chrome, Safari and Firefox. Its integration for Kindle is also a little bit more traditional, requiring a USB connection or send-to-Kindle functionality. Unfortunately, the ability to directly share articles to Kindle is limited to the Premium...
11 Pocket Alternatives You Must Try Out!
With a plain and simple appearance, it entirely fosters enhanced readability for its users. So for distraction-free reading, start off with Instapaper. With this, you can also send articles to e-readers like Kindle! Isnโ€™t it amazing?
Source: blog.elink.io
10 Best Apps like Pocket in 2021 - Pocket Alternatives
Instapaper has a fantastic offline feature, you can read your articles at your own speed. The text-to-speech feature comes in handy when you want to rest your eyes or read long articles more comfortably. In terms of cost, Instapaper is significantly less expensive than its competitor. In short, it is one of the best pocket alternatives available right now.
Source: asoftclick.com
Del.icio.us is closing down. Time for a roundup of alternative bookmark managers.
You can favorite links, add them to folders, archive them and take notes from their text. And that last feature is pretty useful. If you're on iOS then you can just select any text and tap "Highlight" and that text snippet will be then saved to your Instapaper library. Good for taking notes from tutorials and other interesting articles.
Source: serafin.io

Shutter Reviews

Top 13 Free Snagit Alternatives For 2021
Hey, Ubuntu /Linux users! Have we got an app for you! Shutter swings in to attempt to help you capture your computer screen. If youโ€™re looking for a simple Linux screenshot tool , this could be it.
Source: screenrec.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Shutter should be more popular than Instapaper. It has been mentiond 7 times since March 2021. 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.

Instapaper mentions (2)

  • How to become an avid reader without reading
    Instapaper is a bit simpler to use than pocket. It has a straightforward user interface and it will accept most forms of online content that you throw at it. - Source: dev.to / over 4 years ago
  • How I keep up with the latest Front-End Development news, without scrolling my life away
    Here's my workflow: I open the email, scan the list, save the links that look interesting to me in my Instapaper, and delete the email. Later, when I have time to read, I go ahead and read the saved articles in Instapaper. - Source: dev.to / almost 5 years ago

Shutter mentions (7)

  • What is the name of the default screenshot tool in PopOS?
    Hey I use "shutter" https://shutter-project.org/ which has a nice blur option. Source: over 3 years ago
  • ShareX alternative for Linux?
    I also used Flameshot and Shutter. Shutter was very feature rich, and I think it's the closest in terms of having the same workflow actions as ShareX -- I don't think it fully supports Wayland yet though and has a TON of dependencies. Flameshot has had issues with Wayland and IMHO as of now most of its features has been implemented in native screencaptures (and if you need the tray icon, I think on Gnome there's... Source: over 3 years ago
  • A app to take long/scrolling screenshots?
    Maybe look into Shutter but it can only screenshot scrolling webpages no any other windows. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Alternative to shotwell for handling screenshots but with the possibility to draw onto the image?
    Shutter (https://shutter-project.org) is a very good tool for creating and editing screenshots. Source: over 3 years ago
  • I'm looking for a pc app that allows you to capture your screen.
    At home on my own PC, I use something called "Shutter" https://shutter-project.org/. Source: over 4 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Instapaper and Shutter, you can also consider the following products

Raindrop.io - All your articles, photos, video & content from web & apps in one place.

Greenshot - Greenshot is a free and open source screenshot tool that allows annotation and highlighting using the built-in image editor.

wallabag - Save the web, freely.

Snipping Tool - Use Snipping Tool to capture a screen shot, or snip, of any object on your screen, and then annotate, save, or share the image

Email This - Save ad-free articles and web pages and articles to your email inbox for reading later.

MWSnap - MWSnap is basically a free to use Windows snapping tools that are used for snapping any part of the screen that is currently displaying on the front of all opened programs and windows.