How much does Readwise cost?

Readwise publishes 2 plans: Lite at $5.59/mo billed annually, Full at $9.99/mo billed annually. Every figure is read from the vendor's own pricing page; the pricing section above shows the source sentence for each tier.

Does Readwise have a free plan?

No free plan is listed on the vendor's pricing page. Readwise is sold as a paid subscription.

What are the main drawbacks of Readwise?

The trade-offs we noted: Subscription for what is effectively a sync service; Only useful if you highlight regularly; Setup takes some configuration.

When should you not use Readwise?

Skip Readwise if: You want Reader, the read-it-later app — it comes only with the Full plan at $9.99/mo annual, not with Lite; You prefer month-to-month; that is $12.99/mo instead of $9.99; You want a permanent free tier; there is none, only a 30-day trial.

Productivity

Readwise

Collects and resurfaces your highlights.

What it is

Readwise collects highlights from books, articles and podcasts and resurfaces them daily, syncing to note apps. Its value is retention rather than capture: highlights come back on a schedule instead of sitting in a folder you never reopen. It is a layer on top of other tools, so it is only worth it if you already highlight a lot.

Readwise pricing

Readwise publishes 2 plans. Paid tiers start at $5.59/mo billed annually.

Readwise plans and published prices, taken from the vendor’s pricing page.
Plan	Price	What the vendor’s page says
Lite	$5.59/mo billed annually	Lite $5.59/month billed annually
Full	$9.99/mo billed annually	Full $9.99/month billed annually, $12.99 billed monthly

Prices read from the vendor's own pricing page on 2026-09-07. Vendors change plans without notice — check the source before you budget. Source

Key features

Highlight syncing
Imports highlights from Kindle, articles, podcasts and PDFs automatically.
Spaced review
Resurfaces saved highlights on a schedule for review.
Note-app export
Pushes highlights into Notion, Obsidian and other note tools.

Strengths and trade-offs

What works well

Brings highlights back instead of burying them
Syncs to Notion, Obsidian and others
Reader app for saving articles

Where it falls short

Subscription for what is effectively a sync service
Only useful if you highlight regularly
Setup takes some configuration

Who it is for

People who read a lot and forget most of it.

Pick it or skip it

Pick Readwise if

Readers who highlight across Kindle, articles and podcasts and want it all in one place
Students and academics — there is a 50% discount
Trying it fully first: the first 30 days are free

Skip it if

You want Reader, the read-it-later app — it comes only with the Full plan at $9.99/mo annual, not with Lite
You prefer month-to-month; that is $12.99/mo instead of $9.99
You want a permanent free tier; there is none, only a 30-day trial

Our verdict

Genuinely changes what you retain, if you keep the habit. Otherwise it is a subscription for nothing.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Readwise cost?: Readwise publishes 2 plans: Lite at $5.59/mo billed annually, Full at $9.99/mo billed annually. Every figure is read from the vendor's own pricing page; the pricing section above shows the source sentence for each tier.
Does Readwise have a free plan?: No free plan is listed on the vendor's pricing page. Readwise is sold as a paid subscription.
Who is Readwise best for?: People who read a lot and forget most of it.
What are the main drawbacks of Readwise?: The trade-offs we noted: Subscription for what is effectively a sync service; Only useful if you highlight regularly; Setup takes some configuration.
When should you not use Readwise?: Skip Readwise if: You want Reader, the read-it-later app — it comes only with the Full plan at $9.99/mo annual, not with Lite; You prefer month-to-month; that is $12.99/mo instead of $9.99; You want a permanent free tier; there is none, only a 30-day trial.

What we checked

Public APIOffers a documented API you can build against.Yes
Mobile appHas a native app for iOS or Android, not just a mobile website.Yes
Open source / self-hostableSource is open and the tool can be run on your own infrastructure.No
SSO (SAML)Supports SAML single sign-on on at least one plan.No

“Not checked” means exactly that — we have not verified it, and we do not guess.

Evidence and freshness

Status: Vendor pricing page verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-07

Readwise — Pricing ↗
Checked 2026-09-07 · Supports: Lite $5.59/month billed annually, Full $9.99/month billed annually, $12.99 billed monthly, Reader included with Full, not with Lite, free for the first 30 days, no permanent free tier, 50% discount for students and academia

Limit: Vendor pricing page was reviewed; this record is not a ToolCompare benchmark.

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