Omnivore Is Gone. ReadMonkey Pro Won't Follow.
Omnivore shut down in November 2024 after being acquihired by ElevenLabs. Users had just 2 weeks to export before their libraries were deleted. ReadMonkey Pro syncs your data through Chrome's built-in sync — no vendor cloud to shut down, no PlugMonkey servers, no data held hostage. Your articles sync across Chrome browsers automatically.
Last updated: March 2, 2026
TL;DR
Omnivore was a beloved open-source read-later app that abruptly shut down in November 2024 when its team was acquihired by ElevenLabs. Eight months later, Pocket followed — shut down by Mozilla in July 2025. ReadMonkey Pro eliminates this risk entirely: all articles, highlights, and notes sync through Chrome Sync — Chrome's own infrastructure, not a vendor cloud that can disappear. No PlugMonkey servers, no account required. Data syncs across all Chrome browsers where you're signed in. Distraction-free reader with 3 themes, 5-color highlighting with inline notes, smart tagging, and export to JSON, Markdown, HTML, or CSV. Free tier: 25 saves/month. Pro is $6.99/month or $49.99 lifetime.
Omnivore Is No Longer Available
The Omnivore team was acquihired by ElevenLabs to build their ElevenReader product. Users had roughly 2 weeks to export data before permanent deletion on November 30, 2024. The open-source code remains available for self-hosting. This happened in November 2024.
Why People Need an Omnivore Alternative
Omnivore shut down with almost no warning
The shutdown was announced on October 29, 2024. Users had until approximately November 15 to export their data — barely 2 weeks. By November 30, the service was fully offline and all data permanently deleted. Years of saved articles, highlights, and organized collections vanished.
The acquihire killed the product, not just the company
ElevenLabs hired Omnivore's team to build ElevenReader, a text-to-speech reading app. They didn't acquire Omnivore to continue it — they acquired the talent and abandoned the product. The app, the service, and the user data were all expendable.
Free services with no revenue model can't survive
Omnivore was completely free with no paid tier. This meant zero revenue to sustain operations. When costs rose, the only option was to sell to someone who wanted the team, not the product. Pocket followed the same pattern eight months later — Mozilla shut it down in July 2025. A sustainable pricing model prevents this.
Self-hosting is not a practical alternative for most people
While Omnivore's code is open-source and theoretically self-hostable, it requires Docker, PostgreSQL, and ongoing maintenance. Most people who used Omnivore chose it for convenience — asking them to become sysadmins isn't a real solution.
ReadMonkey Pro vs Omnivore
Feature-by-feature comparison
| Feature | Omnivore | ReadMonkey Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Shut down (Nov 2024) | Active and maintained |
| Data storage | Cloud servers (data deleted) | Chrome Sync — syncs across browsers, no vendor cloud |
| Pricing | Was free (no revenue model) | Free tier + $6.99/mo or $49.99 lifetime |
| Sustainability | No revenue — couldn't sustain operations | Paid plans fund ongoing development |
| Account required | Yes | No |
| Highlighting | Basic highlighting with notes | 5 colors with inline notes |
| Tagging | Labels system | Flexible tag system with filtering |
| Export formats | Markdown (with integrations) | JSON, Markdown, HTML, CSV |
| Obsidian integration | Official plugin (when active) | Via Markdown export |
| RSS feeds | Built-in RSS reader | Not available — focused on article saving |
| Open source | Yes (code still available) | No — but data is in Chrome storage and exportable |
Pricing: ReadMonkey Pro vs Omnivore
Omnivore
Omnivore was completely free — no paid tier existed. This lack of revenue directly led to its shutdown when operational costs became unsustainable.
- Subscription-only pricing
- Lose access when you cancel
ReadMonkey Pro
ReadMonkey Pro has a generous free tier (25 saves/month) and sustainable paid plans ($6.99/mo, $29.99/yr, $49.99 lifetime). A sustainable business model means the tool stays alive.
30-day money-back guarantee
Still Deciding?
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Is ReadMonkey Pro Right for You?
Switch If You...
- You used Omnivore and need a replacement since it shut down
- You want a read-later tool that won't be acquihired and abandoned
- You want Chrome Sync storage so your data survives any company decision
- You need multi-format export (Markdown for Obsidian, CSV for databases)
- You want rich highlighting with 5 colors and inline notes
- You don't want to self-host a complex open-source stack just to save articles
Consider Other Options If You...
- You need built-in RSS feed subscriptions — ReadMonkey Pro is focused on article saving, not feed reading
- You need newsletter email aliases — ReadMonkey Pro doesn't offer email-based saving
An acquihire shouldn't delete your reading library.
ReadMonkey Pro: Chrome Sync storage, distraction-free reading, 5-color highlighting, Markdown export. No vendor cloud, no risk.