Raindrop.io vs Pinboard
Raindrop.io lets anyone start at zero with unlimited bookmarks, collections and devices, then sells Pro for search, archive and backups, with amounts the page we read did not display. Pinboard has no free account at all and publishes a flat yearly fee of $22, or $39 with archiving. One is a generous free tier with an upsell, the other a small annual bill with a one-week refund. Raindrop.io shows a named maker in Astana, Kazakhstan, while Pinboard states no country. Pick on whether you want to pay. Neither offers a trial.
Sebastiaan SmitsFounderVendors can pay for more visibility on this website, for example a higher place in a ranking or more room on a page. Commercial relationships can also affect which products we feature and how prominently. Every vendor link is marked the same, whatever the arrangement behind it. How that works.
Choose Raindrop.io ifyou want to save links at no cost across several devices and may add Pro later for full-text search and a web archive. You can live with Pro prices that were not displayed.
Choose Pinboard ifyou would rather pay a stated yearly amount than juggle tiers, and you value a service that runs on its own servers with no ads and no trackers. You can do without a free plan and rely on a one-week refund window.
Raindrop.io and Pinboard side by side
| Raindrop.io | Pinboard | |
|---|---|---|
| Our bookmark manager rank | #1 of 15 | #2 of 15 |
| Established in | Kazakhstan | Not stated by the vendor |
| List price, 10 November 2026 | $0 for unlimited bookmarks; Pro billed monthly or yearly, amounts left off the buy page | $22 a year for the basic service, $39 a year with archiving, multi-year discount available |
| Free tier | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Self-hostable | — | — |
| Built for | Individuals and small groups wanting a free, generous home for saved links | People who want a paid, long-running service with archiving and a clear annual fee |
| Not for | Buyers who need a registered company address in the contract | Anyone wanting a free tier or a copy they run themselves |
Both are reviewed in full in our bookmark manager ranking: Raindrop.io and Pinboard.
Where they differ
Raindrop.io 3 · Pinboard 1 · open 2- 01
Starting at zero or starting at $22
Raindrop.io describes its free plan as 'No limits. Starting from $0', with unlimited bookmarks, collections, highlights and devices, and says it is free to use indefinitely. Pinboard states there is no free trial and mentions no free plan, so every account begins with the annual fee. A visitor who only wants to test the idea can do so on Raindrop.io without paying, while Pinboard asks for money first and returns it within a week if you object.
Edge: Raindrop.io
- 02
What a yearly fee actually buys
Pinboard lists $22 per year for the basic service and $39 per year for archiving accounts, with a discount for multi-year signups, with the dollar sign as the sole currency marker. Raindrop.io shows monthly and yearly toggles for Pro and says yearly is about 20% cheaper, yet no Pro amount is displayed. A buyer who must budget in advance, perhaps for a small team of several readers, will find that only Pinboard states a figure outright.
Edge: Pinboard
- 03
The upload ceiling and the 10 GB step
On the free plan Raindrop.io caps file uploads at 100 MB per month, which covers PDFs, images and videos only in small amounts. Pro raises that to 10 GB per month and adds an AI assistant, MCP, reminders and a duplicate and broken link finder. The Pinboard pages we read state no bookmark count or other usage limits and describe no file upload feature, so the comparison turns on whether you store files at all.
Edge: Raindrop.io
- 04
Archive, search and dead links
Raindrop.io puts full-text search, a web archive and daily backups into Pro, though its homepage also names full-text search of saved pages, PDFs and YouTube videos among its functions. Pinboard offers optional archiving of bookmarked pages with full-text search and dead link checks, and it costs more each year than the basic fee. Both gate the archive behind money, so this round ends level for people who want saved copies. Pinboard's search covers archived pages only.
Depends on the buyer
- 05
Importing, syncing and integrations
Raindrop.io lists import and export, sharing and 2,600+ integrations on the free plan, plus batch tagging, manual sorting and reminders. Pinboard names bookmarking from any browser, connecting Twitter accounts including favourites, and syncing with Instapaper and Pocket. The Raindrop.io list is longer and sits on the free tier, while Pinboard's list is narrower but specific. Anyone who wants a wide automation surface starts with Raindrop.io, and Pinboard users lean on its two named sync partners. Pinboard's missing free tier plays no part here.
Edge: Raindrop.io
- 06
Maker, hosting and refund terms
Raindrop.io carries the copyright of Rustem Mussabekov in Astana, Kazakhstan, runs as a cloud service behind a VPC and routes payments through Paddle, and a 30-day refund promise covers paid plans. Pinboard was founded in 2009 by Maciej Cegłowski, credits Nine Fives Software, runs on its own servers with physical backups, and gives a one-week refund. Pinboard's terms give no country, governing law or address. No parent company is named for either, and Pinboard describes itself as independently run, so no owner sits above either maker.
Depends on the buyer
When neither fits
If you want to run the service yourself, or need a contract with a registered company address, neither suits well. Linkwarden and Linkding appear in our bookmark manager list as options to inspect.
Raindrop.io or Pinboard: questions
3 answersDoes Pinboard have any free option for trying it out?
No. The FAQ says there is no free trial and mentions no free plan. The only safety net is a one-week full refund window after you pay.
What does Raindrop.io Pro cost per month?
Our notes hold no amount. The buy page offers only a monthly and yearly toggle, with yearly described as about 20% cheaper. Check the buy page for the live amount before planning a budget.
Which service sits closer to a European buyer's expectations?
Neither one states a European base. Raindrop.io shows a footer address in Astana, Kazakhstan, and Pinboard states no country at all, so ask the vendor if jurisdiction decides the purchase.
Sources
Checked 10 November 2026- Raindrop.io Pro page: free plan limits, 100 MB and 10 GB upload caps, Pro feature list, yearly saving and the 30-day guarantee.
- Raindrop.io homepage: copyright line with Astana, VPC cloud hosting and the named functions.
- Pinboard FAQ: the $22 and $39 yearly fees, absence of a trial, one-week refund, 2009 founding and own servers.
- Pinboard terms: Nine Fives Software copyright and the missing country and address.
- Pinboard homepage: listed features including Pocket and Instapaper sync, archiving, no ads and no trackers.