ArchiveBox vs wallabag
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
Self-hosted tool that saves copies of web pages and media in standard, readable formats.
Open source · MIT
Self-hosted app that saves web pages so you can read them later, without clutter.
The short answer
Choose ArchiveBox if you need…
- People who want to keep a personal backup of bookmarks or saved links
- Researchers preserving papers and web sources
- Users who want to keep control of their archive on their own machine or server
- Anyone who wants a CLI, web UI, or Python API for managing saved pages
Choose wallabag if you need…
- People who want a read-later app they control on their own server
- Users who want an alternative to hosted read-it-later services
- Developers who want to self-host a PHP/Symfony application
- Anyone who wants distraction-free reading of saved articles
Side-by-side
| ArchiveBox | wallabag | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 28.9k | 13k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Run with Docker | Clone and build from source |
| Main language | Python | PHP |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
ArchiveBox
ArchiveBox is a self-hosted app that takes URLs, bookmarks, browser history, or feeds from services like Pocket and Pinboard, and saves copies of the content in several formats such as HTML, PDF, PNG, WARC, and SQLite. It is meant for keeping pages you care about from disappearing or degrading. Your data stays in ordinary files and folders that can be read without ArchiveBox.
wallabag
wallabag is a web application for saving web pages to read later. You click to save an article, and it extracts the main content so pop-ups and other distractions are removed. You can install it on your own server or use the hosted service at wallabag.it.
Best for
ArchiveBox
- People who want to keep a personal backup of bookmarks or saved links
- Researchers preserving papers and web sources
- Users who want to keep control of their archive on their own machine or server
- Anyone who wants a CLI, web UI, or Python API for managing saved pages
wallabag
- People who want a read-later app they control on their own server
- Users who want an alternative to hosted read-it-later services
- Developers who want to self-host a PHP/Symfony application
- Anyone who wants distraction-free reading of saved articles
Strengths
ArchiveBox
- Saves pages in open, standard formats that other programs can read directly
- Stores data in ordinary files and folders, with no proprietary format
- Offers a CLI, REST API, webhooks, and Python API for integrations
wallabag
- Self-hostable, so you keep control of your saved articles
- Extracts article content to remove pop-ups and clutter
- Open source under the MIT License with official Android, iOS and browser extension projects
Not ideal for
ArchiveBox
- People who want a simple hosted bookmark service with no setup, since ArchiveBox must be installed and run
- Users who need guaranteed archiving of pages behind logins or paywalls without extra configuration, since the README does not establish this
- Anyone without comfort running Docker or Python tools from a terminal
wallabag
- People who do not want to run or maintain a server (the README points to the hosted wallabag.it option instead)
- Users who need a ready-made app without any setup, since installation requires a web server and following the documentation
Trade-offs
ArchiveBox
- Requires installing and running software, including Docker or Python tooling, and optional tools like Chrome, wget, and yt-dlp
- Some features depend on external tools and sites, so results vary by source
wallabag
- Self-hosting requires a web server setup, following the documentation for requirements and virtual hosts
- The README does not describe the full feature list, so some capabilities are unclear from this text
- The GNOME app listed is not maintained by this project
Getting started
ArchiveBox
Docker Compose setup
docker compose pullStart with Docker Compose
docker compose up -d --waitwallabag
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/wallabag/wallabag.gitInstall from the project folder
cd wallabag && make installFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between ArchiveBox and wallabag?
ArchiveBox: Self-hosted tool that saves copies of web pages and media in standard, readable formats. wallabag: Self-hosted app that saves web pages so you can read them later, without clutter. ArchiveBox suits people who want to keep a personal backup of bookmarks or saved links, while wallabag suits people who want a read-later app they control on their own server.
Are ArchiveBox and wallabag free?
ArchiveBox: Free and open source. wallabag: Free and open source.
Is ArchiveBox or wallabag more popular?
ArchiveBox has more GitHub stars (28.9k) than wallabag (13k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to ArchiveBox and wallabag?
Other options people compare them with include Gotenberg, Grav.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.