A Raindrop.io alternative for iPhone
Looking for Raindrop alternatives on iPhone? Raindrop.io is a cross-platform bookmark manager with collections and tags. Backpacks is a Raindrop.io alternative for people who want an iPhone library they search—links and screenshots together—without building folders.
People type “raindrop alternative,” “raindrop alternative free,” and “raindrop io alternative” when collections become work. A Raindrop.io alternative for iPhone should say clearly what it will not copy. Backpacks will not recreate Raindrop’s multi-platform collections model. It offers a different shape: search-first saving on iPhone.
What Raindrop.io is good at
According to raindrop.io, Raindrop.io is an “all-in-one bookmark manager” with collections, tags, full-text style organization, and apps across browsers, iPhone, iPad, Android and desktop. It states you can use it free indefinitely and upgrade for premium features. If you want folders (collections) everywhere, Raindrop.io is built for that.
When a Raindrop alternative free of folders makes sense
Some Raindrop alternatives chase feature parity. Others remove the parts that slowed you down. If you abandoned collections, a raindrop alternative free of mandatory structure may fit better. Backpacks has no folders and no tags. You save from the Share sheet, search as you type, and filter Home or All Items by Media or Links.
Fair comparison: platforms and price
Raindrop.io: cross-platform bookmark manager; free indefinitely with paid upgrades (raindrop.io). Backpacks: iPhone only, iOS 26 or later, free on the App Store, iCloud sync through your own iCloud in 1.6, no Backpacks account. Screenshots with on-device text reading are part of Backpacks; treat Raindrop’s media features as Not stated here beyond what its homepage claims about bookmarks and files.
Other options
- Raindrop.io — keep it if collections across devices matter.
- Instapaper — article reading queue; see our Instapaper alternative page.
- Matter — read-later for iPhone, iPad and web (getmatter.com).
- Backpacks as a Pocket alternative — if you arrived after Pocket’s shutdown.
If you are comparing Raindrop alternatives after years of collections, be honest about migration cost. Backpacks will not import a Raindrop export. Rebuild only the links you still need via the Share sheet, and keep screenshots you care about by adding them from Photos. That friction is real; the payoff is a smaller library you can actually search on iPhone without maintaining tags.
How Backpacks does it
Install Backpacks, save links from the Share sheet, add screenshots from Photos, and search titles, sites, page text and screenshot text. Export a zip plus library.json anytime. Version 1.6 adds files, notes and iCloud sync. No analytics. As a raindrop io alternative, it trades multi-platform collections for a simpler iPhone habit.
FAQ
What are good Raindrop alternatives?
Good Raindrop alternatives depend on whether you need collections across many devices or a simpler iPhone search library. Raindrop.io itself emphasizes bookmarks with collections and tags. Backpacks is an iPhone Raindrop alternative focused on share-sheet saving and type-ahead search.
Is there a free Raindrop alternative?
Backpacks is free on the App Store. Raindrop.io states it is free to use indefinitely with upgrades for premium features. Check raindrop.io for current plan details.
How is Backpacks different from Raindrop.io?
Raindrop.io is a cross-platform bookmark manager with collections. Backpacks is iPhone-only, uses search instead of folders, and also stores screenshots with on-device text reading, plus files and notes in version 1.6.
Can Backpacks replace Raindrop on every device?
No. Backpacks does not offer a web app or browser extension. If you need the same collections on desktop and phone, stay with Raindrop.io or a similar multi-platform tool.
Does Backpacks import Raindrop exports?
No. Backpacks only re-imports its own zip plus library.json export.
Who should pick a Raindrop.io alternative like Backpacks?
Pick Backpacks if you live on iPhone, dislike maintaining collections, and want screenshots and links in one searchable library with optional iCloud sync.
iPhone-only. Search-first. Free on the App Store.
Download on the App StoreSources: Raindrop.io homepage: raindrop.io (“All-in-one bookmark manager”; free indefinitely with paid upgrades; apps for browsers, iPhone, iPad, Android, desktop). Backpacks App Store id 6820880722.