Linkwarden review: bookmarks that keep a copy

Linkwarden is a self-hosted, open-source bookmark manager for people who want to collect pages and still have the article if the original link dies. It saves a screenshot, a PDF, and a single HTML file of each webpage, and it lets you highlight and annotate a readable view. You can run it on a server you look after, which the project describes as free if you deploy and maintain that server, or use Linkwarden Cloud, which it calls the simplest way to start. The privacy benefit is a library in software you can inspect, on a machine you run or on the company’s hosted service. ¹

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

What it is: An open-source bookmark manager that collects, reads, annotates, and preserves webpages. ¹

Works on: Your own server or Linkwarden Cloud; iPhone on iOS 15.1 or later and iPad on iPadOS 15.1 or later; an official Android app; a browser extension. ¹ ⁸

Price: Free to run yourself. Cloud is $4 per seat per month, or $3 per seat per month billed yearly, plus tax, after a 14-day trial. Each seat adds 30,000 links. ¹ ⁶

Licence: AGPLv3. The project says it is fully open source, and that you can export your links and cancel. ³

Best for: People who want a stored copy of pages they bookmark, and who can run a small server or pay for hosting.

Official site: linkwarden.app

What Linkwarden does (and how it protects your privacy)

Linkwarden keeps a copy so the article can outlive the original page. The current release is version 2.16.3, published on 9 September 2026. It improves the performance of link, search, tag, collection, and dashboard queries. ¹ ²

Saving a link queues it. A background worker then opens the page. A new account keeps the readable view, the HTML copy, the screenshot, and the PDF. The Archive.org snapshot stays off until you enable it in Archive Settings. The server opens each page as an anonymous visitor, so a login wall or a paywall is what gets saved. ⁴

Preserved files sit on the instance’s disk, or in S3-compatible storage (an online file bucket) if you set that up. Deleting a link deletes its files. On your own server, that disk is yours. The cloud privacy policy, last updated 31 July 2023, names Ontario, Canada as the company’s country and says personal data may be processed at its offices and at other organisations that handle it. ⁴ ⁵

Key features of Linkwarden

Page copies. A screenshot, a PDF, a single HTML file, and a readable article for each saved webpage. ¹ ⁴
Highlights. You can highlight and annotate text in the reader view. ¹
Collections. Group links by collection, sub-collection, name, description, and tags. ¹
Sharing. Collaborate on a collection with permissions for each member, or share links and preserved formats publicly. ¹
Search. Full-text search reads the article when Meilisearch is running. Cloud includes it. Without it, search covers the name, address, description, and tags. ⁴
Optional tools. Local AI tagging suggests tags from the page. A Wayback Machine option, off on a new account, sends the address to archive.org. ¹ ⁴
Apps. Official iOS and Android apps, a browser extension, and browser sync using Floccus. ¹

Linkwarden pros and cons

Pros

Self-hosting is free, and the project calls the code fully open source under AGPLv3. ¹ ³
You can export your links, cancel a cloud plan, and take your data with you. ³
You choose which archive formats run, and the Wayback Machine send starts off. ⁴
Official phone apps exist, and the iOS app can read saved copies offline, with highlights. ¹ ⁸

Cons

Cloud is a paid seat after the 14-day trial. The free path means you maintain a server. ¹ ⁶
The setup guide’s comfortable start is 4 GB of memory, two cores, and about 1.5 GB of disk plus your pages. ⁷
Logged-out capture misses pages that only appear after you sign in, unless you upload a copy from your own browser. ⁴
Full-text search needs Meilisearch, which Cloud includes and a self-hosted install may not. ⁴
Refreshing a link deletes the old copies before it fetches the live page. If that page is gone, the old copy is gone. ⁴

Is Linkwarden safe and private?

The project publishes its code and calls it fully open source under AGPLv3. It asks you to email security reports to [email protected]. ¹ ³

On a server you administer, files stay on that disk or in storage you configure. The server opens each page as an anonymous visitor. Local AI tagging is optional and described as local. The Wayback Machine option, off at first, sends the address to archive.org. A public share includes the links and the preserved formats. ¹ ⁴

The company’s privacy policy says it may ask for an email address and a city, state, or postal code. Usage data on linkwarden.app may include an IP address, browser type, and pages visited. It may use Plausible Analytics. It uses Google’s invisible reCAPTCHA. Stripe handles cards, and Linkwarden does not store those card details. It may share data with service providers, and disclose it when the law requires it or a public authority makes a valid request. The iOS listing says crash data may be collected and is not linked to your identity. ⁵ ⁸

How to get started with Linkwarden

Choose Cloud or a server you run. Cloud is the simplest start. Self-hosting is free if you deploy and maintain it. Begin at the official site. ¹
For Cloud, pick a seat at $4 per month, or $3 per month billed yearly, plus tax. One seat is included, and each seat adds 30,000 links. The 14-day trial does not charge for seats. You are charged for them when it ends. ⁶
To self-host, follow the Docker Compose setup. Docker runs the app from a prepared image. Plan on 4 GB of memory, two cores, and about 1.5 GB plus your pages, on x86-64 or ARM64. Set the login secret, database password, and search key, then open the app on port 3000. ⁷
Install the iPhone or iPad app (iOS 15.1 or later on iPhone, iPadOS 15.1 or later on iPad) or the Android app linked from the project page. The phone app needs Cloud or your server. On the App Store the app is free, with Cloud at $4.00 a month or $36.00 a year. ¹ ⁸
Add the browser extension from the project page, sign in, and save one page. Wait for the queue, then check preserved formats. Turn off formats you do not want, and leave Archive.org off unless you want that address sent to the Wayback Machine. ¹ ⁴

Who should use Linkwarden (and who might prefer something else)

Linkwarden fits people who want page copies, shared collections with set permissions, and either a paid seat or their own server. The iOS app can open saved articles offline. ¹ ⁸

For articles set aside to read later, see Wallabag. For bookmarks on a computer you control, see linkding and Shiori, a small self-hosted library. Pick Linkwarden when the stored copy of the page is the point.

Frequently asked questions

Is Linkwarden free?

Yes, if you host it yourself and supply the computer. Linkwarden Cloud is $4 per seat per month, or $3 per seat per month billed yearly, plus tax, after a 14-day trial. You can export your links and cancel. ¹ ³ ⁶

Is Linkwarden safe?

The code is public under AGPLv3, and security mail goes to [email protected]. On your own server, copies stay on that disk or in storage you set up. The cloud policy says absolute security cannot be guaranteed. It names Plausible Analytics, Google reCAPTCHA, and Stripe. Leave the Wayback Machine option off if you do not want addresses sent to archive.org. ¹ ³ ⁴ ⁵

Does Linkwarden work on iPhone?

Yes. The official app supports iPhone on iOS 15.1 or later and iPad on iPadOS 15.1 or later, with the share sheet, offline reading, and highlights. It is free to install and needs Cloud or your own server. Android has an official app linked from the project page. ¹ ⁸

Can I use Linkwarden without the company’s servers?

Yes. Self-hosting is free if you deploy and maintain the server. The setup guide publishes Docker images for x86-64 and ARM64. The phone apps can connect to that server, and single sign-on is listed for self-hosted and Enterprise users. ¹ ⁷ ⁸