Shiori review: bookmarks that stay on your computer

Shiori is a self-hosted bookmark manager for people who want a read-later list without a company account. The project describes it as a simple clone of Pocket that you can use from a web page or the command line, shipped as one program file. ¹ Your links stay on a computer you control.

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

What it is: A self-hosted bookmark manager with a web page and a command line. ¹

Works on: Linux, macOS and Windows builds in release v1.8.0. You then use it in a browser. ² ¹

Price: MIT licence, so you can use and modify it. Optional hosts in the install guide start at $1.20 a month and $12 a year, and the project does not endorse them. ¹ ³

Licence: MIT. ¹

Best for: A private bookmark library on a computer you already run.

Official site: github.com/go-shiori/shiori

What Shiori does (and how it protects your privacy)

Shiori keeps web pages you want to find again. You can add, edit, delete and search bookmarks, import and export a Netscape bookmark file (the file browsers make when you export bookmarks), and import a Pocket export. ¹ Where it can, Shiori parses the readable content of a page and saves an offline archive on your machine. ¹ Readable content means a cleaner copy of the page, kept beside the link.

The privacy gain is where that library lives. By default Shiori uses SQLite, a single database file, in its data folder. ⁴ On Linux that folder is ~/.local/share/shiori. On macOS it is ~/Library/Application Support/shiori. On Windows it is %LOCALAPPDATA%/shiori. ⁴ SHIORI_DIR moves it. ⁴ With Docker, attach a folder for the database, thumbnails and archive. ⁵

The person who started the project wrote that bookmarks feel like sensitive data, and that they would rather keep them offline or on their own server. ⁶ If you do not run a server yourself, the install guide lists outside providers that will host Shiori for you. ³

Key features of Shiori

Web page and command line. The web interface is for people who do not want a command-line app. ¹
Offline archive. Where possible, Shiori stores a readable copy of the page on your computer. ¹
Tags and search. In the web search box, tag:name includes a tag and -tag:name leaves one out. ⁵
Import and export. Netscape bookmark files go both ways, and Pocket exports can come in. ¹
A database you choose. SQLite is the default. PostgreSQL, MariaDB and MySQL are also listed. ¹
More than one account. Settings can add accounts. Since version 1.5.0 the levels are owner and visitor. ⁵ ⁶
A browser add-on, marked beta. The README lists web extension support for Firefox and Chrome, and labels it beta. ¹
One program file, or Docker. Shiori is distributed as a single binary. The install guide also offers the image ghcr.io/go-shiori/shiori. ¹ ³

Pros and cons

Pros

The MIT licence lets you use and modify the program. ¹
Bookmarks sit in a data folder on your computer. ⁴
Where possible, Shiori saves an offline archive of the page. ¹
You can export a Netscape bookmark file. ¹
Daily use can stay in the web interface. ¹
GitHub does not list the repository as archived. The latest recorded code update is 26 October 2026. ⁷

Cons

You install and run it yourself. The project’s methods are a download, a source build, or Docker. Hosting is a separate list of outside providers. ³
The first login uses a password printed in the documentation, so change it before anyone else can open the page. ⁵
A GitHub advisory says Shiori 1.7.4 and earlier do not limit repeated tries on the login page. It names 1.7.4 as the last affected version and does not name a fixed release. ⁸
The newest numbered release is v1.8.0, published on 26 September 2025, while the repository has later code changes. ² ⁷
The v1.8.0 downloads are builds for Linux, macOS and Windows. ²
The browser extension is still marked beta. ¹

Is Shiori safe and private?

Shiori’s privacy story is where the files sit. The configuration guide describes an SQLite database in the data folder unless you set MySQL or PostgreSQL. ⁴ Docker notes put the database, thumbnails and archive in a folder you choose. ⁵ Keep that folder as private as your other personal files.

Shiori is distributed under the MIT licence. ¹ The FAQ names @fmartingr as the current active maintainer, and says Radhi Fadlillah or deanishe may work on it from time to time. ⁶ GitHub does not list the repository as archived. ⁷

If people outside your house can open the login page, two facts matter. The first account in the docs is username shiori and password gopher. ⁵ Change it. GitHub advisory GHSA-mw8h-g64c-rxv4, also CVE-2025-60538, says Shiori 1.7.4 and below do not limit how many passwords someone can try. ⁸ That limit is called rate limiting. The advisory stops at version 1.7.4 and does not name a fixed release. ⁸ Use a long password, and do not leave the login page open to the whole internet.

CloudBreak and PikaPods, listed from $12 a year and $1.20 a month, are not endorsed by the Shiori team. ³ A host stores the library for you. Your own computer keeps it in the data folder.

How to get started with Shiori

Download v1.8.0, published on 26 September 2025. The files are for Linux, macOS and Windows. ² The install guide says to put the program on your PATH, the list of folders your computer searches for programs. ³
If you already use Docker, pull ghcr.io/go-shiori/shiori. ³ The usage guide’s example publishes port 8080 and keeps a folder for the database, thumbnails and archive. ⁵
Start the web interface with shiori server, then open http://localhost:8080. ⁵ Localhost means this computer. The default port, the door the program listens on, is 8080. ⁴
Sign in as shiori with the password gopher, then change that password in settings. ⁵ Those words are published in the docs, so they are only a first key. BellCrier’s free password generator can make a long replacement you have not used elsewhere.
Add a page, or import a Netscape bookmark file or a Pocket export. ¹
To share the library at home, add accounts on the settings page. ⁵ The project documents two levels, owner and visitor. ⁶
For a button in Firefox or Chrome, the project lists a web extension and marks it beta. ¹

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

Shiori suits someone with a computer that can stay on, or a small home server, who wants a read-later list outside a company account. The v1.8.0 release is for Linux, macOS and Windows. ² You use it in a browser, including a phone browser that can reach that computer. ¹

For another bookmark list on your own server, see linkding. For saving articles to read later, see wallabag. For saved copies with notes on each link, see Linkwarden.

Frequently asked questions

Is Shiori free?

Yes. The project says the MIT licence means you can use and modify Shiori. ¹ Its install guide offers a download, a source build, or Docker, and lists paid hosting only from outside providers: CloudBreak from $12 a year and PikaPods from $1.20 a month. Those hosts are not endorsed by the team. ³

Is Shiori safe?

With the starter password changed, Shiori is a sound home for a private bookmark library. The files are a database in your data folder, plus archives when a page can be saved. ⁴ ⁵ Versions 1.7.4 and earlier do not limit password guesses on the login page, according to the GitHub advisory. ⁸

Does Shiori work on iPhone?

The v1.8.0 files are builds for Linux, macOS and Windows. ² An iPhone can open the web page in its browser when it can reach the computer running Shiori. This article is about that self-hosted program from the go-shiori project.

Can Shiori save a page to read offline?

By default, where it can, Shiori parses the readable content and creates an offline archive of the page. ¹