In today’s digital world, we are constantly consuming information—articles, research papers, social media posts, videos, and images. But with so much content scattered across platforms, it’s easy to lose track of valuable resources. Bookmarks pile up, notes get buried, and important references vanish when links die.

This is where Karakeep steps in. Designed for information hoarders, knowledge workers, and productivity enthusiasts, Karakeep is more than just a bookmarking tool—it’s a self-hostable digital archive that helps you capture, organize, and retrieve content effortlessly. Whether you’re saving an insightful blog post, archiving a PDF, or tagging research notes, Karakeep ensures your digital treasures remain accessible and searchable at any time.

What Is Karakeep?

Karakeep group buy (previously called Hoarder) is an open-source, self-hosted bookmarking and archiving app. Unlike traditional bookmark managers that only save a link, Karakeep goes deeper by:

• Archiving full web pages to protect against link rot

• Extracting text from PDFs and images with OCR

• AI-powered tagging & categorization, so you can find content quickly

• Full-text search across everything you save

• Cross-platform availability with browser extensions (Chrome & Firefox) and mobile apps (iOS & Android)

Because it’s self-hosted, you maintain complete control over your data. No third-party service owns your information, and you can customize the setup based on your needs. Karakeep is built with modern tech (NextJS, Meilisearch, Puppeteer, tRPC, OpenAI/Ollama), which allows it to deliver a smooth and efficient experience while being extensible for power users.

Pricing Plans

Karakeep is open-source and free to self-host under the AGPL-3.0 license .
If you choose hosting via third-party providers like PikaPods, costs may start around $2.90/month

Pros & Cons

Why Karakeep Is Essential For ?

In an age where digital clutter overwhelms us, Karakeep is essential because it solves a problem that almost everyone faces: how to capture, organize, and preserve valuable content without losing it in a sea of bookmarks or dead links.

Unlike traditional bookmarking tools, Karakeep ensures that every piece of information you save is searchable, categorized, and safe from disappearing. With features like AI-driven tagging, OCR text recognition, and full-page archiving, you can instantly retrieve what you’ve saved—even if the original website has been taken down.

Here’s why Karakeep stands out as essential:

• 🔒 Data Ownership & Privacy – You control your data, since it’s self-hosted.

• 📂 Deep Organization – Automatic AI tags and rule-based sorting keep your digital library structured.

• 🔍 Faster Retrieval – Full-text search means no more endless scrolling through bookmarks.

• 🕵️ Link Preservation – Save full pages, PDFs, and screenshots to protect against broken links.

• 📱 Cross-Device Access – Browser extensions and mobile apps let you capture and access content anywhere.

In short, Karakeep is not just about saving links—it’s about building a personal knowledge archive that grows with you.

Who Will Benefit the Most?

Karakeep is versatile, but certain groups of people will find it especially valuable:

• Researchers & Students
  Stay on top of academic papers, articles, and resources by archiving them in one searchable place.

• Writers & Content Creators
  Collect inspirations, references, and notes without losing them in browser chaos.

• Developers & Tech Enthusiasts
  Self-hosting fans gain full control while organizing documentation, tutorials, and project references.

• Professionals & Knowledge Workers
  Build a second brain for work—saving reports, strategies, or case studies for quick access later.

• Journalists & Analysts
  Archive sources permanently so you don’t lose crucial references to link rot.

• Everyday Users
  Anyone tired of messy bookmarks, endless tabs, and disappearing articles can simplify their digital life with Karakeep.

👉 Whether you’re a data hoarder who loves collecting information or a busy professional who values efficiency, Karakeep ensures your digital knowledge stays organized, permanent, and accessible.

Key Features of Karakeep

Karakeep isn’t just another bookmarking tool—it’s a complete digital archive and knowledge management system. Below are the standout features that make it unique:

🔍 Full-Text Search Across Everything

Unlike basic bookmark managers, Karakeep indexes the entire content of saved pages, PDFs, and images (via OCR). This means you can search inside documents and screenshots, not just titles or URLs.

🤖 AI-Powered Tagging & Categorization

With built-in AI integrations (OpenAI or local Ollama models), Karakeep automatically generates tags, summaries, and categories for your saved content. This makes organizing effortless and retrieval faster.

📰 Automatic Metadata Fetching

Every time you save a link, Karakeep automatically pulls in the title, description, images, and rich metadata, so your collection stays informative and visually organized.

📑 Full-Page Archiving & Screenshots

Avoid “link rot” by storing full-page snapshots, including videos and images. Even if the source site disappears, you still have a permanent copy.

🖼️ OCR Image & PDF Support

Extract text from images, scanned documents, or PDFs and make them fully searchable. Perfect for researchers, students, and professionals dealing with visual data.

🔄 Rule-Based Organization

Set up automation rules (like “auto-tag all YouTube links” or “move PDFs to a research folder”), saving time on manual sorting.

🌐 Cross-Platform Extensions & Apps

Karakeep works everywhere you do:

• Browser Extensions: Chrome & Firefox for one-click saving.

• Mobile Apps: iOS & Android for capturing on the go.

• Web App: Access your full library from any browser.

📰 RSS Auto-Hoarding

Automatically pull in articles from your favorite RSS feeds into your library—perfect for staying on top of news and research updates.

🌙 Dark Mode & Clean UI

A distraction-free, modern interface with light/dark mode support, making it easy on the eyes.

⚙️ Self-Hosted & Private

Since Karakeep is open-source and self-hosted, you keep 100% control of your data. No ads, no tracking, no vendor lock-in.

👉 In short: Karakeep is not just a bookmark manager—it’s a personal second brain.

How to Use Karakeep ?

Getting started with Karakeep is straightforward, especially if you’re familiar with self-hosted apps. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Install Karakeep

• Deploy using Docker (official images available on GitHub).

• Alternatively, use a hosting service like PikaPods if you don’t want to manage servers yourself.

Step 2: Configure Your Setup

• Set environment variables for authentication and storage.

• Connect optional services like OpenAI/Ollama for AI tagging.

• Enable Meilisearch for fast full-text search.

Step 3: Start Saving Content

• Use the browser extension to capture links instantly.

• Save PDFs, images, or notes directly to your Karakeep library.

• Enable RSS feeds to automatically archive new posts from your favorite sites.

Step 4: Organize Your Collection

• Let AI auto-tagging categorize content for you.

• Use folders, tags, and rules to group items logically.

• Add manual highlights or notes for extra context.

Step 5: Search & Retrieve Anytime

• Use the search bar to find content instantly by keyword, tag, or full-text match.

• Filter results by file type, tag, or source.

• Retrieve even from archived pages and images via OCR.

Step 6: Sync Across Devices

• Access your library on desktop, mobile, or tablet.

• Browser extensions + mobile apps make it seamless to save and retrieve wherever you are.

👉 Within minutes, Karakeep transforms into your personal archive, digital notebook, and research assistant—all in one.

Who Should Use Karakeep?

Karakeep is built with flexibility, making it useful for both casual users and power users. However, certain groups will get the most value from it:

👨‍💻 Tech-Savvy Self-Hosters

If you’re comfortable running apps with Docker or on your home server, Karakeep is an ideal fit. It offers full control, privacy, and customization, which self-hosting enthusiasts love.

🎓 Researchers & Students

For academic work, citations, and long-term reference management, Karakeep provides archiving, OCR support, and full-text search that make retrieving knowledge effortless.

✍️ Writers, Journalists & Content Creators

Writers often deal with a flood of ideas, articles, and references. Karakeep lets you store inspirations, draft notes, and archive web sources without worrying about broken links.

🧠 Knowledge Workers & Professionals

Consultants, analysts, and business professionals can use Karakeep as a knowledge hub—saving reports, research, or case studies in one organized, searchable space.

📚 Lifelong Learners & Data Hoarders

If you love collecting useful information, blog posts, and research for “later,” Karakeep is the perfect digital vault to prevent content loss and chaos.

👉 Simply put: if you value your digital knowledge and want to ensure it’s organized, searchable, and permanent, Karakeep is made for you.

Should You Buy Karakeep?

This is one of the most common questions potential users have—is Karakeep worth paying for?

The short answer: Karakeep is free and open-source. You don’t “buy” it in the traditional sense—you download it, self-host it, and run it on your own server. This means:

• ✅ No subscription fees

• ✅ No vendor lock-in

• ✅ 100% ownership of your data

However, there are a few considerations:

• If you don’t want to self-host, you can use hosting services like PikaPods, which typically start at just a few dollars per month.

• While the software is free, there’s a time investment in setting it up and maintaining it. This may not suit non-technical users.

• The real “cost” is your server resources and technical effort—not a direct software purchase.

💡 Final Take

• If you’re comfortable with self-hosting: Absolutely yes. Karakeep is powerful, private, and free.

• If you’re non-technical: You may need to rely on hosted options, which still offer excellent value at a low monthly cost.

• If you just need a simple bookmark manager without archiving or AI: You might be fine with lighter alternatives like Raindrop or Omnivore.

👉 Bottom line: Karakeep is worth it if you want a long-term, self-owned solution to organize and protect your digital knowledge.

How to Get Karakeep for Just $3.99 with Toolsurf ?

Karakeep is one of the best self-hosted bookmark and knowledge management apps, helping you save, organize, and archive everything from links and PDFs to images and notes. Normally, setting it up and maintaining it on your own server can take time and effort—but with Toolsurf, you can get access to Karakeep at just $3.99, making it a budget-friendly way to unlock premium features with ease.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting started:

Step-by-Step Guide to Purchase Karakeep via Toolsurf

1. Visit the Toolsurf Shop

Head over to the official Toolsurf shop: 👉 https://www.toolsurf.com/shop.

2. Search for Karakeep

Use the search bar or browse through categories to quickly find Karakeep among the available apps and tools.

3. Select Karakeep

Click on the Karakeep listing to view product details, features, and licensing options.

4. Add to Cart

Once you’re ready, hit the “Add to Cart” button to place Karakeep into your shopping basket.

5. Proceed to Checkout

Click on your shopping cart icon and select “Proceed to Checkout.”

6. Log In or Create an Account

• New customers: Create a Toolsurf account with your email and a password.

• Existing customers: Simply log in with your credentials.

7. Complete the Payment

Follow the on-screen instructions to finalize your purchase. Toolsurf supports multiple secure payment options for your convenience.

8. Download Karakeep

Once your payment is confirmed, go to your account dashboard and download Karakeep immediately. You’ll have instant access to install and start organizing your digital library.

Why Buy Karakeep Through Toolsurf?

Here’s why Toolsurf makes getting Karakeep at just $3.99 an unbeatable deal:

• 💰 Affordable Pricing – Access Karakeep’s full power at only $3.99 instead of paying higher elsewhere.

• ⚡ Instant Download – Get access to your software immediately after purchase.

• 🛠️ User-Friendly Experience – Toolsurf’s interface makes it easy to find, purchase, and manage your downloads.

• 🔒 Secure Payments – All transactions are processed through safe, encrypted gateways.

• 📦 Regular Updates – Get access to the most recent and stable versions of Karakeep.

• 📚 Huge Selection – Alongside Karakeep, Toolsurf also offers a wide variety of other plugins, themes, and tools at equally low prices.

Karakeep Alternatives

While Karakeep is a powerful self-hosted bookmarking and archiving tool, it’s not the only option available. Depending on your technical skills, budget, and needs, you might want to consider some alternatives. Let’s look at the most popular ones and see how they compare:

🔹 Raindrop.io

• Type: Cloud-based (not self-hosted)

• Strengths: Beautiful user interface, browser extensions, tagging, cross-device sync.

• Limitations: You don’t own your data—it’s stored on Raindrop’s servers. Lacks full-page archiving and AI-powered tagging.

• Best For: Users who want a polished bookmark manager without the hassle of self-hosting.

🔹 Omnivore

• Type: Open-source, partly self-hostable

• Strengths: Focused on saving articles for later reading, distraction-free reader mode, integrations with Notion/Readwise.

• Limitations: More of a “read-it-later” app than a full archival system. Limited in OCR and AI tagging compared to Karakeep.

• Best For: Readers and researchers who want clean offline reading and syncing with productivity tools.

🔹 Wallabag

• Type: Self-hosted

• Strengths: Long-running open-source project for saving web pages, offline reading, and tagging.

• Limitations: Outdated interface compared to Karakeep, fewer advanced features (no AI tagging, limited OCR support).

• Best For: Minimalists who want a simple, no-frills read-it-later and bookmarking solution.

🔹 Linkwarden

• Type: Self-hosted

• Strengths: Modern, open-source bookmark manager with clean UI, collaborative collections, and archiving support.

• Limitations: Does not yet have AI-based tagging or as powerful full-text search as Karakeep.

• Best For: Teams and individuals looking for a visually modern, collaborative bookmark tool.

🔹 Shiori

• Type: Self-hosted

• Strengths: Lightweight, simple, and easy to deploy. Offers tagging and a basic web interface.

• Limitations: Very minimal—no advanced AI features, archiving, or OCR.

• Best For: Users who want a lightweight, no-nonsense self-hosted bookmark tool.

🔹 Mymind

• Type: Paid, cloud-based

• Strengths: AI-powered tagging, beautiful design, easy to use.

• Limitations: Not self-hosted, subscription-based, limited control over data.

• Best For: Users who prioritize design and ease of use over privacy and self-hosting.

FAQ

Q1. Is Karakeep free?
Yes. Karakeep is open-source and free to self-host. You don’t have to pay for the software itself, but you’ll need your own hosting environment (server, Docker, or a service like PikaPods).

Q2. Does Karakeep support mobile devices?
Absolutely. Karakeep has iOS and Android apps, along with browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox, making it easy to capture and access content on the go.

Q3. Can Karakeep archive full web pages?
Yes. One of Karakeep’s strongest features is its full-page archiving. It saves a snapshot of the entire page, so even if the original website goes offline, you’ll still have a copy.

Q4. Does Karakeep have AI features?
Yes. Karakeep supports AI-powered tagging and summarization, either through OpenAI or local AI models like Ollama, helping you organize your digital library with minimal effort.

Q5. Is Karakeep difficult to set up?
If you’re familiar with Docker and self-hosted apps, setup is straightforward. For non-technical users, third-party hosting providers can simplify the process for a small monthly fee.

User Reviews and Ratings

Karakeep has been well-received by early adopters across app stores and tech communities:

• ⭐ Google Play Store (Android): 4.2/5 (~100+ reviews)

  • Users appreciate its feature-rich design, offline archiving, and AI tagging. Some mention minor UI and caching issues.

• ⭐ Apple App Store (iOS): 4.6/5 (~30+ reviews)

  • Praised for its clean design and powerful features. A few users requested more customization options.

• 💬 Community Feedback (Reddit & GitHub):

  • “Karakeep is a must-have in my self-hosted setup. It feels like having my own second brain.”

  • “The AI-powered search is game-changing. I can find saved content instantly, even in PDFs and images.”

Overall, Karakeep enjoys strong positive reviews for its privacy-first approach, feature set, and ease of use once installed.

Is Karakeep Worth It?

If you’re wondering whether Karakeep is worth your time, the answer is yes—if you value data ownership and organization.

✅ Worth it if…

• You want to own and control your data.

• You need AI-powered search and auto-tagging.

• You regularly save and reference content, research, or media.

• You want protection against link rot with full-page archiving.

❌ Not ideal if…

• You prefer a plug-and-play cloud solution with no self-hosting effort.

• You only save a handful of bookmarks occasionally.

👉 Bottom line: Karakeep is absolutely worth it for knowledge workers, researchers, creators, and self-hosting fans who want a permanent, organized, and searchable digital archive.

Final Thoughts

Karakeep is more than just a bookmark manager—it’s a complete digital knowledge management system designed for people who want control over their information. In a time where links break, content disappears, and bookmarks pile up chaotically, Karakeep provides a structured, permanent, and searchable home for your digital resources.

Its combination of AI-powered tagging, OCR support, and full-page archiving makes it stand out from both cloud-based services and other self-hosted tools. For anyone who collects information regularly—be it students, researchers, journalists, or professionals—Karakeep eliminates the frustration of losing track of valuable content.

Of course, like any self-hosted app, it requires a bit of setup and technical know-how. But for those willing to invest a little time, the payoff is massive: a private, customizable, and future-proof archive that grows with you.

Conclusion

If you’ve ever wished for a personal “second brain” that keeps all your notes, links, and documents safe and searchable, Karakeep delivers exactly that. It’s open-source, privacy-focused, and packed with features usually found only in expensive commercial tools.

By choosing Karakeep, you’re not just saving bookmarks—you’re building a long-term digital library that will always be under your control. Whether you’re an academic, a professional, or a casual learner, this tool ensures your knowledge stays organized, accessible, and secure.