NexoPad vs Raindrop.io: which link manager is right for you?
Raindrop.io is one of the most complete bookmark managers out there. NexoPad solves a different problem: keeping the links you work with close at hand. Here are the differences, plainly.
Raindrop.io is very popular with people who save lots of articles, videos and pages to come back to later. It offers visual collections, tags, highlights and apps for almost every device.
NexoPad isn't trying to be a big reading library. It's an everyday extension: your work links one or two clicks away, next to your notes, your text shortcuts and an AI assistant. We're the NexoPad team, but we'll tell you clearly when Raindrop.io is the better fit.
What Raindrop.io does well
- A very generous free plan: unlimited bookmarks, collections and devices.
- Free highlights: mark sentences on any page and come back to them later.
- It's everywhere: web, Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android, with extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge.
- Visual collections with several views (grid, list, headlines…), tags and shared collections.
- With Pro, it searches the full text of pages, PDFs and YouTube transcripts, keeps permanent copies of pages and adds reminders, annotations and an AI assistant.
Comparison table
| Raindrop.io | NexoPad | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | A library of links and reading | Keeping your work links at hand, next to notes and templates |
| Free plan | Unlimited bookmarks and collections | Up to 20 links and 2 custom categories |
| Paid plans | Paid Pro plan (price shown only at checkout) | Pro: $49/year, up to 1,000 links; Teams: $8/user/month |
| Search | By title, tags and domain; inside page text with Pro | By name and keyword, in the popup, the side panel, Ctrl+K and the address bar |
| Highlights and page copies | Yes (permanent copies with Pro) | No |
| Open several pages at once | We couldn't verify it | Yes, with link groups that open as a tab group |
| Where it works | Web, desktop and mobile apps, and extensions | Extension for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera and Brave; no mobile app |
| Extras | Annotations and AI assistant (Pro) | Notes with reminders, text shortcuts with variables and AI with your own key from 10 providers |
How links work in NexoPad
In NexoPad, every link has a name, a category and, if you like, a keyword. The ones you use most stay pinned at the top, and you find any of them by typing a few letters in the popup, the side panel or the Ctrl+K search box without leaving the page. With Pro, you can also type sys and a space in the address bar to open them from there.
The handiest part for work is link groups: save, say, a client's dashboard, shared folder and report, and open them all in one click, already grouped as tabs. Any link can also open in an incognito window, and a URL with %s works as a search for the text you select. All the details are in the links guide.
When to choose each one
Choose Raindrop.io if…
You save hundreds or thousands of articles, videos and pages to read, you want to highlight, you need your links on your phone or you want to search inside page text. Its free plan already covers a lot.
Choose NexoPad if…
Your links are mostly for work and you open them every day, you want to open several pages at once and you'd rather keep them in the same extension as your notes, your shortcut templates and AI.
How to move your links from Raindrop.io to NexoPad
Export from Raindrop.io
In Settings → Backups, create a backup of all your bookmarks; you can download it as HTML, CSV or TXT. Choose HTML.
Import them into your browser
In Chrome, open the bookmark manager, click the three-dot menu and choose import. We suggest importing just your work links, not your whole library.
Bring them into NexoPad
From the settings menu in the popup, import your browser bookmarks. Folders become categories and duplicate links are skipped.
Frequently asked questions
Is Raindrop.io free?
Yes. Its free plan doesn't expire and includes unlimited bookmarks, collections and devices, plus highlights. Pro adds full-text search, permanent page copies and automatic backups, among other things.
Does NexoPad have a mobile app?
No. NexoPad is an extension for your desktop browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera and Brave). If you need your links on your phone, Raindrop.io is a better fit.
How many links can I save in NexoPad?
Up to 20 on the free plan and up to 1,000 with Pro. Once you sign in, they sync across every browser where you have the extension.
What other Raindrop.io alternatives are there?
Chrome bookmarks, Toby, Linkwarden and Pinboard, among others. We compare them in our list of the best bookmark managers.
Published on October 14, 20266 min read
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