wallabag
wallabag is a self-hosted read-it-later web application that lets you save, organize, and read web articles offline without distractions. It's free, open-source, and built on PHP/Symfony with mobile apps and browser extensions available.
Key facts
Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | wallabag/wallabag |
| Owner | wallabag |
| Primary language | PHP |
| License | MIT — OSI-approved |
| Stars | 12.8k |
| Forks | 882 |
| Open issues | 754 |
| Latest release | 2.6.14 (2025-10-07) |
| Last updated | 2026-07-06 |
| Source | https://github.com/wallabag/wallabag |
What wallabag is
PHP-based Symfony web application using a relational database backend, with content extraction via Graby and php-readability libraries. Provides REST APIs and integrates with Android, iOS, GNOME, and browser extension clients.
Get the wallabag source
Clone the repository and explore it locally.
git clone https://github.com/wallabag/wallabag.gitcd wallabag# follow the project's README for install & configurationNeed it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.
Best use cases
Implementation considerations
- Requires PHP 8.0+ and a relational database (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite); see doc.wallabag.org for full requirements.
- Content extraction depends on Graby/php-readability libraries; success varies by site structure and may require ftr-site-config tuning.
- Installation via `make install` assumes GNU Make and Git; alternative methods (Docker, manual setup) documented but add complexity.
- Multi-language support via Weblate; verify translations completeness for your target locale before deployment.
- No built-in authentication beyond basic user accounts; integrate reverse proxy (nginx/Apache) for SSO/LDAP if needed.
When to avoid it — and what to weigh
- Requiring enterprise-grade SLA/support — wallabag is community-maintained without commercial support contracts. Downtime, security patches, or feature requests depend on volunteer capacity.
- Needing advanced content intelligence — No built-in AI-powered summarization, categorization, or semantic search. Content extraction relies on static libraries; heavy customization requires custom development.
- Expecting turnkey cloud hosting — While wallabag.it exists as a paid hosted service, self-hosting requires infrastructure setup (PHP, database, reverse proxy), DevOps skills, and ongoing maintenance.
- Heavy real-time collaboration features — Designed for individual or small-team read-it-later use. Not suited for shared annotation, live co-editing, or team discussion workflows.
License & commercial use
MIT License (permissive OSI license). Copyright held by Nicolas Lœuillet. Full terms in COPYING.md. No copyleft restrictions.
MIT License permits commercial use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions (retain copyright notice and license). However, commercial deployment (self-hosting, private fork) carries same maintenance responsibility as any other self-hosted open-source project. If seeking liability indemnification or maintenance guarantees, contact wallabag.org or evaluate commercial alternatives.
DEV.co evaluation signals
Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.
| Signal | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Maintenance | Active |
| Documentation | Strong |
| License clarity | Clear |
| Deployment complexity | Moderate |
| DEV.co fit | Good |
| Assessment confidence | High |
Self-hosted deployment inherits responsibility for OS patching, database hardening, TLS/HTTPS, and reverse-proxy config. Graby/php-readability libraries parse untrusted HTML; monitor for content-parsing vulnerabilities. No security audit data provided. Review CONTRIBUTING.md and latest release notes for security fixes before upgrade.
Alternatives to consider
Pocket (Read It Later by Mozilla)
Cloud-hosted, feature-rich (recommendations, highlighting), integrates with Firefox. Trade-off: centralized data, proprietary platform, subscription model.
Instapaper
Established read-it-later with superior content formatting and full-text search. Trade-off: closed-source, subscription, no self-host option.
Linkwarden
Modern TypeScript-based link manager with better UI, collaborative features, and easier deployment. Trade-off: younger project, smaller ecosystem of mobile apps.
Build on wallabag with DEV.co software developers
Start with doc.wallabag.org or run `git clone && make install`. Need DevOps support, API integration, or custom deployment? Our team can guide you through self-hosting or multi-instance scaling.
Talk to DEV.coRelated on DEV.co
Explore the category and the services that help you build with it.
wallabag FAQ
Can I host wallabag on shared hosting?
Does wallabag support LDAP or OAuth login?
What happens if I stop maintaining my wallabag instance?
Can I migrate from Pocket or Instapaper?
Software developers & web developers for hire
From first prototype to production, DEV.co delivers software development services around tools like wallabag. Our software development agency staffs experienced software developers and web developers for custom software development, web development, integrations, and ongoing support across open-source devops and beyond.
Ready to deploy wallabag?
Start with doc.wallabag.org or run `git clone && make install`. Need DevOps support, API integration, or custom deployment? Our team can guide you through self-hosting or multi-instance scaling.