Comparison

Surfed vs Bookmarks

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Surfed

This app unifies browsing history and bookmarks across devices with smart collections, tags, and notes. It offers advanced tools for developers and researchers, including a web inspector and automations, while providing a user-friendly interface for everyday browsing.

Highlights
  • Unified multi-browser history
  • Smart bookmark collections
  • Tags, notes, and reminders
  • Web Inspector and HTML Playground
  • Web Triggers automations
  • Dedicated browsing workspaces
  • Media Viewer
Features
Read full description

Surfed is a browser and unified history + bookmark manager for iOS, macOS, and visionOS that keeps a global, multi-browser history with smart bookmark collections, tags, notes, and reminders synced across devices. Search any session with powerful filters across all the context Surfed captures, then save those queries as personal, self-updating smart bookmark lists that surface the right pages at the right moment. The browser includes a built-in Web Inspector, Network Monitor, HTML Playground, JavaScript Console, and Web Triggers automations that run as you browse and can be built from extensive actions or installed from a gallery—so casual readers, normal users, and everyday browsers get a friendly UI while researchers, students, and professionals can organize knowledge and debug complex web apps. ### A Browser for Every Workflow - Create dedicated browsing workspaces with unique profiles, search engines, and automations for each context. - Use the Media Viewer to surface every image, video, and audio asset found on the current page. - Open a split browser view to compare sources or multitask across two sites at once. - Use the enhanced download manager with Live Activities, URL clean-up tools, and Share Sheet support. - Extend Surfed’s features directly inside Safari with the Surfed Safari extension for quick history, bookmarks, and automations. ### Smart Bookmark & History Manager - Keep a complete history of all your browsers across iOS, macOS, and visionOS that is fully searchable. - Build dynamic collections, reminders, and saved searches that update automatically as you browse. - Tag everything, track time-on-page, surface statistics, and protect sensitive sessions. ### Made for Power Users & Developers - Inspect layouts, watch network calls, test snippets, or prototype ideas inside the HTML Playground without leaving the page. - Edit source code live with Web Inspector + HTML Playground to test changes. - Automate repetitive steps with Web Triggers, Shortcut Actions, and JavaScript or AI-generated code—there are actions for everything. - Build browsing automations that trigger as you surf, either by composing your own Web Triggers from the extensive action catalog or installing prebuilt recipes from the gallery. - Customize search engines, clean URLs in one tap. ### Organize Research, Work, and Study - Capture ideas with notes, website tags, and Spaces dedicated to each project. - Attach Markdown notes to individual webpages and jot down per-Space notes to track decisions and next steps. - Turn history into personalized research dashboards that stay in sync across devices. - Listen Later and Read Later queues keep long-form content accessible whether you are commuting or studying. - Capture and annotate articles with Markup Mode, then share them using tons of built-in browser actions or Shortcuts workflows. ### Optional AI Assistance - Ask questions about your current browsing session or a single webpage inside the AI Chat to extract the answers you need. - Let AI tagging classify websites automatically so your collections stay organized. - Summarize long-form articles with one tap to save time during research or study. ### Privacy-First Sync - Your browsing data lives only on your devices and is protected with Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode. - Surfed does not collect analytics or diagnostics. Sync happens via secure, native Apple services. In-app purchases unlock Surfed Pro features on iOS, macOS, and visionOS. App Privacy: All browsing history is stored locally on your device and cannot be viewed by anyone else, including us. We do not collect analytics or diagnostic data. Follow @surfedapp on X and @Surfed@indieapps.space on Mastodon for updates. Privacy Policy: http://surfed.app/privacy.html Terms of Service: http://surfed.app/terms.html

About

Bookmarks

Save, organize, and read web content with this app. It offers a distraction-free reader, text highlighting, and offline access to articles. Powerful search and folder organization help manage your saved links.

Highlights
  • Save links instantly
  • Distraction-free reader
  • Highlight text and add notes
  • Offline reading
  • Organize with folders
  • Import & export bookmarks
  • iCloud Sync
Features
Read full description

Bookmarks - Read Later is your all-in-one app to save, organize, and read the web. Paste a URL, bookmark from Safari, or queue articles for later, with a clean reader, highlights, and powerful search built in. Download now and turn scattered links into a library you actually use. KEY FEATURES: • Save links instantly Copy a link or tap + to save. The app automatically fetches the thumbnail, title, and site info for a rich preview card. • Read Later & article reader Send pages to your reading list, track progress, and read in a distraction-free reader with optional dark mode. • Highlight text Select passages while reading, color-code highlights, add notes, and export them as Markdown. • Offline reading Download Read Later articles for offline access — perfect for flights, commutes, and spotty Wi‑Fi. • Quick search Find bookmarks fast by title, host name, or keywords. • Organize with folders Create folders with custom icons and keep your library tidy — nested folders supported. • Share Extension Save links directly from Safari and other apps. Tap Share and choose Bookmarks - Read Later. • Siri Shortcuts & widgets Add bookmarks with Shortcuts, open unread articles, and glance at your queue from a Home Screen widget. • Lock bookmarks Lock sensitive bookmarks to hide them behind Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode. • Import & export Back up your library as JSON or import bookmarks from your browser’s exported HTML file. • iCloud Sync (Bookmarks Pro) Keep bookmarks, folders, and highlights in sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. • Privacy first No analytics or tracking. Your data stays on your device. Bookmarks - Read Later works beautifully on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. For more information, visit https://indiegoodies.com/bookmarks Terms of Use: https://indiegoodies.com/bookmarks/terms Privacy Policy: https://indiegoodies.com/bookmarks/privacy

Screenshots

Surfed4 screens
Bookmarks4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Bookmarks at 4.3 against Surfed's 3.5. Bookmarks also leads on review sentiment (67% vs 40%) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 weeks). Surfed's advantage is device support (5 vs 3). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Surfed sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Bookmarks sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Bookmarks holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 26 and 23 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Surfed's written reviews are positive against 67% of Bookmarks's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Surfed ships an update every 6 weeks, Bookmarks every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Surfed versus Bookmarks: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSurfedBookmarks
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.5 (26 ratings)4.3 (23 ratings) — better
Positive reviews40.5% of reviews66.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings26 — better23
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB55 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperHOsy - intelligent software.Khuong Pham

Customer experience

Surfed

All ratings26 ratings
Positive65.4%
Neutral3.8%
Negative30.8%
Written reviews42 reviews
Positive40.5%
Neutral11.9%
Negative47.6%

Bookmarks

All ratings23 ratings
Positive82.6%
Neutral4.3%
Negative13.0%
Written reviews30 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral20.0%
Negative13.3%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Surfed

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Feature Monthly$0.991 Month
  • Pro Feature Yearly$7.491 Year
One-time1
  • Pro Feature Purchase$17.99
2 purchases

Bookmarks

One-time2
  • Unlimited Access$9.99
  • Pro$14.99

Questions

Is Surfed free?
Surfed is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bookmarks free?
Bookmarks is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Surfed or Bookmarks?
Bookmarks is rated higher. Surfed averages 3.5 out of 5 from 26 ratings, while Bookmarks averages 4.3 from 23 ratings.
Do Surfed or Bookmarks have ads?
Neither Surfed nor Bookmarks shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Surfed or Bookmarks?
Surfed ships an update every 6 weeks, and Bookmarks every 9 days. Most recently, Surfed was updated on October 30, 2026 and Bookmarks on October 30, 2026.

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