How will I access all that tools and important pages now on my Linux now? How dare you LogMeIn? While Chrome does a good job of syncing bookmarks across platforms, Chrome is not the only browser I use. Read: SHAREit has Become Bloated, So, Here are Some Best SHAREit Alternatives
Xmarks Alternatives Solutions and Options
Where Xmarks shined was its ability to create profiles and keep your personal and work lives separate. After pushing this dreaded task to the last moment, with a week left until the d-day, I have l been left no choice but to look for an alternative. Here is what I found.
1. Chrome and Firefox
Back in the early days of new-age browsers, when Internet Explorer was the default, dominant, and the only option, Chrome, and Firefox, were not good at sync and managing bookmarks. Now, they are. While they are not cross-platform enabled and will only work within their confines, they are still a pretty solid option.
You can choose either one of them and stick with it for the rest of your lives. You will be fine. Both of them are available on every platform from Windows and Mac to Linux and Android. I prefer Chrome personally, but being a tech enthusiast, I like to and sometimes have to, use both. Download Chrome | Firefox Also Read: Chrome For Android Alternatives — 5 New Browsers You Should Try
2. Google Bookmarks
You can use Google Bookmarks on both Firefox and Chrome browsers which makes it cross-platform and browser ready. For Firefox, there is Gmarks which will connect to Google servers. You will achieve the desired results, however, there is no way to create multiple profiles like in Xmarks.
You can create folders and use labels, think tags, to better manage and find your bookmarks. The bookmarks are associated with your Google account which means if you are looking for separate profiles, you will have to create multiple Google accounts. It is possible but not as quick and easy as Xmarks was. Google Bookmarks
3. Diigo
While Google Bookmarks works, it leaves a lot to be desired. Diigo is a bookmarking toolbar with a difference. It picked up things where once the dominant Delicious lift it. Diigo will not only allow you to bookmark and organize your favorite sites, but you can also annotate and highlight pages using the built-in tool. This makes Diigo really useful, especially for bloggers and professionals who constantly find themselves reading tons of material every day. You will have to install the Diigo toolbar on every computer that you are using.
While Diigo is available on Android and iOS platforms, they work as separate apps instead of the toolbar in your Chrome or Firefox browser. This is where it falls short. Another honorary mention is Delicious which has seen a considerable decline in its popularity after the social media phenomenon. Diigo | Android | iOS
4. Eversync
Eversync, apart from Chrome and Firefox, and iOS and Android, is also available for Internet Explorer. There is no mention of Edge browser anywhere. The basic functionality is there. You can add and save bookmarks and it will be sync across the devices.
During my tests, Eversync created multiple entries of the same bookmark which quickly became a nuisance. I had faced similar issues with Xmarks but this was different. In Xmarks, there is a double entry but here, there were multiple entries. Sometimes 4 to 5. A quick search revealed I am not the only one facing this issue. The free version can manage 15000 bookmarks, 500 private and 500 archive bookmarks which is more than enough for me. Think of archive bookmarks as the trash folder which you can tap after you have deleted the bookmark. You will have to sync manually which kind of defeats the purpose. The pro version will cost you $4.99 and comes with auto-sync. Eversync | Android | iOS
5. Ymarks
Where Eversync is paid, Ymarks is free and open source which is why it made the list. We, at TechWiser, love open source projects. In code, we trust. Ymarks has a Chrome and IE extension but the official page doesn’t list a Firefox addon. There is an addon available in Firefox repository.
Where Ymarks shines is its ability to host your bookmarks on a server. You can also host in locally but I would recommend the former because that will ensure better privacy. You can also run multiple instances of Ymarks if you want, but I didn’t test it. So, let me know how that goes. Ymarks Site
6. Sync2It BookmarkSync
Sync2It is a free bookmark manager that you can install on your Windows and Mac computers. Sorry Linux, no love for you. You will download and install it, and the small app will work out of system tray. It will detect any changes in your browser bookmarks and replicate it.
Another point to be noted here is that the app will only detect IE on Windows and Safari on Mac. So, if you are using Chrome and Firefox, this is not for you. Clearly, BookmarkSync is not a true Xmarks alternative, but if you are using these two browsers then it may work for you. What surprised me was the ability to subscribe to other people’s publicly available bookmarks. This is a cool way to discover and explore new sites. Note: While trying to download BookmarkSync, I almost installed a search manager thinking it was part of the setup. Just a heads up! BookmarkSync
7. Raindrop
Raindrop is a freemium bookmark manager that is available on all platforms, browsers, and OS. Raindrop is available in two flavors. The free version will allow you to save and sync bookmarks across devices and OS. The paid version, for $3 a month, will allow you to find and delete duplicate entries, have nested collections, use tags, and check for broken links.
The good thing is that you will get to keep your nested collection intact even after you downgrade from pro to free version. Raindrop also syncs with your Dropbox account to take regular backups. This is a pro feature. Raindrop site
Wrapping Up: Xmarks Alternatives
Honestly, I don’t think there is a true alternative to Xmarks. It was, with all its flaws, still a good solution. The closest comes Raindrop. Eversync is good but buggy. You can also stay with Chrome and Firefox’s default sync system. Both of them will allow you to download a copy of your bookmarks that you can upload elsewhere using DropBox sync.
