Looking for a Weava alternative that doesn't lose your highlights?
Weava has been a popular research highlighter for years, but recent reviews tell a consistent story: disappearing highlights, PDF export failures, login friction, and an interface increasingly cluttered with ads. If you've lost work to a syncing bug, you already know the problem: your highlights lived on someone else's server.
The structural fix: local-first highlighting
Marklight takes the opposite approach. Highlights are saved in your browser's local storage — there is no account, no login, and no server to fail. If a web page's text changes, Marklight keeps your highlight and marks it "page changed" instead of silently deleting it, and a one-click JSON backup means your library survives anything, including a reinstall.
Marklight vs Weava
| Marklight | Weava | |
|---|---|---|
| Account required | No | Yes |
| Where highlights live | Your device | Weava's cloud |
| Page changed behavior | Highlight kept & flagged | Can disappear |
| Backup you control | One-click JSON | — |
| Markdown export | Free (per page) | Limited |
| Ads in the UI | None | Reported by users |
| Pricing | Free; Pro $19 one-time | Subscription |
What Weava does that Marklight doesn't (yet)
Honesty matters: Weava offers PDF highlighting, folders/collections, and cross-device cloud sync. Marklight focuses on web highlighting done reliably; PDF support and sync are on the roadmap. If collaborative research folders are your core need, Weava or Zotero may fit better.
Switching is low-risk
Marklight is free, needs no sign-up, and takes one click to try. Your next highlight is stored where it belongs — with you.