Zen Tabz vs Raindrop.io
These tools are often mentioned together, but they are not the same category. Raindrop.io is a bookmark manager. Zen Tabz saves live tab sessions, tab groups, and pinned tabs. Here is where each one is genuinely better.
Add to Chrome — freeComparison
| Feature | Zen Tabz | Raindrop.io |
|---|---|---|
| Primary job | Save and restore tab sessions | Organise bookmarks and read-later |
| Save live tab sessions | Yes | No, bookmarks only |
| Preserve Chrome tab groups | Yes | No |
| Preserve pinned tabs | Yes | No |
| Bookmark management | Collections, import and export | Yes, full-featured |
| Full-text search | Yes | Pro plan |
| Web archive / permanent copies | No | Pro plan |
| Native mobile and desktop apps | No | Yes |
| Account required | No | Yes |
| Price | Free | Free plan plus Pro |
Last reviewed: September 2026. Raindrop.io features and pricing change; check their site for the latest.
Sources: raindrop.io, Raindrop pricing.
Spotted something inaccurate? Email info@zen-tabz.com and we will correct it.
The honest breakdown
What Raindrop.io does well
Raindrop.io is one of the most capable bookmark managers available. Its free plan covers unlimited bookmarks, collections, highlights, and devices, and its Pro plan adds full-text search (including the text of articles and even YouTube spoken words), a web archive with permanent copies, annotations, reminders, duplicate and broken-link cleanup, and daily backups. It has native apps on Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android, thousands of integrations, and it has been running since 2013.
What Zen Tabz does differently
Zen Tabz works a level above bookmarks: it captures the session itself. One click saves every open tab across all windows into a named collection, keeping Chrome tab groups and pinned tabs in place, and restores the whole set in one click. It also imports and exports bookmarks, but its core is the open-tab problem, not read-later storage.
- Saves live sessions and window arrangements, not just links.
- Preserves Chrome tab groups and pinned tabs on restore.
- Free with no premium gate on session features, no account, local-first by default.
Which should you choose?
If your problem is a growing pile of bookmarks and articles you want to search, annotate, and archive, Raindrop.io is the stronger bookmark manager. If your problem is dozens of open tabs and sessions you need back exactly as they were, Zen Tabz is built for that. Many people use both: Raindrop for saved reading, Zen Tabz for live sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Raindrop.io free?
- Yes. Raindrop.io’s free plan is free indefinitely and includes unlimited bookmarks, collections, and devices. Full-text search, the web archive, and annotations are part of its Pro plan.
- Does Raindrop.io save open tabs and sessions?
- Raindrop.io is a bookmark manager, so it saves links rather than live sessions. It does not preserve Chrome tab groups or pinned tabs as a restorable window. Zen Tabz is built for that.
- Is Raindrop better than Zen Tabz for bookmarks?
- For pure bookmark management, yes: Raindrop has deeper features like full-text search, annotations, and a web archive. Zen Tabz focuses on tab sessions and also imports and exports bookmarks.
- Can I use Raindrop.io and Zen Tabz together?
- Yes. They solve different problems. Raindrop stores what you want to read again; Zen Tabz restores what you had open.
Try Zen Tabz
Save live tab sessions with tab groups and pinned tabs intact. Free for Chrome and Firefox.