When comparing Pocket vs Twitter (Official), the Slant community recommends Pocket for most people. In the question“What are the best news readers?” Pocket is ranked 13th while Twitter (Official) is ranked 40th. The most important reason people chose Pocket is:
Pocket is available on iOS, Android, Kobo eReader and on the web.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Available on the web and mobile devices
Pocket is available on iOS, Android, Kobo eReader and on the web.
Pro Allows reading saved content in offline mode
Instead of only saving the link, the content is saved for offline use.
Pro Well-finished GUI and UX
Pro The Pocket plugin for Google Chrome is very stable
Pro Allows tagging bookmarks
Bookmarks can be tagged for search accuracy later on.
Pro Included in Firefox
Pocket is now integrated into the Firefox web browser, and you can login using your firefox/mozilla login, instead of having to create a separate account. This login method can even be used natively on their website, regardless what browser is being used.
Pro Integrates with over 500 apps
A key advantage of Pocket is that it is integrated in over 500 apps as a way to save the link, including Twitter, Flipboard, Pulse and Zite.
Pro Works well across Google Chrome on macOS and iOS
Pro Highlighting available on iOS
Pro Ability to filter by content type
Pro Gets the latest API updates
Twitter is slightly infamous for making changes to the API. At least with the official client, you stay ahead of this.
Pro Clean & Functional UI design
Pro Officially sponsored
So you know it will always be supported and won't be randomly shut down.
Pro App experience similar to web experience
If you're switching from using the web client, this app will be quickly understandable to you.
Pro Inline photos
Pro Multiple account support
Allows easy switching of accounts withing the app.
Pro Supports login verification
The official Twitter app is perhaps the only app to support two factor authentication or login verification, thus providing a necessary additional layer of security to your Twitter accounts
Pro Photo editing tools
The app has filters, automatic level balancing and ability to crop built in the app.
Cons
Con Only the paid version allows to search by tag
Con Correct and open export of bookmarks and tags are not possible
This means that Pocket is (currently) a total lock-in.
This is very sad, unfortunate and creates a no go decision for any seasoned user.
Too many bookmarking and tagging companies have stopped or have gone bankrupt these last years (e.g. Kippt, Spingpad, Delicious (to some extent), etc...). So, if you are going to invest a lot of your personal time and energy in curating your Internet findings (i.e. your bookmarks and tags), it is essential that a total, fair and open export (including all tags) functionality is provided. Personally tested the export "feature" and the resulting .html file that Pocket generates currently included only the URLs themselves, i.e. no save dates nor any of your personally curated tags, nor any other useful meta-data.
This is deplorable, because otherwise, Pocket is a very polished and well-functioning piece of multi-platform and multi-device software/app/web service, with a very easy and well-designed and implemented user interface...
Please fix this, Pocket !
These days of open and inter-operable web services, users are only attracted by valuable functionality, clean UX design and no lockins.
Con Search function in Pro version does not follow the proper date sequence
Although the pro version lets us search by tags, the search results unfortunately does not follow the time sequence of the saving of articles. Search results may show some old articles first, then a bunch of new articles, and then again old articles. It's so random and frustating.
I have been using Pocket pro for quite a long time primarily because it lets me have the permanent copy of a news (this feature is really useful in journalism). However, when I search tag wise for the old references, the absence of time-sequencing the search results really frustates me.
Con Can't rename the title of links
If the page title isn't correct/good for a link, there is no way for you to fix it.
Con Not really a bookmark tool but a tool to save webpages for later reading
A real bookmark tool has editable fields like title, url, folder, tags, notes. This saves webpages.
Con Deleted or edited tags do not go away from tag suggestions
For example, imagine you accidentally created a tag "US" instead of "USA," and saved some articles under "US." The unfortunate part is even if you edit the tag and rename it "USA" , the previous tag name will always appear in the suggested tags: so when saving an article, if you type US in the tag box, you will see two suggestions "US" and "USA."
Con Chrome addon doesn't let you open your library without saving current page first
Con Can't import Firefox bookmark tags
When importing bookmarks from Firefox, Pocket doesn't include the tags.
Con Chrome addon doesn't allow you to add tags with keyboard only (have to use mouse) while saving page
Con Forced inside Twitter's annoying ecosystem
Con "In case you missed" feature, showing tweets other users liked in your timeline
Features (can't be turned off) that disrupt chronological timeline and/or show sames tweets repeatedly.
Con Promoted tweets
AKA ads.
Con Too many permissions
Asking a lot more permissions than most third party apps.
Con No widget
Recently took away the widget for whatever reason and that's not cool.
Con Pretty heavy
If you're on a "available-space" budget, the official twitter app is pretty bulky and you'll be better-off with a more lightweight alternative.
Con Lack of ability to view tweets in a proper timeline
Con Terrible cellular data management
If you have a limited data plan for your phone, don't be surprised if you find a whopping 800 MB consumption at the end of the month. The app really, really wants to download absolutely everything, even if you don't want to see or play anything.