Pocket vs Pushbullet
When comparing Pocket vs Pushbullet, the Slant community recommends Pushbullet for most people. In the question“What are the best Material Design apps?” Pushbullet is ranked 2nd while Pocket is ranked 5th. The most important reason people chose Pushbullet is:
Pushbullet also allows its users to push messages, links, files, locations, and more to any of their devices or to other Pushbullet users.
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 Does a lot more than just notifications
Pushbullet also allows its users to push messages, links, files, locations, and more to any of their devices or to other Pushbullet users.
Pro Superbly easy to use
After installing the Pushbullet application the set up process is as easy as it gets. Pushbullet will first ask you to sign in to your Google account. Then all you have to do is enable notification access and install the Chrome extension.
Pro Almost no delay
Pushbullet is just as fast as its name suggests at mirroring notifications or pushing links or files.
Pro Uses a Chrome extension for PC/Mac or a Windows application
Pushbullet is designed to use its Chrome extension although a Windows application can be used as well. The Chrome extension provides the best experience because any computer with a signed in Chrome browser will provide your Android notifications.
Pro Runs without Chrome open
As long as you enable "Keep Pushbullet running after I close Chrome" in the Pushbullet extension options, Chrome does not need to be open to receive notifications.
Pro Free
Pushbullet is free with no advertisements.
Pro Chrome notifications act as a notification drawer
Pushbullet uses Chrome notifications to act as a running list of past notification that have not yet been dismissed. This is especially useful if you receive a lot of notifications or you are not at your computer when they are received.
Pro Cross device notification mirroring
Pushbullet can even sync notifcations with other Android devices (beta). This helps prevent you from having to dismiss notifications more than once and allows you to always see your notifications no matter what device you're on.
Pro More information shown in the notification than other services
Pushbullet includes the sender's name, email address, unread count, subject, and a preview of the message all in the notification.
Pro Universal Copy/Paste
Copy text on PC,paste it on your Android device and vice versa. You need the windows app for this. iOS and OSX support coming soon.
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 Mac users must use their browser
There is currently no desktop application for Mac users available. The Pushbullet website claims a native OSX client is "coming soon".