Raindrop.io is $3/mo (Pro). Curator is a self-hosted alternative at $0.99/mo. Here's when each makes sense.
| Curator | Raindrop.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Self-hosted, your infra | Managed SaaS (cloud only) |
| Data location | Your server, your disk | Raindrop.io's cloud |
| Free tier | 100 bookmarks | Paid only |
| Pro pricing | $0.99/mo | $3/mo (Pro) |
| Dependencies | None (single binary + SQLite) | N/A (managed) |
| Setup time | ~30 seconds | Account signup |
| Dashboard | Built-in at /ui | Cloud dashboard |
| License | BSL 1.1 | Proprietary SaaS |
Curator is a single Go binary with embedded SQLite. Install it with one command, and you are running in under a minute. Your data stays on your server.
curl -fsSL https://stockyard.dev/curator/install.sh | sh
Raindrop.io is a strong product. There is no point pretending otherwise. Where Curator earns its place is in situations where Raindrop.io cannot be used — airgapped environments, regulated industries, teams with strict data sovereignty requirements, or simply developers who prefer tools they can inspect end to end. If none of those constraints apply, Raindrop.io may genuinely be the better choice.
The operational difference is significant. Raindrop.io requires you to trust their infrastructure, their security practices, and their business continuity. Curator requires you to run a process and keep the data directory backed up. If your server dies, restore the binary and the SQLite file to a new server. The entire recovery procedure fits in a single paragraph because there is nothing else involved.
Switching from Raindrop.io to Curator is straightforward for most teams. Export your data from Raindrop.io (most services offer CSV or JSON export), then POST each record to Curator's API. A migration script that reads the export and writes to /api/ endpoints typically takes less than 50 lines of code. The reverse migration is equally simple — Curator's SQLite database is a standard file you can query with any SQLite client.
Single binary. Free to start. $0.99/mo for Pro.