Backdrop vs. SingleFile
Local saves or cloud-backed permanent archives.
Your pages, always accessible from anywhere.
SingleFile is an excellent browser extension that saves a complete webpage as a single HTML file on your local computer. It preserves the full page faithfully, but your archives live only on your machine unless you manually back them up. Backdrop saves pages directly to the cloud in four formats (HTML, PDF, screenshot, readable text), makes them instantly searchable, and keeps them accessible from any device — without you managing files.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Backdrop | SingleFile |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-format capture SingleFile: single HTML file only | ||
| Cloud storage SingleFile saves locally only | ||
| Full-text search SingleFile has no search capability | ||
| Annotations & highlights | ||
| Entity tagging | ||
| Organized collections SingleFile uses filesystem folders | ||
| Browser extension Both offer one-click saving | ||
| Offline access SingleFile excels at offline usage | ||
| Page fidelity Both preserve pages faithfully | ||
| Cross-device access SingleFile is device-local only |
Backdrop wins here
Where Backdrop is the stronger choice
- Archives stored in the cloud — accessible from any device, anywhere
- Full-text search instantly indexes all saved pages, including text in PDFs
- Four formats per archive: HTML, PDF, screenshot, and readable text
- Annotate and highlight specific passages with persistent storage
- Organize into collections and share them publicly or keep them private
SingleFile wins here
Where SingleFile might be a better fit
- 100% free and open source with no account or internet required
- Excellent page fidelity — saves the exact page as rendered in your browser
- Complete privacy — nothing leaves your machine unless you choose to share it
Pricing
Backdrop
Free tier with 100 archives. Paid plans start at $5/month for unlimited archiving, full-text search, and priority processing.
Start freeSingleFile
Free. Open source. No cloud services or paid tiers.
Verdict
SingleFile is ideal for users who want complete privacy and local-only page saves at zero cost. But if you need your archives to be searchable, accessible from multiple devices, or backed up in the cloud, Backdrop provides all of that plus richer organizational features. They complement each other well — SingleFile for local-first users, Backdrop for those who need a managed archival workflow.
Take your archives to the cloud
Free to start. Access, search, and organize your pages from anywhere.
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