# Readbase vs Meco: which newsletter reader should you use?

> Canonical page: https://readbase.io/compare/readbase-vs-meco

Meco puts AI summaries and offline reading behind Meco PRO. Readbase includes both free, with summaries written from the whole issue so you can tell in seconds what is worth reading.

## Choose Readbase if

- You want a real summary of every issue without paying for it. Meco charges for that.
- You subscribe to more than you can read, and want to triage in seconds rather than open everything.
- You want your newsletters offline, bookmarked and recapped every morning, all on the free plan.
- You read on an iPhone, in a browser, or both.

Meco has an Android app and audio roundups. Readbase does not. Everything else below is where we think we are the better reader.

## How a Readbase summary is written

01. **The whole issue gets read** - A long newsletter is split into sections and every section is processed, so the piece buried at the bottom counts as much as the lead story. Summarisers that take one pass at whatever fits in a context window quietly lose the second half.
02. **Ideas are pulled out, not guessed** - Each section is mined for the ideas it actually contains. The models are instructed to stay strictly inside the text: no speculation, no inference, no outside knowledge. You get what the writer wrote.
03. **An editor writes the final version** - A second pass turns the complete set of ideas into 3 or 4 bullets, each a full thought of roughly 30 to 45 words, focused on what matters and why. No filler, no throat-clearing, no "this newsletter discusses".

## Side by side

| Feature | Readbase | Meco |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **AI summary on every issue** - The key points before you decide whether to open it. | Included (Free, every newsletter) | Included on the paid plan (Meco PRO only) |
| **Daily recap of everything unread** - One briefing each morning instead of a pile of unread issues. | Included (Free, every morning) | Not available (Weekly summary) |
| **Offline reading** - Your newsletters on flights, trains and dead zones. | Included (Free) | Included on the paid plan (Meco PRO only) |
| **Private newsletter address** - A dedicated inbox that keeps newsletters out of your email. | Included (you@readbase.io) | Included |
| **Bookmarks and saving** - Keep the issues you want to come back to. | Included (Free) | Included (Highlights need PRO) |
| **1-click unsubscribe** - Drop the newsletters you stopped reading. | Included | Included |
| **Reading stats** - What you actually read, and what you only meant to. | Included on the paid plan (Readbase Premium) | Not available |
| **iPhone app and web** | Included | Included |
| **Android app** | Not available (Read on the web) | Included |

Meco features and pricing checked August 2026 against Meco's own PRO
documentation (https://docs.meco.app/docs/meco-pro/overview). Meco PRO is $4.99/mo or $39.99/yr; Readbase
Premium is $4.99/mo, and everything in the Readbase column
above marked free stays free. If something here is out of date, tell us at
readbase@llingas.com and we will fix it.

## Questions people ask

### What is the main difference between Readbase and Meco?

The summaries, and what they cost. Readbase writes an AI summary of every newsletter you receive and includes it on the free plan, along with offline reading and a daily recap. Meco keeps AI summaries and offline access behind Meco PRO, so you pay before you find out whether they save you time.

### How good are the AI summaries in Readbase?

Every issue is read in full and broken into sections, the key ideas are pulled from each section, and an editorial model turns the complete set into 3 or 4 bullets of roughly 30 to 45 words each. Because the summary is written from the whole newsletter rather than the first few paragraphs, the end of a long issue carries the same weight as the beginning. The models are instructed to stay strictly inside what the text says, so you get what the writer wrote, not an invented takeaway.

### How much time does a newsletter reader actually save?

The saving is in what you skip. Readbase shows the reading time and the summary for every issue, so deciding to read, save or skip takes a few seconds instead of opening each one to find out. The morning recap does the same across everything unread at once.

### Is Readbase free?

Yes. The free plan includes your private @readbase.io inbox, the iPhone app and web access, AI summaries for every newsletter, the daily recap, 1-click unsubscribe, bookmarks and offline reading. Premium adds reading stats and monthly insights, smart unsubscribe suggestions, push notifications and the newest AI models behind your summaries.

### Does Readbase have an Android app?

Not yet. Readbase runs on iPhone and in any browser, so Android users read on the web with the same inbox, summaries and offline support.