Anchr Review, Pricing & Features

Anchr is an open-source toolbox for bookmark collections, encrypted image uploads, and link shortening — self-host it or use the hosted service.

Category: Productivity
Pricing: Free (open source), from Free
Verified: Not yet
Last updated: July 18, 2026
Founded: 2014
Headquarters: Germany

Web AppAndroidAPIOpen SourceSelf-Hosted

Overview

Anchr is an open-source toolbox combining a bookmark manager, encrypted image uploads, and a link shortener. It originated in 2014 and is maintained on GitHub, with the option to self-host via Docker or use the hosted service at anchr.io, built and hosted in Germany.

Key Features

Anchr organizes saved links into searchable collections, offers client-side encrypted image uploads, and generates shortlinks with malicious-URL checking. It exposes a REST API for automation, supports OAuth2 authentication, and ships browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox, an Android app, Prometheus metrics, ShareX integration, and a Telegram bot.

Development History

Anchr's backend originated in the MEAN-stack era of 2014 and has since been refactored to modern JavaScript. The maintainer describes the project as mostly feature-complete but continuously maintained, with the latest release (3.5.2) shipping in November 2025.

Key Features

Bookmark Collections — Organize and search saved links into categorized collections.
Encrypted Image Uploads — Client-side encrypted image hosting.
Link Shortener — Create shortlinks with built-in malicious-link checking.
REST API — Automate bookmark, image, and shortlink management programmatically.
Browser Extensions — Chrome and Firefox extensions for quick saving.
Self-Hosting via Docker — Deploy your own instance instead of using the hosted service.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Fully open source, so it can be self-hosted for free and audited.
Combines three useful utilities (bookmarks, image upload, shortlinks) in one tool.
Hosted option available for users who don't want to run their own server.

Cons

Self-hosting requires running your own MongoDB instance and reverse proxy setup.
The project describes itself as feature-complete, meaning a slower pace of new feature development.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Anchr free?

Yes, Anchr is open source and free to self-host; a hosted version is also available at anchr.io.

Can I self-host Anchr?

Yes, via Docker, though you need to provide your own MongoDB instance.

What does Anchr do?

It's a toolbox combining a bookmark manager, encrypted image uploads, and a link shortener.

Where is the hosted Anchr.io service based?

It's made and hosted in Germany.

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