LogMeIn to shut down Xmarks on May 1, 2018
LogMeIn, parent company of LastPass, announced today that it will shut down the cross-browser bookmark synchronization service Xmarks on May 1, 2018.
Xmarks launched its service at a time when browsers did not support native synchronization functionality, let alone syncing data between different browsers.
We reviewed the service back in 2009 for the first time and the rocky pass in the years that followed. The creators wanted to shut down the service back in 2010 but LastPass, makers of the password manager, stepped in and acquired Xmarks in the same year.
LastPass introduced premium accounts to add a revenue stream to Xmarks. The service's password sync functionality was removed in 2011 as it stood in direct competition with the password manager LastPass.
Reliability of the bookmarks syncing service deteriorated in recent years. This led to the "What's going on with Xmarks for Firefox" article in 2017.
Xmarks shutdown on May 1, 2018
When you visit the official Xmarks website right now, you are notified at the top that LogMeIn is shutting down the service and that users won't be able to access Xmarks from May 1, 2018 on.
LogMeIn is retiring Xmarks from its line of products as of May 1, 2018. After this date, you will no longer have access to Xmarks.
Existing Xmarks users are notified about the shutdown of the service:
On May 1, 2018, we will be shutting down Xmarks. Your account will remain active until then. After this date, your bookmarks should remain available in any previously accessed browser, but they will no longer sync and your Xmarks account will be deactivated. There will be no impact to your LastPass Premium account. In addition, any remaining balance previously paid towards Xmarks will be applied as a credit towards your LastPass Premium account.
At LastPass, we’ve staked our claim in password management, and providing our community with a high level of password security. After careful consideration and evaluation, we have decided to discontinue the Xmarks solution so that we can continue to focus on offering the best possible password vaulting to our community.
Xmark users should make sure that bookmarks are synced to all their browsers and on all devices as syncing functionality will shut down.
I recommended you create a backup of the full bookmarks database to have it as a backup if things go wrong during the shutting down of the service.
You may want to uninstall the extension from your browsers after you have made sure that all bookmarks synced correctly.
Xmarks alternatives
One of Xmarks greatest strengths was that it supported cross-browser syncing of bookmarks. All native solutions that support sync synchronize bookmarks only between different instances of the same browser.
Eversync
Eversync is a free and paid service that is available as extensions for Firefox, Chrome and Internet Explorer, and Android and iOS. It supports cross-browser syncing of bookmarks and open tabs but seems to lack some advanced functionality such as making sure the order of bookmarks is retained.
The free version is limited to 15000 bookmarks, 500 private bookmarks and 500 archive bookmarks. Additionally, it does not support automatic syncing but only manual syncing to the Everhelper server.
The price is $4.99 per month or $44.99 per year.
Ymarks
Ymarks is a free solution that is open source. A browser extension is only available for Google Chrome, but it may work in Firefox as well.
What's interesting about Ymarks is that it comes with a server component. Good for users who value privacy, not so good for users who have no place to set it up.
It was created as part of Donation Coder's NANY 2018 event.
Floccus
Floccus is a free browser extension that syncs bookmarks to Nextcloud, a self-hosted cloud server. It is available for Chrome and Firefox but requires access to a Nextcloud server to work.
Closing Words
It is sad to see Xmarks being retired as it was one of the few cross-browser sync solutions available but it was clear that LogMeIn / LastPass had other priorities for a long time.
Now You: Do you sync bookmarks? Did you use Xmarks?
I’ll really miss Xmarks. I feel https://pinboard.in/ or https://myfavs.in/ are the best browser-based bookmarks and perfect alternatives to Xmarks.
Firefox went to shit long ago, far as I’m concerned and, although I tried to stay faithful for the last couple years, they made it impossible by progressively getting worse. For some idiotic reason they (at Mozilla) put a deadline gun to its head and pulled the trigger. Because they insisted upon bring new crap out every few months- ready or not- the were releasing garbage that broke far more than it fixed. I simply got tired of fixing or waiting for fixes for things that once worked flawlessly.
When I need a dose of complete frustration, I have Linux. I don’t need Firefox adding to my fun.
YOUZA! Not even a parking page when you go there today. Just a message that the browser cannot connect.
Plain and Simply as to the execution of XMarks.
IT SUCKS!!!!!!
Very disappointed about this… not least because they never contacted me to let me know. I only found out today when I went to check on the status of my support ticket from a few weeks ago. Now I know why they weren’t in any hurry to resolve it.
Xmarks was a great help to me and I’ll miss it. I feel like browser-based bookmarks are dinosaurs now and I’m down to about 5 of them. Everything else is on https://pinboard.in/ or http://raindrop.io/ Brief blog post: http://blinkassociates.com/blog/r-i-p-xmarks-the-end-of-browser-based-bookmarks/
I say ban them. I won’t be buying any of their products. Another company got rid of secunia for the same reason. Thinking if they get rid of free programs people will spend money on their other programs. I kept my bookmarks safe with this program. I understand money pays the bills but to remove a program that is used so much as this one because of greed burns me up.
As a paying subscriber to the LastPass service, with which Xmarks got bundled after being taken over, I feel let down and betrayed, just like the many others here.
Now I’m scrambling; wasting precious time; seeking an alternative – *any working* alternative!
I’d lay the blame at “Steve Jobs – the Great” for all this chaos and mayhem. Yeah, I know you all are scratching your collective heads thinking, “WTF, dude!?” but hear me out…
Jobs introduced the “smartphone” the (feather) touch [capacitive screen so sensitive that we have all this butt-dial / pocket-dial accidents today] mobile phone which eventually brought down Nokia — whose Symbian OS and service were really, and I mean, REALLY much better than the crappy iPhone. Also better value-for-money.
Having blazed that trail, others followed. Ubuntu – came out with that crappy GUI of it’s (I forget the name but it’s designed for large touchscreens like tablets) because they felt that touchscreens were the future. Thanks to who? Jobs! and his overpriced iPhone succeeding due to sheeple!
Not only did Ubuntu move completely to the crappy UI but took away our CHOICE! Exactly the strategy of Apple – considering that the “Company” knows best what the ‘User’ wants!!
Microsoft, not to be left behind, followed with the UI jump with their version of crap – Windows 8!
When all these tech giants were doing this – treating their _established_ userbase of *loyal* users like sh*t, wouldn’t the smaller companies feel that was the way to success?
How many useful small services has Google bought over and then closed down?! Facebook?! The list goes on…
The whole tech scene needs a REBOOT – back to 80s where we could, and indeed had to, build our own personal computers from scratch exactly how we pleased.
Otherwise, just be another ‘brick in the wall’ and shut up. Because no one’s listening…
I use to use Firefox, then I switched to Chrome and has been my default browser for years because it is much quicker. I use FireFox Quantum more and more. IMO FireFox Quantum is much faster. I still use chromes most of the times due to the extensions that are still not available yet on FireFox Quantum. I like FireFox. Hopefully, they will have the extensions I need and use on in Firefox by the end of the year.
Unfortunately, I’ve not found a suitable alternative. Two features (profiles and and access via web based) do not appear to be both present in any other solution. Really unfortunate.
according to the FAQ, Eversync DOES have auto-sync
https://everhelper.desk.com/customer/en/portal/articles/2412006-faq-eversync-for-browsers#6
Hi,
I’m also a longtime user of foxmarks / xmarks. I hope i will find an alternative to continue syncing my bookmarks between Chrome and Firefox…
start.me is another web-based alternative. It’s free level seems sufficient at first glance.
What kept me using xmarks for years was the profiles feature – showing a different set of bookmarks on different computers. Could easily keep work and personal bookmarks separate. Still haven’t seen anything quite the same.
The article says Ymarks only has a Chrome extensions, but that it may work in firefox. Ymarks website actually list a firefox webextension but no chrome extensions. And in it’s FAQ it clearly mention that right now it only support Firefox.
Hey, ymarks dev here. :-)
My main web browser is Firefox, so it is my primary testbed, of course. While the Firefox extension is rather stable and I published a first public version to AMO just yesterday, the Chrome extension is reported to have errors yet. (Well, I’m working on them.)
I had not thought that people would actually use ymarks, so the news caught me empty-handedly…
The website refers to your browser. I use web browser detection for that (which may fail). Both a link to AMO and to an experimental Chrome/Vivaldi add-on should be available, depending on your browser.
I will probably push the Chrome extension to the Chrome store when I have ironed out its quirks. I have an active beta tester who helps me a lot now. Sorry, Chromers – please have some patience (or help me). :-)
Yep, same here very sad to see Xmarks go, been using since Foxmarks and was prob what kept me loyal to Firefox for many years. I knew Xmarks could be synced to chrome but I never felt I needed to till recent Xmarks issues and Quantum update. To me those 2 changes plus loads of lost addons felt like a major disaster that completely broke my whole experience of the internet and I’m not convinced things will ever really be the same again. I know I have resisted change before that turned out to be better eventually (like XP to windows 7) but being forced to adapt to major changes takes up lots of time, often when you don’t have that time. In the end I switched to Firefox ESR and managed to get my bookmarks back in order but now my lastpass icon has stopped working on there, so I’ve currently been forced over to Chrome but guess I prob will give Quantum another go IF lastpass still works on there as well as some other addons I still need.
There’s a glitch with the LastPass extension on Firefox. If you open Firefox, and the icon is black (not logged in), and you try to log in, but it won’t work, it’s because LastPass has you active. Just close Firefox, and reopen it, and the icon should turn red (logged in). It happens to me a lot on multiple machines. If that doesn’t work try deleting just the LastPass cookies, and let it reestablish a new session. You may still get the glitch now and then, but it should be more consistent.
Hello, I work for Siber Systems makers of RoboForm password manager.
RoboForm has always supported organizing and syncing Bookmarks, the core feature of Xmarks.
roboform, dont u want simply to buy xmark as a new product ?
Hello, I work for Siber Systems makers of RoboForm password manager.
RoboForm has always supported organizing and syncing Bookmarks, the core feature of Xmarks: https://roboform-blog.siber.com/2018/04/02/looking-for-an-xmarks-alternative-roboform-has-you-covered/
Thanks Simon.
Will check that out.
I’d get the feeling that “things only get better when corporations buy one another”.
Going to miss Xmarks. Remember it from the days of Foxmarks. I was initially glad that LastPass bought it and for several years paid for premium service for both Xmarks and LastPass. However LastPass never really put much effort into the product. The two features I loved about Xmarks were the cross platform support and selective sync (so you would have different sync profiles for different browsers, very useful for work versus personal browser).
Not surprised LogMeIn is ditching it mind you. Since its taken over LastPass things have just gone downhill.
I agree with all who say that the months notice was very mean, for a service that had been running for years.
Question now is – What are the best alternatives out there?
Is there anything that works in a similar way to XMarks – Click on Toolbar Icon to create a bookmark, View in browser Sidebar, Sync, etc.
If there is a similar service around, paid or free, I would love to hear of it.
Indeed, I would be delighted to hear of all available options.
Thanks.
I too have used Xmarks/Foxmarks for a long time. Paid for premium version to help support. Have it set up in Firefox, Waterfox, IE, and Chrome (I have to use different browsers with different applications at work). Work bookmarks are separated from personal bookmarks.
LogMeIn was never a favorite of mine based on experience at work. This feels a lot like what happened to FatWallet after Rakuten/Ebates bought them. When the owner sells then it’s all downhill for the users. Just saying.
I remember that Xmarks has a function to work with your own server. It uses webdav so that could be a way to continue using it for now. As far as I know this was extended to all the platforms it supports though back in 2011 during the almost shutdown it was only supported on Firefox.
I just check and indeed the Google Chrome version of Xmarks does not support using your own server so this appears to be a Firefox only solution just like it was in 2011.
I use StorUrl portable, that way I have all bookmarks in all browsers + on other computers.
Lost of people say bad things on Eversync, so I am not willing to risk a try. Instead I noticed Apple’s iCloud has syncing addons for both Firefox and Chrome. I do not use Safari or any Apple device (Mac, iOS…), but it should work. Has anyone tried? Is it reliable, error-free?
At the end, there is still no good alternative
I think a portable bookmarkmanager like StorURL will work just great in all browsers your use and on all (Window) computers you may encounter :-)
For privacy, it appears LinkLocker may be a cheap alternative to XMarks $12/yr, not sure if it will accept bookmark export from FF or Xmarks, nor am I sure it will work with older, more private, browsers/operating systems–be advised though, it does allow Google and Apple Pay, which may intrude on your privacy;
Also, Turtl seems to be another good alternative for MANY uses–not just bookmarks, downloads for many platforms, except iOS—think very private Evernote, so they say. Premium costs coming soon (due to allowable storage?), currently free…two browser apps Chrome and FF, newer versions only (so you can forget browser and GPS locator privacy).
XMarks during the last year was horrible on normal FF, but not PaleMoon…on FF, XMarks refused to do its wizard (where I would always choose NOT to synchronize”open tabs” and “history” etc, and it didn’t respect my choices)–I remain private, using VPN / Linux
As for privacy, FF and Chrome have totally destroyed it…I use an old version of PaleMoon, refuse to update it (I have security measures in place regardless) so that my add-ons work. Some add-ons, such as Ghostery and DuckDuckGo, are now NON-accessible–that tells you where the browsers are going…I’m sure VPNs are next. Some banks and retail sites (Amazon, eBay) refuse to allow access via VPN. And I absolutely HATE GoOgle, and anything associated with it (Chrome, Android).
EverSync almost requires a Pro account $45/yr to be useful; Raindrop only for newer browsers (no privacy), and not for Linux as it claims; XBrowserSync claims it dislikes GoOgle and Apple, and is open source for privacy (hahaha), but you can only download it from…….GoOgle and Apple. (no Linux either)…
Can also get this via fdroid if you have an android phone https://fdroid.xbrowsersync.org/
You didn’t look very hard, you can download the xBrowserSync binaries from github: https://github.com/xBrowserSync/App/releases
Don’t waste your time on EverSync, it did not work for me on Microsoft Edge nor Firefox.
Hi Martin,
Thanks for alerting us to Xmarks demise, as they themselves have not informed me!
That may account for why I’m having so many syncing issues with Xmarks for the last month or so?
I have used Xmarks probably from the very beginning, along with Cool Previews which I still miss to this very day and have not found an alternative yet that came anywhere near Cool Previews functionality?
I shall give Eversync a go.
Cheers,
John
I 1st used the service when it was called “Foxmarks”. Was later elated when Lastpass swooped in and saved the service from closing down. But, as the article suggests, browser sync has come a long way to point where it is reliable, if not superior. I’m not a finance guy, but it must be hard to justify cost of operations for a commodity service. Faithfully paid for the Xmarks service over the years, but today I have switched my data over fully to Chrome sync. Thanks to the Xmarks team for a great solution when it was timely!
rip xmarks.. It was an excellent backup for my bookmarks that I’ve used for years. Nothing else matched it. Unfortunately this is almost always the result when a product gets bought out, it either gets its major features removed, or it gets shutdown. ..often both.
I really despise not only that this happens so frequently, but also how it is implemented. With a service that is run for years at a time and relied upon there is little reason to give 1 month notice. I appreciate sites like this that let out the news, but theres a lot of users that will never here this in time. After keeping it alive for years there is no excuse not to have a wrap-up that spans perhaps a year or at least a season.
If one wanted to ‘focus’ on their product so much why aquire such a tangential company in the first place? (granted that it was 8 years ago now). Why not open source the produce, or spin it off, or offer it back to those they purchased it from? Just a terrible way that we have of using the excuse of innovation and progress as a road to actual regression.
Just added a mark against using lastpass in my book. If they wanted to
But yet you will continue to use lastpass, so what do they care about empty threats? I’ve stopped using lastpass after their last huge price hike as their business practice does not deserve support.
Yes, I totally agree. Jerk move by LogMeIn to only give a month’s notice, and makes me want to not use LastPass.
But the reality is, all the revenue is in Enterprise subscriptions, and companies really don’t give a crap about individual subscribers, especially for non-core products.
They could probably lose every customer who uses xmarks and still come out ahead by the cost saved not having to support it.
But still a jerk move to only give one month’s notice, no excuse for that.
— Chad
I received the email about it yesterday from LastPass. Was sad to get it. I’ve since disabled/uninstalled it, and enabled the bookmarks syncing for FF and Chrome as I’ve been using sync since forever, and bookmarks was the only option I didn’t use thanks to Xmarks. All went smoothly, but now whatever browser I’m using I now need to add a new bookmark to the other browser when I add it to either FF or Chrome first. Not a big deal, but oh well.
Thanks for tour comments Sophie, which I respect.
Glad that you are still enjoying Firefox.
I always understood that it was unsafe to use older versions.
When all this Quantum thing started I was very tempted to revert
to an earlier version.
Numerous very good, and very useful, add ons have been lost in the
transition and I am sorry to be so pessimistic but I don’t find Firefox
to be such an enjoyable experience anymore.
I don’t see myself having much further use for it when XMarks goes.
Have to agree with you regarding Vivaldi, Chrome, and Pale moon.
As I don’t use Firefox on Android I am unable to comment.
Thanks again for your interesting comments.
Just for you I will persevere with Quantum a little while longer!
@Jimmy – I have to say that I’m not quite so pessimistic about Firefox as that. As a big Addon user, and not prepared to see all those go belly-up, I use (concurrently) FF43 FF51 Waterfox and Quantum, and that gives me the best of all worlds, as I see it.
I’m getting more used to Quantum, but I find I’m still gravitating to the older versions. I suppose that says something in itself.
Despite restrictions in the new Addon ecosystem, already we are seeing more, and useful Addons being created. I’m not a fan of Vivaldi, Pale Moon, and as for Chrome, I actively dislike it.
Give Quantum a chance. It will get better.
Also to add, that I find Firefox very slow on Android. Is that just me? It takes an absolute age, prevaricating over page-loading.
Session Manager has a notice at their site that they won’t be supporting Quantum so that rules it out for me. They say that the hooks they need to function just aren’t in Quantum. Losing Session Manager would be like losing a limb.
If you only use simple addons, there surely be a replacement already.
Sadly there’s no replacement for advanced addons like unMHT, downthemall, liveclick, flashgot, and the most important classic theme restorer.
It’s baffling that while other technologies keep advancing but browser’s addons keeps getting nerfed.
Firefox for Android is not good if you don’t want to say it’s broken. Every week there’s someone complaining at the reddit Firefox section.
I used to use Xmarks but made a move to Bookmark OS a while back and highly recommend. It doesn’t do out right sync but it works as a website so it is cross-browser. I find the UI much easier to use than any browser UI
MikeK – thanks for the reference
Spent the last month using both Eversync and BookmarkOS.
My finding is that Eversync is closest to being an Xmarks replacement – good, as I am ok with using each browser’s bookmark interface.
Clicking on the FVD Synchronizer (Eversync) icon and selecting Start Synchronization is close to how I’d use Xmarks.
The one quibble is that every time you open a fresh browser you have to go through a few steps to log in and then initialize the sync (Merge). This is not intuitive, as the Merge is on a different url than on the one you log in on – it is actually the extension’s page. The above Sync process won’t work until this is done.
Xmarks was a set and forget for each browser.
I’ve had a period recently when Xmarks had screwed up backups. It took a loooong while to recover.
This is where Bookmarks OS comes in.
While Eversync does have a separate backup option, if, for whatever reason, like Xmarks before, Eversync were ever to mess up the bookmarks (or go under), Bookmarks OS makes for a nice backup, and uploading is simple.
For $1 per month, Bookmarks OS is worth it vs potentially facing hours of work fixing bookmarks.
Thanks to MikeK for the recommendation.
thanks for the tip about Eversync.. I’ve been looking for a real solution to keeping Firefox / Chrome / Android in sync… its already working well for me!
Why. omgg =[
I am sorry to see XMarks being retired.
It was a great service at it’s best.
However, it never seemed to recover from the introduction
of Firefox Quantum, and I believe that that is the worst version
of Firefox ever.
So many old favourites have been lost that it is nothing short of
a tragedy.
I do not intend to stay with Firefox after 12 loyal years and I believe that Quantum could eventually lead to the demise of Firefox, never mind XMarks.
I have to agree, After almost 20 years FireFox is no long my default browser. Almost all add-ons broke or the pop Windows do not put the cursor in the active field. A lot more clicking and general frustration. Life is too short to fight the browser. It is like using Edge.
What’s the connection with Firefox Quantum? I use Xmarks and it works fine with Quantum.
Good for you.
Didn’t work for me unfortunately.
One of my oldest addons, when it became defunct months ago, it changed my browsing habits more than any other addon forcing me to stick with Firefox most of the time just out of convenience. Despite Firefox’s quantum addon issue, Quantum Firefox is the first time the browser has been better than Chrome on the technical side since as long I can remember. If it wasn’t for Quantum I would have switched to Chome post xmarks.
If I was Mozilla I would seriously think about creating an Xmark equivalent with Chrome bookmark, and password sync to allow hesitant Chrome users to experiment with Firefox and even if they don’t become full time Firefox users, partial users are better than no users.