The read-later app
that deletes what you never read
Most saved links are never reopened. Burn 451 is the AI bookmark and read-later app that gives every link 24 hours — read it or it burns. What survives becomes a permanent knowledge base, queryable by Claude, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible AI agent.
Read first: Best Bookmark Manager 2026 · Best AI Bookmark Manager 2026 · Read It Later App guide · Pocket Alternative 2026
Why Burn 451
Not another bookmark organizer. A bookmark autopsy.
Deadline-driven
Every link gets 24 hours. Decide or lose it.
MCP tools
Claude, Cursor, and Windsurf can query your vault.
Free to start
Core reading flow is free. Pro unlocks AI features at $4.99/mo.
Curious what survives the burn? Explore curated reading vaults →
How it Works
Three stages. One rule: decide or lose it.
New link saved. You have 24 hours to open it or it burns.
Frequently asked questions
What is Burn 451?+
Burn 451 is a read-later app built around a 24-hour burn timer that forces daily triage. Every saved article must be read, vaulted for permanent keeping, or released within 24 hours. It is a content digestion system for people who save more than they read, with AI digest and an MCP server for developer workflows.
How is Burn 451 different from Pocket?+
Pocket was a passive storage system where articles piled up indefinitely. Burn 451 is a forced-decision system where every saved article demands action within 24 hours. Burn also ships AI triage and an MCP server for Claude and Cursor — capabilities Pocket never offered before Mozilla shut it down in July 2025.
Is Burn 451 free?+
Burn's core reading flow is free — the 24-hour timer, Spark, Vault, MCP server, and Chrome extension cost nothing, with no ads and no data selling. Pro ($4.99/mo or $48/yr, 7-day trial) unlocks the AI features: AI Read digests, voice notes, unlimited Vault, full-text search, and Markdown export.
What does the 24-hour timer do?+
Every article you save enters the Flame zone with a 24-hour countdown. Before it burns, you choose: open it and it moves to Spark with 30 more days, vault it permanently, or let it burn to Ash. The timer solves the core hoarding problem — 94% of traditional bookmarks are never reopened.
Does Burn 451 have an API or MCP server?+
Yes. Burn 451 ships a REST API and a 26-tool MCP (Model Context Protocol) server on npm as burn-mcp-server. This lets Claude, Cursor, and other MCP-compatible AI tools query your saved articles as live context while you work.
Can I connect Burn 451 to Claude or Cursor?+
Yes. Install burn-mcp-server from npm, connect it to Claude Code, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible client, and your saved articles become searchable tools the AI can call. Ask What did I save about vector databases? and get answers sourced from your own reading history, with summaries and direct links to originals.
What are Burn 451's editorial Vaults?+
Vaults are hand-curated reading lists for AI thought leaders and operators — Karpathy, Simon Willison, Paul Graham, Naval Ravikant, Lenny Rachitsky, Swyx, Pieter Levels, and Tiago Forte. Each Vault organizes essays, posts, and transcripts by topic with AI summaries, auto-syncing as new content from that author is published.