Stop watching on impulse. Start watching with intent.
| Feature | YouTube Watch Later | Browser Bookmarks | aellium ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-platform videos | ✗ YouTube only | ✗ Links only | ✓ 120+ platforms |
| Deadlines & urgency | ✗ None | ✗ None | ✓ Color-coded |
| Completion tracking | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✓ Per video |
| Analytics dashboard | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✓ Full insights |
| Playlist sharing | ✗ Clunky | ✗ Manual | ✓ One link |
| Algorithm-free | ✗ Heavily pushed | ✓ Yes | ✓ Always |
| Cost | Free | Free | Free forever |
It started with YouTube Watch Later. Then Instagram saves. Then X bookmarks. I was collecting videos like they were trophies — saving content as a substitute for actually consuming it. The dopamine hit of saving felt like watching.
I'd open my Watch Later at 11pm and feel overwhelmed. 400 videos. Where do I start? I'd close the tab and doom-scroll instead. The saved content became a graveyard of good intentions.
I looked for apps. Nothing fit. They were either too complex, too expensive, or only worked with YouTube. I wanted something dead simple — paste a link, set a date, actually watch it. With accountability baked in.
So I built aellium in a weekend. Then kept improving it. The deadline system, the analytics, the punctuality score — all things I personally needed to fix my own habits. This app is me talking to my past self.