Service details are accurate as of April 2026. Features and pricing may change over time.
- Each service differs substantially in storage format, speed, and strengths — choosing the right one depends on your use case
- For evidence preservation, the key question is whether the service records when, what, and how the page was saved
- Wayback Machine is best for finding old versions of pages; Kiroku is best for capturing the page you are looking at right now
- For maximum safety, save important pages with more than one service at the same time
Multiple web archiving services exist, but they differ significantly in how they save pages, what they preserve, and what use cases they serve best. This guide evaluates megalodon.jp, archive.today, Wayback Machine, and Kiroku across 15 comparison criteria and recommends the best option for each common use case.
Several services let you save snapshots of web pages, but each one was built with different goals in mind. Choosing the wrong tool can mean that the evidence you need is missing when it matters most, or that the saved page fails to capture the content you actually care about.
This guide compares the four major web archiving services available in 2026 — megalodon.jp, archive.today, Wayback Machine, and Kiroku — across storage format, processing speed, coverage, evidence integrity, pricing, and more. Whether you need to preserve legal evidence, recover a deleted page, or simply keep a permanent copy of an article, you will find the right tool here.
Overview of the Four Services
The web archiving services available today were each developed in a different era and with different objectives. Here is a brief introduction to what each one does and where it fits in the landscape.
- megalodon.jp (Web Gyotaku) — Launched in 2006. The original Japanese web snapshot service, operated by Affility Inc. Simple Japanese-language interface for saving HTML copies of web pages
- archive.today — Appeared around 2012. The operator is anonymous, but the service is fast, lightweight, and used globally. All saved pages are public
- Wayback Machine — Started in 2001 by the Internet Archive, a US nonprofit. The largest web archive in the world, with hundreds of billions of pages collected through automated crawling
- Kiroku — Launched in 2026 in Japan. Saves a full-page screenshot, self-contained HTML, and AI summary in a single operation. Supports tamper verification via SHA-256 hashing
Feature Comparison Table
The table below compares the four services across 15 criteria. Focus on the rows that matter most for your particular use case.
| Criteria | megalodon.jp | archive.today | Wayback Machine | Kiroku |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Japan (Affility Inc.) | Unknown (anonymous) | US (Internet Archive) | Japan (indie developer) |
| Year launched | 2006 | ~2012 | 2001 | 2026 |
| Storage format | HTML | HTML snapshot | Crawl-based HTML | Screenshot + self-contained HTML + AI summary |
| Screenshot | No | No | No | Yes (full-page PNG) |
| AI summary | No | No | No | Yes |
| Japanese UI | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Mobile-friendly | Partial | Partial | Partial | Yes |
| No login required | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Private saves | Yes (paid plan) | No | No | Yes (free) |
| X post support | Limited | Limited | Limited | Yes (auto metadata extraction) |
| Tamper verification | No | No | No | Yes (SHA-256 hash) |
| Historical browsing | No | Yes (limited) | Yes (timeline view) | No |
| Pricing | Free + paid plan | Free | Free | Free + paid plan |
| API | No | No | Yes | Planned |
| Chrome extension | No | Yes | Yes (official) | Yes |
megalodon.jp (Web Gyotaku): Strengths and Limitations
megalodon.jp launched in 2006 and is synonymous with web page snapshots in Japan. It saves HTML copies of pages through a simple Japanese-language interface, and its paid plan supports private saves. The service has been operating for two decades and enjoys strong brand recognition domestically.
On the other hand, server load can cause slow response times, and JavaScript-heavy dynamic sites are often not reproduced accurately. There is no screenshot capture or AI summary — the saved output is HTML only.
- Simple, intuitive Japanese-language interface
- Nearly two decades of operational track record with strong domestic awareness
- Paid plan adds private save functionality
- JavaScript-heavy pages may not render correctly in saved copies
- Server-side delays can occur during high-traffic periods
megalodon.jp popularized the concept of taking a 'web gyotaku' (web snapshot) in Japan. It was the service that made many people aware that web pages could — and should — be preserved.
archive.today: Strengths and Limitations
archive.today stands out for its lightweight, fast operation. Pages are saved as visual snapshots that closely reproduce the original appearance, including CSS and images. Processing often completes in just a few seconds, making it one of the quickest options available.
However, the operator is anonymous, which raises questions about transparency, data retention policies, and long-term reliability. All archives are public with no option for private saves, and the interface is English-only.
- Extremely fast — pages are often archived within seconds
- Good visual fidelity, including CSS and image preservation
- No registration required; just enter a URL
- Anonymous operator with no public information about data retention or continuity
- All archives are public — there is no private save option
Because archive.today's operator is anonymous, there is limited visibility into how data is stored, how long it will be retained, and whether the service will continue operating. Relying on it as the sole repository for critical evidence carries risk.
Wayback Machine: Strengths and Limitations
The Wayback Machine, operated by the US nonprofit Internet Archive since 2001, is the largest web archive in the world. Its automated crawlers have accumulated hundreds of billions of pages, and users can browse snapshots from any point in time using a timeline interface. Since Google discontinued its search cache in 2024, the Wayback Machine has become the de facto standard for looking up past versions of web pages.
On-demand saving is available through the Save Page Now feature, but JavaScript-heavy pages may not be captured faithfully. Saved pages are generally public, making it unsuitable for private archiving needs.
- The world's largest web archive — browse historical snapshots of nearly any page
- Save Page Now lets you archive any page on demand
- Public API available for programmatic access
- JavaScript-heavy dynamic pages may not be reproduced accurately
- No Japanese-language interface — English only
For an in-depth look at how the Wayback Machine and Kiroku differ in terms of save timing, page fidelity, and evidence integrity, see our separate guide: Wayback Machine vs Kiroku.
Kiroku: Strengths and Limitations
Kiroku is a new web archiving service launched in Japan in 2026. Enter a URL and it saves three things at once: a full-page screenshot, a self-contained HTML file, and an AI-generated summary. It also generates a SHA-256 hash for tamper verification, reflecting a strong focus on evidence preservation.
As a new service, Kiroku does not have the historical page archive that the Wayback Machine offers, and its operational track record is still short. Here we present both its strengths and its current limitations honestly.
- Saves screenshot, self-contained HTML, and AI summary in one step
- SHA-256 hash enables tamper verification of saved data
- Full Japanese UI with complete mobile support
- Private saves on Pro
- Automatically extracts metadata from X posts: author name, handle, post text, and timestamp
- Launched in 2026, so its long-term data retention track record is unproven
- No historical page browsing — saves capture only the current state of a page
Which Service to Choose by Use Case
The best service depends on what you need it for. Use the table below to find the option that fits your situation.
| Use case | Recommended | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Save the page I'm looking at right now | Kiroku | One-click capture of screenshot + HTML + AI summary |
| Find a deleted or changed page | Wayback Machine | The broadest historical archive with timeline browsing |
| Save a page as fast as possible | archive.today | Lightweight operation completes in seconds |
| Preserve evidence for legal proceedings | Kiroku | SHA-256 hash + timestamp + screenshot + HTML provides strong evidentiary value |
| Use a Japanese-language interface | Kiroku / megalodon.jp | Both offer full Japanese UI |
| Save a page privately | Kiroku | Private saves on Pro (megalodon.jp requires a paid plan) |
For important pages, do not rely on a single service. Saving with two or more archiving tools at the same time provides redundancy against service shutdowns or data loss.
Summary
Multiple web archiving services exist, but they differ significantly in how they save pages, what they preserve, and what use cases they serve best. This guide evaluates megalodon.jp, archive.today, Wayback Machine, and Kiroku across 15 comparison criteria and recommends the best option for each common use case.
FAQ
Which service is the best overall?
There is no single best answer — it depends entirely on your use case. If you want to find past versions of pages, use the Wayback Machine. If you want to reliably capture the page you are looking at right now, use Kiroku. If speed is your top priority, try archive.today. Refer to the use-case table in this article for specific recommendations.
Which services are free?
All four services offer free public archiving at the core. megalodon.jp charges for extras like private saves, while Kiroku uses Pro for private archives, evidence packs, and monitoring. archive.today and the Wayback Machine are largely free services.
What happens to my archives if a service shuts down?
Your saved data is held by each service according to its own policies, and none of them guarantee permanent retention. For critical records — such as legal evidence or business documentation — always download a local copy as a backup. Do not assume that any cloud service will keep your data forever.
Can I save pages from international websites?
All four services support saving pages from international sites. However, some websites block access from certain IP ranges or geographic regions, which can cause save failures depending on where the archiving server is located.
Is it okay to save the same page with multiple services?
Absolutely — in fact, it is recommended. Saving the same page across multiple services increases redundancy. If one service goes down or loses data, your archive still exists elsewhere. For anything important, saving with at least two services is the safest approach.
Sources
- megalodon.jp (Web Gyotaku) Official Sitehttps://megalodon.jp/
- archive.todayhttps://archive.today/
- Internet Archive (Wayback Machine)https://web.archive.org/
- Kiroku Official Sitehttps://kiroku.today/
Try saving your first page
The best way to find out which service works for you is to try it. Kiroku requires no login and saves a screenshot, self-contained HTML, and AI summary — all from a single URL, completely free.