# River Comics vs Story Waves

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Story Waves at 100% against River Comics's 0%. Story Waves also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.2). River Comics's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 17 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. River Comics sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year and Story Waves sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Story Waves holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of River Comics's written reviews are positive against 100% of Story Waves's.

River Comics ships an update every 2 weeks, Story Waves every 17 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | River Comics | Story Waves |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/river-comics/id1438108371/reviews) | **[5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/story-waves/id1600802008/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **11** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 17 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 180 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 12.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [RIVER COMICS LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1438108370) | [Story Waves Corp](https://appshunter.io/developer/1600802010) |

## What reviewers say

### River Comics

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/river-comics/id1438108371)

Explore a vast library of free online comics with added sound and motion features for an immersive reading experience. Discover new genres and enjoy unlimited access to digital motion comics that bring stories to life.

**Highlights:** Unlimited comic access, Motion and sound features, Extensive library with multiple genres, Hundreds of free digital motion comics, Available in multiple languages, First episode of every comic is free

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| River comics annually 3 | $9.99 | per year |
| Annually 1 device&1 Month Free | $11.99 | per year |
| Annually 1 device | $11.99 | per year |
| River comics annually 1 device | $14.99 | per year |
| Annually 2 devices | $23.49 | per year |
| Annually 2 device&1 Month Free | $23.99 | per year |
| River comics annually 2 device | $24.99 | per year |
| River comics annually 4 device | $34.99 | per year |
| Annually 4 device&1 Month Free | $35.99 | per year |
| Annually 4 devices | $35.99 | per year |


### Story Waves

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/story-waves/id1600802008)

Experience a new way to enjoy classic tales with original artwork and rewritten narratives. Create playlists, favorite stories, and even translate albums into different languages. New content is released monthly, keeping the spirit of oral tradition alive.

**Highlights:** Rewritten classic stories, Original artwork, Create playlists, Favorite stories, Multi-language support, Monthly new content

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $4.49 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $9.99 | per year |
| Half Yearly Subscription | $24.99 | per 6 months |
| Annual Subscription | $41.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is River Comics free?

River Comics is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Story Waves free?

Story Waves is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, River Comics or Story Waves?

Story Waves is rated higher. River Comics averages 4.2 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Story Waves averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.

### Do River Comics or Story Waves have ads?

Neither River Comics nor Story Waves shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, River Comics or Story Waves?

River Comics ships an update every 2 weeks, and Story Waves every 17 months. Most recently, River Comics was updated on October 10, 2026 and Story Waves on October 18, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*