# Byline vs StrangerStories

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Byline at 16 against StrangerStories's 1. StrangerStories's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Byline against 5.0 for StrangerStories. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Byline has 16 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Byline ships an update every 2 weeks, StrangerStories weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Byline | StrangerStories |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/byline-multiplayer-writing/id1493253197/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strangerstories/id6761690139/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **16** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 2 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [App't](https://appshunter.io/developer/390797937) | [Justin Neuman](https://appshunter.io/developer/1859103444) |

## What reviewers say

### Byline

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/byline-multiplayer-writing/id1493253197)

Collaborate with others to create unique stories, one line at a time. Each participant only sees the previous line, fostering surprising and creative narratives. Share your finished tales with friends or the wider community.

**Highlights:** Collaborative story creation, Line-by-line writing, Public story posting, Private group invitations, Story titling and sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### StrangerStories

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strangerstories/id6761690139)

Collaborate with strangers to write fiction, one sentence at a time. Choose a world and contribute to unfolding narratives in paired, chain, or group modes. Experience the surprise reveal of the complete story.

**Highlights:** Collaborative storytelling, Sentence-by-sentence writing, Paired, Chain, and Group play modes, Choice of 22 themed worlds, Surprise story reveal, Text moderation for safety

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Byline free?

Byline is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is StrangerStories free?

StrangerStories is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Byline or StrangerStories?

StrangerStories is rated higher. Byline averages 4.9 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while StrangerStories averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Byline or StrangerStories have ads?

Neither Byline nor StrangerStories shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Byline or StrangerStories?

Byline ships an update every 2 weeks, and StrangerStories weekly. Most recently, Byline was updated on October 26, 2026 and StrangerStories on October 28, 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.*