# Novel Man vs ArcReader

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Novel Man at none against ArcReader's 3. Novel Man also leads on ratings volume (343 vs 69) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). ArcReader's advantage is review sentiment (96% vs 64%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ArcReader sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Novel Man asks for nothing beyond the download.

ArcReader holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 343 and 69 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Novel Man's written reviews are positive against 96% of ArcReader's.

Novel Man ships an update every 3 months, ArcReader weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Novel Man | ArcReader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (343 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/novel-man-novel-reader/id1550447873/reviews) | **[4.9 (69 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcreader-web-novel-offline/id6762717697/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **343** | 69 |
| Positive reviews | 64.4% of reviews | **95.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 75 MB | 155 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Mo Nguyen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1712409454) | [Thien Le](https://appshunter.io/developer/1617088747) |

## What reviewers say

### Novel Man

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/novel-man-novel-reader/id1550447873)

This app allows you to read a vast collection of novels from various popular websites, both online and offline. It offers a powerful reading engine with customizable navigation styles and a user-friendly interface for an enhanced experience.

**Highlights:** Read novels online and offline, Supports wide range of popular novel websites, Powerful reading engine, Multiple navigation styles, Handy one-handed context menu, Supports light novels, graphic novels, comics, and webtoons

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Extensive catalog of novels and light novels
- 🎨 Clean and well-designed user interface
- ⭐ High-quality text rendering and readability
- 🔖 Effective bookmarking and progress tracking with email sync
- 🆓 Free app with no mandatory payments

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📺 Excessive and intrusive ads throughout the app
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes when attempting to read
- 🔄 Loading page freezes preventing app access
- 📵 Blank or missing chapter content
- 🔍 Search functionality issues and infinite loading

**Reported bugs**

- App stuck on loading screen with logo
- Chapters not displaying or showing as blank
- Search function causing infinite loading
- App crashing when clicking READ button
- App crashing when selecting certain sources (Novel World)

**Requested features**

- Offline download capability for chapters
- Ad-free subscription option or payment to remove ads
- Text-to-speech functionality improvements
- Split-screen reading mode
- Comment section for novels


### ArcReader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcreader-web-novel-offline/id6762717697)

Download and read web novels offline with customizable themes, fonts, and scroll modes. Convert novels to audiobooks with on-device narration and build vocabulary with an integrated dictionary. Sync progress across devices and import EPUB files.

**Highlights:** Download and read web novels offline, Customizable reader themes and fonts, On-device text-to-speech narration, EPUB file import, Integrated dictionary with flashcards, Cross-device reading progress sync

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ArcReader VIP — Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| ArcReader VIP — Annual | $44.99 | per year |
| ArcReader VIP - Lifetime | $79.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Novel Man free?

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

### Is ArcReader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Novel Man or ArcReader?

ArcReader is rated higher. Novel Man averages 4.6 out of 5 from 343 ratings, while ArcReader averages 4.9 from 69 ratings.

### Do Novel Man or ArcReader have ads?

Both Novel Man and ArcReader show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Novel Man or ArcReader?

Novel Man ships an update every 3 months, and ArcReader weekly. Most recently, Novel Man was updated on October 23, 2026 and ArcReader on October 29, 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.*