Comparison

Plainly vs Akari Browser

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Plainly

Experience web browsing without distractions. This app offers a clean, full-screen interface with minimal controls, allowing you to focus solely on content. It includes features like quick tab switching, passcode protection for privacy, and dark mode.

Highlights
  • Full-screen browsing experience
  • Intuitive tab switching
  • Buttonless interface option
  • Passcode protection for privacy
  • Dark mode support
  • Quick history clearing
Features
Read full description

Plainly is a web browser for browsing your favorite web sites full-screen. No address bars, no toolbars, no status bars – just a small button at the bottom of your screen. - Tap the Plainly button at the bottom of the screen to switch tabs and access navigation options - Two button modes: draggable mode lets you move the Plainly button to wherever you want; quick-switching mode lets you switch between tabs by swiping left and right on the Plainly button. - Buttonless full-screen: Tap and hold with two fingers to completely hide the Plainly button. - Passcode protection: Require a passcode for browsing privately. Plainly will also hide what you're looking at in the app switcher. - And more! Quickly clear browsing history; shortcuts support for launching Plainly on a given tab; pop-up support for websites that require them; and dark mode.

About

Akari Browser

Features
Read full description

Akari is a calmer web browser. Your favorites sit in a grid, your tabs fan out as cards, and one color sets the mood for the whole app. WHAT'S INSIDE • One bar for sites and searches. It fills in the websites you visit as you type. • Favorites as a grid of site icons, right on the start page. • Tabs as cards. Swipe the address bar to move between tabs, flick a card away to close it. • Spaces keep work, home and everything else apart. • Private tabs that forget everything when you close them. • Shields blocks ads and trackers using EasyList and EasyPrivacy, right on your device. • Reader turns cluttered articles into clean, easy text. • Find on page, downloads saved to the Files app, and "Open in Akari" in the share sheet. • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets for quick search and your favorites. • Nine colors, including a true black. WORKS WITH AKARI FOR MAC AND WINDOWS Sign in with your email and your favorites and color follow you between your iPhone and your computers. Sync is end-to-end encrypted, so we can't read it. Signing in is optional. No ads. No tracking. Free.

Screenshots

Plainly4 screens
Akari Browser4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Akari Browser at Free against Plainly's $0.99. Akari Browser also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 9 months). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Akari Browser is free to download; Plainly costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Plainly ships an update every 9 months, Akari Browser every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 6 level
Plainly versus Akari Browser: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlainlyAkari Browser
Price$0.99Free — better
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews—
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB16 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperJustin ChengJoseph Rodriguez

In-app purchases

None

Plainly

No in-app purchases

None

Akari Browser

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Plainly free?
Plainly costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Akari Browser free?
Akari Browser is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Plainly or Akari Browser have ads?
Neither Plainly nor Akari Browser shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Plainly or Akari Browser?
Plainly ships an update every 9 months, and Akari Browser every 2 days. Most recently, Plainly was updated on October 10, 2026 and Akari Browser on October 3, 2026.

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