Plainly vs Akari
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Full-screen browsing experience
- Intuitive tab switching
- Buttonless interface option
- Passcode protection for privacy
- Dark mode support
- Quick history clearing
Read full descriptionHide 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.
Akari
A mobile web browser designed for a calmer online experience, it blocks ads, trackers, and pop-ups. Enjoy features like background video playback, reader mode, and private tabs with optional Face ID protection.
- Ad, pop-up, and tracker blocking
- Video ad skipping
- Reader mode and page summarization
- Private tabs with Face ID lock
- Background audio/video playback
- Cross-device sync
Read full descriptionHide full description
Akari is a calmer web browser that blocks ads, pop-ups and trackers on your iPhone and iPad. BLOCK THE NOISE • Shields blocks ads and trackers using EasyList and EasyPrivacy, right on your device. • Pop-up blocking stops new windows and redirects you didn't ask for. • Block Video Ads skips the ads on video sites, so you get straight to the video. • Cookie banners hidden, and tracking tags stripped from the links you open and share. A CALMER WAY TO BROWSE • 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. • Peek previews a link before you open it. • Spaces keep work, home and everything else apart. • Reader turns cluttered articles into clean, easy text, and Summarize sums up a page on your device. • Keep audio and video playing in the background or in picture in picture. PRIVATE AND SECURE • Private tabs forget everything when you close them, and Face ID can lock them. • Sign in with passkeys, and set Akari as your default browser. • 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. AKARI PRO (OPTIONAL) Focus Mode, Block Lists, Hide Element, Hide Annoyances, Video Speed and app icons. Monthly, yearly or a one-time purchase. Everything above stays free. No ads. No tracking. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://0arch.io/akari/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Akari at Free against Plainly's $0.99. Akari also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 9 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 75%). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Akari is free to download; Plainly costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Plainly ships an update every 9 months, Akari every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Plainly | Akari |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | — | 3.3 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 3 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 55 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Justin Cheng | Joseph Rodriguez |
Customer experience
Plainly
Akari
In-app purchases
Plainly
No in-app purchases
Akari
No in-app purchases









