# NEXT vs Unearthed Stories

The clearest difference is rating: Unearthed Stories at 5.0 against NEXT's 4.4. NEXT's advantage is ratings volume (140 vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. NEXT sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Unearthed Stories sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Unearthed Stories holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NEXT has 140 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

NEXT ships an update every 2 weeks, Unearthed Stories every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NEXT | Unearthed Stories |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (140 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/next-interactive-story/id1574082927/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unearthed-stories/id6474701738/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **140** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 23.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 95 MB | 286 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Shenzhen Smarter Mobi Technology Co.Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1657169745) | [Fernando Gamboa](https://appshunter.io/developer/1718320249) |

## What reviewers say

### NEXT

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/next-interactive-story/id1574082927)

Engage in interactive romantic stories where your choices shape the narrative and lead to different endings. Explore love, relationships, and dramatic twists with charming characters and captivating storylines.

**Highlights:** Interactive story choices, Branching narratives, Multiple story endings, Dating and relationship storylines, Character interaction, Ads-free content (premium)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Subscription | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Annual Subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| Currency: Small Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Currency: Small Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Currency: Medium Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Currency: Big Pack | $22.99 | one-time |
| Currency: Large Pack | $44.99 | one-time |
| Currency: Extra Large Pack | $99.99 | one-time |


### Unearthed Stories

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unearthed-stories/id6474701738)

Immerse yourself in a universe of interactive speculative fiction where your choices shape the narrative. Explore a growing library of unique fantasy and sci-fi text-based stories. Customize your reading experience with various themes and fonts.

**Highlights:** Text-based interactive fiction, Fantasy and sci-fi genres, Customizable reading experience, Original artwork and maps, Growing library of new content, Descriptive tags and content warnings

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Book: Herald | $2.99 | one-time |
| Book: Our Own Rhythm | $4.99 | one-time |
| Book: Means of Egress | $4.99 | one-time |
| Ad-free Pass | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NEXT free?

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

### Is Unearthed Stories free?

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

### Which has better reviews, NEXT or Unearthed Stories?

Unearthed Stories is rated higher. NEXT averages 4.4 out of 5 from 140 ratings, while Unearthed Stories averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do NEXT or Unearthed Stories have ads?

Both NEXT and Unearthed Stories show ads.

### Which is updated more often, NEXT or Unearthed Stories?

NEXT ships an update every 2 weeks, and Unearthed Stories every 2 months. Most recently, NEXT was updated on November 3, 2026 and Unearthed Stories on November 4, 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.*