Comparison

Hot Novel vs ArcReader

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

Head to head
About

Hot Novel

Access a vast library of books with real-time updates on various genres. Discover new stories and enjoy a continuously expanding collection of reading material.

Highlights
  • Extensive book library
  • Real-time updates
  • Multiple book types
  • Free access
Features
Read full description

Hot novel has a wealth of books for users to read and update various types of books in real time.

About

ArcReader

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
Read full description

Paste any web novel link. Download every chapter. Read offline anywhere — no account, no subscription required to start. ArcReader is the offline-first reader for Royal Road, WTR-Lab, NovelFire, and dozens more sources. Bring your own link, we handle the rest — whether it's progression fantasy, xianxia, cultivation fiction, LitRPG, isekai, romance, or any English web novel and light novel. Loved by readers who wanted something quieter: no crowded feeds, no coin walls, just your books. Built for readers who want full control: pick your theme, your font, your scroll mode, and read offline whenever you want. POPULAR GENRES ON ARCREADER Progression Fantasy · Cultivation · Xianxia · Wuxia · Xuanhuan · LitRPG · GameLit · Isekai · Reincarnation · Fantasy · Romance · Sci-Fi · Fanfiction · Thriller · Horror · Slice of Life · Harem · Adventure WHY READERS LOVE ARCREADER A reader designed for long sessions Choose between four themes (Light, Dark, Sepia, Black AMOLED). Adjust font size, line spacing, font family, and margins to find your perfect setup. Switch between paginated mode with page-turn animation, or smooth continuous scroll. Listen with on-device narration Built-in neural text-to-speech turns any novel into an audiobook — runs entirely on your device. No internet required, no data costs, no monthly fees for the core feature. Adjustable speed from 0.75x to 2x, lock-screen controls, sleep timer, and auto-advance between chapters. Offline-first reading Downloaded content stays on your device in a local library — not a temporary cache. Read on airplanes, in tunnels, or anywhere connectivity is unreliable. Import your own EPUB files Already have books saved as EPUB? Import them straight into your library and read them with the same themes, fonts, and narration as everything else. Look up words and build vocabulary Tap any word for an instant dictionary definition, then save it as a flashcard. Review your flashcards later to lock in new vocabulary as you read. Highlights and notes Long-press to highlight passages in four colors with optional notes. Review all your highlights for any title in one place. Reading position sync Auto-saves your position every few seconds. Open a book on another device and continue exactly where you left off, after signing in. No sign-up wall Open the app and start reading. Account creation is optional — only needed if you want to sync between devices. EVERYTHING ARCREADER OFFERS - Customizable reader (themes, fonts, layout, scroll modes) - On-device neural text-to-speech with voice selection - Background audio with lock-screen controls and sleep timer - Highlights and notes with color coding - Import your own EPUB files into your library - Built-in dictionary with tap-to-define - Vocabulary flashcards to review and remember new words - Reading progress auto-save and cross-device sync - Daily reading goals and streaks - Reading statistics and history ARCREADER VIP (OPTIONAL SUBSCRIPTION) ArcReader VIP adds: - Premium cloud voices for high-quality narration - Unlimited chapter downloads - Ad-free reading experience ArcReader VIP is available as a monthly or yearly auto-renewing subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase. The exact price in your local currency is shown in the app and on the App Store before you confirm. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at purchase confirmation. Subscriptions auto-renew unless turned off in iOS Settings at least 24 hours before the current period ends; renewal is charged within 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel anytime in Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions. PRIVACY ArcReader stores your reading data on your device. Optional account sync uses encrypted cloud storage. We do not sell your data. Full privacy policy available below. Terms of Service: https://arcreaders.app/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://arcreaders.app/privacy.html

Screenshots

Hot Novel3 screens
ArcReader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Hot Novel at none against ArcReader's shown. Hot Novel also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.6). ArcReader's advantage is ratings volume (67 vs 2) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Hot Novel sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and ArcReader sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Hot Novel against 4.9 for ArcReader. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcReader has 67 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hot Novel ships an update every 3 weeks, ArcReader weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Hot Novel versus ArcReader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHot NovelArcReader
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better4.9 (67 ratings)
Positive reviews—95.7% of reviews
Number of ratings267 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS10.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB142 MB
Age rating17+17+
Developer圣 严Thien Le

Customer experience

Hot Novel

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

ArcReader

All ratings65 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews23 reviews
Positive95.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative4.3%

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Hot Novel

One-time10
  • 200 Coins$1.99
  • 2500 Coins$4.99
  • 500 Coins$4.99
Show 7 more
  • Week$5.99
  • 1000 Coins$9.99
  • 1500 Coins$14.99
  • Month$19.99
  • Three Month$49.99
  • 6000 Coins$54.99
  • 10000 Coins$99.99
3 purchases

ArcReader

Subscriptions2
  • ArcReader VIP — Monthly$5.991 Month
  • ArcReader VIP — Annual$44.991 Year
One-time1
  • ArcReader VIP - Lifetime$79.99

Questions

Is Hot Novel free?
Hot Novel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ArcReader free?
ArcReader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Hot Novel or ArcReader?
Hot Novel is rated higher. Hot Novel averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while ArcReader averages 4.9 from 67 ratings.
Do Hot Novel or ArcReader have ads?
ArcReader shows ads; Hot Novel does not.
Which is updated more often, Hot Novel or ArcReader?
Hot Novel ships an update every 3 weeks, and ArcReader weekly. Most recently, Hot Novel was updated on October 20, 2026 and ArcReader on October 25, 2026.

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