Alyste vs Left on Read
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Alyste
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Alyste is a comprehensive directory of content that showcases black businesses, movies, shows, podcasts, radio stations, organizations, creators and more. Yes, all in one place! News: Want information? Read articles from your favorite black publications Food: Hungry? Find black-owned restaurants near you Creators: Love discovering influencers? Easily browse black creators to inspire you and support Movies and Shows: Need something to watch? Find black-lead movies and shows that can be filtered by streaming service Podcasts: Ready to listen? Browse 100s of black-leading podcasts across multiple categories Radio Stations: Traveling to a new city? Simply open the app to find the stations you want Organizations: Want to support Black Causes and Charities? Easily browse and support organizations across a variety of categories Brands: We’ve all asked. “Anyone know any black-owned brands?” 25+ categories of black-owned businesses at your fingertips
Left on Read
Experience stories as interactive text conversations where your choices and replies shape the narrative. Engage with characters who remember your input and react to your words, leading to multiple endings. Explore various genres from romance to horror in this unique storytelling platform.
- Stories unfold as text conversations
- Characters react to your typed replies
- Choices influence story endings
- Unlockable content and genres
- Daily expiring stories
- Phone call interruptions
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Short stories told entirely through text messages. And you're the one texting back. A stranger next door heard your call end badly and has a bottle. Your ex is parked outside with your key still on the ring. Your best friend's fiancé is texting you at 1am, four days before the wedding. A locksmith says he changed your locks today. You didn't call one. You've seen chat stories before. They have billions of views, and in every single one, all you could do was watch. Not this one. Every story here is a real text thread that starts on its own, like a chat you weren't meant to see. Then the keyboard is yours. Type anything. They answer you, in their own voice, and they remember what you said. HOW IT WORKS • Stories text you first, at the hour they would • A few messages in, you take over: type anything or tap a reply • Characters flirt, push, lie, and react to YOUR words • Tap and hold any message to react, or swipe to reply to one text in particular. They do it back • No fixed endings: the whole conversation decides how it ends, and the story writes yours • Post how it ended for you, with a line of your own, and see how it went for everyone else in the Feed WHAT'S WAITING (WITH LEFT ON READ PLUS) • Strangers text you first, across romance, thriller, horror, mystery, drama and comedy • Or start a chat with anyone: every person who might text you is in Stories, with a face and a note on who they are to you • The ones who shouldn't be texting you: the ex, the trainer, the plus one, the wrong number that wasn't • Some of them text you over days: they leave, say when they'll be back, and pick up exactly where you left off • Group chats where everyone is typing at once • Phone calls that interrupt the thread when texting isn't enough • An ending written for your conversation, and their read on you afterwards • When it ends with the door still open, keep talking: the story carries on from where you left it • Tell us who you are and who texts you; the stories cast themselves FREE TO TRY, SUBSCRIPTION FOR EVERYTHING ELSE Left on Read is free to download and includes an interactive story to play. Every reply is written live, just for you. That is what the subscription pays for. The full story library and every ending require a Left on Read Plus auto-renewable subscription: $4.99/week, or $39.99/year. Prices may vary by region. Payment is charged to your Apple Account; subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the period. Manage or cancel anytime in Settings. Rated 16+. Anything can be implied. Nothing is described. Posts and comments in the Feed are moderated, and anything can be reported or blocked. They're typing. Don't leave them on read. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://leftonread.vercel.app/privacy.html Support: https://leftonread.vercel.app/support.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Alyste at none against Left on Read's 2. Alyste also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.0). Left on Read's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). On price and device support 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
Both are free to download. Left on Read sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Alyste asks for nothing beyond the download.
Alyste ships an update monthly, Left on Read every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Alyste | Left on Read |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 2.5 (18 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 18 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 116 MB | 20 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Taylor Perry | Kushal Mittal |
In-app purchases
Alyste
No in-app purchases
Left on Read
- Plus Weekly$4.997 Days
- Plus Yearly3 Days trial$39.991 Year









