# Stage1st Reader vs 矿小助

The clearest difference is update cadence: 矿小助 at every 9 days against Stage1st Reader's every 2 months. Stage1st Reader's advantage is ratings volume (12 vs 2). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Stage1st Reader against 5.0 for 矿小助. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Stage1st Reader has 12 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 94% of Stage1st Reader's written reviews are positive against 100% of 矿小助's.

Stage1st Reader ships an update every 2 months, 矿小助 every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on July 4, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Stage1st Reader | 矿小助 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stage1st-reader/id509916119/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1539364154/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **12** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 94.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 34 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.1 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [铮 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1055189822) | [Jiangsu Bitsky Technology Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1539144686) |

## What reviewers say

### Stage1st Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stage1st-reader/id509916119)

This unofficial mobile reader offers a fast and convenient way to browse the S1 forum. Enjoy a comfortable experience while accessing content from bbs.saraba1st.com/2b.

**Highlights:** Fast browsing, Convenient access, Comfortable user experience, Unofficial client, Mobile reader

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### 矿小助

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1539364154)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Stage1st Reader free?

Stage1st Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is 矿小助 free?

矿小助 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Stage1st Reader or 矿小助?

矿小助 is rated higher. Stage1st Reader averages 4.9 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while 矿小助 averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Stage1st Reader or 矿小助 have ads?

Neither Stage1st Reader nor 矿小助 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Stage1st Reader or 矿小助?

Stage1st Reader ships an update every 2 months, and 矿小助 every 9 days. Most recently, Stage1st Reader was updated on July 4, 2026 and 矿小助 on September 15, 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.*