# Fish vs StoryGraph

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Fish at none against StoryGraph's 2. Fish also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (99% vs 70%). StoryGraph's advantage is ratings volume (3.6K vs 38) and update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. StoryGraph sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Fish asks for nothing beyond the download.

Fish holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: StoryGraph has 3.6K ratings behind it against 38, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 99% of Fish's written reviews are positive against 70% of StoryGraph's.

Fish ships an update every 4 months, StoryGraph monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Fish | StoryGraph |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (38 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fish-a-tap-essay/id510560804/reviews)** | [4.5 (3.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storygraph-reading-tracker/id1570489264/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 38 | **3.6K** |
| Positive reviews | **98.7% of reviews** | 70.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | — | **#32** |
| Size | 75 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Robin Sloan](https://appshunter.io/developer/510560807) | [The StoryGraph](https://appshunter.io/developer/1570489926) |

## What reviewers say

### Fish

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fish-a-tap-essay/id510560804)

Explore the nuanced difference between internet 'liking' and genuine 'loving' through an interactive tap essay. This unique format uses typography, color, and surprises to present a heartfelt manifesto.

**Highlights:** Interactive tap essay format, Explores internet liking vs. loving, Uses typography and color, Includes surprises, Short reading time

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Thought-provoking content
- 🔄 Highly rewatchable/rereadable
- ✨ Beautiful presentation/design
- 🤔 Inspires reflection and deeper thinking
- ⏳ Timeless and enduring appeal

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏳ Updated version too long (compared to original)
- 📱 Not optimized for newer devices (e.g., retina iPad)

**Requested features**

- Option to include the original version


### StoryGraph

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storygraph-reading-tracker/id1570489264)

**Currently charting:** #32 Top Free · Book, #105 Top Grossing · Book (US App Store)

Track your reading habits with insightful stats and personalized book recommendations powered by AI. Discover new books based on mood, pace, and genre, and connect with friends for shared reading experiences.

**Highlights:** Import Goodreads data, Personalized book recommendations, Track reading habits with stats, Discover books by mood and pace, Read with friends (buddy reads), Custom reading challenges, Content warnings for books

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The StoryGraph Plus Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| The StoryGraph Plus Annual | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Excellent reading stats and data visualization
- 💡 Innovative features like buddy reads and reading challenges
- 👍 Clean and modern design
- 💡 Independent company, not owned by big tech

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🐛 Slow performance and loading times
- 🐛 Issues with importing data from other platforms
- 🐛 Missing some basic features like custom shelves/lists
- 🐛 Confusing navigation and UI in places

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes when trying to update reading progress
- Incorrect book details and page counts
- Login issues where users get logged out frequently

**Requested features**

- Ability to track re-reads and multiple editions of books
- More robust social features like following friends, liking reviews
- Barcode scanning to easily add books
- Customizable reading challenges and goal tracking
- Dark mode option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Fish free?

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

### Is StoryGraph free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Fish or StoryGraph?

Fish is rated higher. Fish averages 4.9 out of 5 from 38 ratings, while StoryGraph averages 4.5 from 3.6K ratings.

### Do Fish or StoryGraph have ads?

Neither Fish nor StoryGraph shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Fish or StoryGraph?

Fish ships an update every 4 months, and StoryGraph monthly. Most recently, Fish was updated on November 1, 2026 and StoryGraph on November 9, 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.*