# Awful vs Basic Web Browser

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Awful at 86% against Basic Web Browser's 0%. Awful also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.7) and in-app purchases (none vs 10). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Basic Web Browser sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Awful asks for nothing beyond the download.

Awful holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Awful has 239 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Awful's written reviews are positive against 0% of Basic Web Browser's.

Awful ships an update every 8 days, Basic Web Browser monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Awful | Basic Web Browser |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (239 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/awful-sa-forums-browser/id567936609/reviews)** | [3.7 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-web-browser/id1670797073/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **239** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | **86.4% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 102 MB | 259 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.5** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Dale Stonall-Mellor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1583171231) | [APG Solutions, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/449465587) |

## What reviewers say

### Awful

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/awful-sa-forums-browser/id567936609)

This app provides a streamlined browsing experience for the Something Awful forums on iOS devices. It offers access to all forums, bookmarked threads, private messages, and includes features like image uploads and a smilie keyboard.

**Highlights:** Browse all forums and subforums, Access bookmarked threads, Built-in SALR functionality, Smilie stickers and keyboard, Upload images and pictures, Manage private messages, Favorite forums

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🔒 Secure browsing experience
- 💡 Customizable layout and settings
- 🎨 Visually appealing design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 📉 Declining performance over time
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🚫 Compatibility issues with newer devices

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when opening certain forums
- Inability to load images and media
- Freezing and lagging on older devices
- Sync issues between app and website

**Requested features**

- Add search functionality
- Implement dark mode option
- Improve thread navigation and bookmarking
- Integrate with other social platforms


### Basic Web Browser

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-web-browser/id1670797073)

Browse the internet securely and quickly with this user-friendly application. It offers ad blocking, tab management, and customizable search engines. Sync your browsing data across Apple devices using iCloud.

**Highlights:** Ad Blocking, Multiple Tabs, Customizable Search Engines, iCloud Sync, Speech to Text Search, Multi-language Support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove all advertisements | $0.99 | per month |
| Remove all advertisements | $10.99 | per year |
| Remove all advertisements | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove all advertisements | $2.99 | one-time |
| Remove all advertisements | $3.99 | one-time |
| Remove all advertisements | $4.99 | one-time |
| Remove all advertisements | $19.99 | one-time |
| Remove all advertisements | $39.99 | one-time |
| Remove all advertisements | $49.99 | one-time |
| Remove all advertisements | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Awful free?

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

### Is Basic Web Browser free?

Basic Web Browser is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Awful or Basic Web Browser?

Awful is rated higher. Awful averages 4.9 out of 5 from 239 ratings, while Basic Web Browser averages 3.7 from 7 ratings.

### Do Awful or Basic Web Browser have ads?

Basic Web Browser shows ads; Awful does not.

### Which is updated more often, Awful or Basic Web Browser?

Awful ships an update every 8 days, and Basic Web Browser monthly. Most recently, Awful was updated on October 12, 2026 and Basic Web Browser on September 29, 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.*