gjICE vs Archivist Browser
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
gjICE
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Use gjICE to display your In Case of Emergency (ICE) contact details in a widget on the Lock Screen. Features: - Requires iOS 17.5 or later. - Up to 3 lines of text, empty lines are ignored. - Support for basic markdown: - To bold text, add two asterisks or underscores before and after a word or phrase. - To italicise text, add one asterisk or underscore before and after a word or phrase. - To strikeout text, add two tildes (~) before and after a word or phrase. - Emojis may be used but they will appear washed out since iOS applies a tint to all Lock Screen widgets. - Supports system dark and light modes.
Archivist Browser
Stream millions of films, audiobooks, music, and digital texts directly from the Internet Archive. This media player offers enhanced playback, universal TV casting, and organized file management for researchers and enthusiasts.
- Stream films, audiobooks, music, and texts
- Universal TV Casting (AirPlay)
- High-resolution image viewer
- Optimized audio with background support
- Topic Chips for content filtering
- Folder sharing via URL or QR code
- On-the-fly renaming and text file cleanup
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Archivist Browser: Your Portal to Digital History Archivist Browser is the ultimate media player, transforming your device into a comprehensive portal for streaming content directly from the Internet Archive's vast collections. Built specifically for researchers and enthusiasts of historical media, our app provides the fastest, most reliable way to stream millions of films, audiobooks, music and digital texts. Stop struggling with browser playback. Download Archivist Browser and experience the past, optimised for seamless, modern streaming. What the Critics Say "A really cool piece of software... I've never seen anything like this before... Highly recommend." — WILL SMITH, BRAD AND WILL MADE A TECH POD "A great idea for a very niche utility – my favourite kind these days." — FEDERICO VITICCI, MACSTORIES As featured in Cory Doctorow's Pluralistic blog. Enhanced Media Playback & Visuals Experience history in high definition with a UI designed for modern enthusiasts. Custom Themes: Personalise your experience with the new Alt Indigo Theme, a variation specifically for Dark Mode enthusiasts. Universal TV Casting: Watch films and video on your big screen! Archivist Browser supports AirPlay (on iOS) for instant, seamless video streaming to any compatible TV or streaming device. High-Res Image Viewer: Enjoy smoother navigation and better rendering when viewing high-resolution assets. Improved Subtitles: Expanded support for subtitles across more titles and languages. Optimised Audio: Enjoy full background audio support and media controls right from your lock screen, perfect for listening to historical audiobooks or music collections. Polished UI: Refined thumbnail badges offer better clarity and a more professional look. Discovery & Integration Navigate the Archive’s millions of items with ease. Topic Chips: Quickly filter and find what you want with Topic Chips now appearing on Collections. Uploader Profiles: Explore more from your favourite contributors by clicking an uploader’s name to see their full gallery. Internet Archive (IA) Integration: Seamlessly import your lists directly from your IA account for a seamless transition. Fast Content Discovery: Easily find media by title, keyword or creator, or access curated "Popular Queries" to jump straight into trending collections. File & Folder Management Organise and share your research effortlessly. Folder Sharing: Share your favourite folders with other users via URL or QR code. Smart Store Linking: If a recipient doesn’t have the app installed, shared links will automatically direct them to the store page. On-the-Fly Renaming: Keep your library organised by renaming your folders instantly. Text File Clean Up: Use a dedicated button to instantly tidy up messy OCR text files. Rapid Text Access: Cached text fetching retrieves PDFs and documents rapidly (note: cache is purged on app closure). Privacy & Reliability We prioritise your privacy: No user accounts, no mandatory login and absolutely no personal details are stored. Experience the Archive with total peace of mind.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Archivist Browser at every 3 days against gjICE's every 4 months. Archivist Browser also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.5). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
gjICE ships an update every 4 months, Archivist Browser every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 11, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | gjICE | Archivist Browser |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.9 (54 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 85.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 54 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 79 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Gavin Jerman | Robert Lothian |
In-app purchases
gjICE
No in-app purchases
Archivist Browser
No in-app purchases





