# Tapograph vs realnovel

The clearest difference is price: realnovel at Free against Tapograph's $0.99. realnovel also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Tapograph's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

realnovel is free to download; Tapograph costs $0.99 up front. realnovel sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per 7 days. Tapograph asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tapograph | realnovel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | — | **[1.2 (299 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/realnovel/id6683304338/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **299** |
| Positive reviews | — | 1.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | — | Subscription |
| Size | 6 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Ramunas Lukosius](https://appshunter.io/developer/1683302941) | [SEREAL PTE. LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1768483152) |

## What reviewers say

### Tapograph

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tapograph/id6448038141)

**In-app purchases:** none


### realnovel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/realnovel/id6683304338)

Discover a vast library of short stories across various genres, including romance, mystery, and fantasy. Enjoy personalized recommendations and new content added regularly. Read anytime, anywhere, even offline, with a user-friendly interface designed for a seamless reading experience.

**Highlights:** Vast library of short stories, Multiple genres (romance, mystery, fantasy, etc.), Personalized recommendations, Regularly updated content, Offline reading mode, User-friendly interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| week | $14.99 | per 7 days |
| month | $29.99 | per month |
| threeMonth | $69.99 | per 3 months |
| year | $169.99 | per year |
| RealNovel_Coins 700 | $6.99 | one-time |
| RealNovel_Coins 1500 | $12.99 | one-time |
| RealNovel_Coins 2500 | $19.99 | one-time |
| RealNovel_Coins 4000 | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Interesting story concepts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Extremely high subscription costs
- 🔒 Subscription issues - unable to access content after payment
- 🐛 App bugs and glitches
- ⛔ Deceptive advertising - free stories not actually free

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription payments not working
- App crashes and freezes
- Inability to access paid content

**Requested features**

- Ability to read more chapters for free
- Reduce subscription prices
- Fix subscription activation issues


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tapograph free?

Tapograph costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is realnovel free?

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

### Do Tapograph or realnovel have ads?

Neither Tapograph nor realnovel shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Tapograph or realnovel?

Tapograph ships an update weekly, and realnovel weekly. Most recently, Tapograph was updated on October 19, 2026 and realnovel on October 22, 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.*