# SnackShort vs realnovel

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SnackShort at 87% against realnovel's 1%. SnackShort also leads on rating (4.8 vs 1.2) and monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). realnovel's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SnackShort sells 25 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and realnovel sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

SnackShort holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SnackShort has 16K ratings behind it against 300, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 87% of SnackShort's written reviews are positive against 1% of realnovel's.

SnackShort ships an update fortnightly, realnovel weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SnackShort | realnovel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/snackshort/id6450035850/reviews)** | [1.2 (300 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/realnovel/id6683304338/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **16K** | 300 |
| Positive reviews | **87.2% of reviews** | 1.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 122 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.2 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Nanjing Menglu Culture Media Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1691669777) | [SEREAL PTE. LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1768483152) |

## What reviewers say

### SnackShort

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/snackshort/id6450035850)

Discover a new generation of entertainment with short, engaging video episodes. Enjoy a wide variety of genres, from romance to thrillers, with each episode lasting around one minute. Perfect for quick entertainment breaks, offering original content in full HD with English subtitles.

**Highlights:** Original bite-sized video content, Episodes around 1-minute long, Diverse genres including romance, thriller, and fantasy, Full HD streaming with English subtitles, Free episodes available, VIP membership for more content

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

**In-app purchases (25)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MonthlyVip | $9.99 | per month |
| SnackShort Weekly VIP | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| SnackShort Weekly VIP | $14.99 | per 7 days |
| SnackShort Weekly VIP | $19.99 | per 7 days |
| SnackShort Monthly VIP | $29.99 | per month |
| SnackShow Monthly Vip | $39.99 | per month |
| MonthlyVIP | $39.99 | per month |
| SnackShort Monthly VIP | $39.99 | per month |
| SnackShort Yearly VIP | $199.99 | per year |
| SnackShow TopUp Package | $0.99 | one-time |
| SnackShort TopUp Package | $2.99 | one-time |
| SnackShort TopUp Package | $4.99 | one-time |
| SnackShort Special TopUp | $4.99 | one-time |
| SnackShort TopUp Package | $6.99 | one-time |
| SnackShort TopUp Package | $9.99 | one-time |
| SnackShow TopUp Package | $9.99 | one-time |
| SnackShow TopUp Package | $14.99 | one-time |
| SnackShort TopUp Package | $14.99 | one-time |
| SnackShort TopUp Package | $15.99 | one-time |
| SnackShort Special TopUp | $19.99 | one-time |
| SnackShow TopUp Package | $19.99 | one-time |
| SnackShort TopUp Package | $20.99 | one-time |
| SnackShort TopUp Package | $24.99 | one-time |
| SnackShow TopUp Package | $29.99 | one-time |
| SnackShow TopUp Package | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great stories
- 👍 Interesting and captivating content
- 👍 Enjoyable short films
- 👍 Entertaining dramas
- 👍 Lovely reels

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive to watch episodes
- 🔒 Difficult to earn enough coins to watch for free
- 🔒 Restrictive coin system
- 🐛 Glitches and loading issues
- 🔒 Too many ads and commercials

**Reported bugs**

- Episodes getting relocked after progress
- Freezing and loading problems
- Inconsistent coin rewards

**Requested features**

- More free or affordable ways to watch episodes
- Longer episodes or full stories
- Improved reward system for earning coins
- Better browsing and search options


### 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 SnackShort free?

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

### Is realnovel free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SnackShort or realnovel?

SnackShort is rated higher. SnackShort averages 4.8 out of 5 from 16K ratings, while realnovel averages 1.2 from 300 ratings.

### Do SnackShort or realnovel have ads?

Neither SnackShort nor realnovel shows ads.

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

SnackShort ships an update fortnightly, and realnovel weekly. Most recently, SnackShort was updated on October 30, 2026 and realnovel on October 27, 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.*