# realnovel vs PlotNovel

The clearest difference is monetization model: PlotNovel at free with in-app purchases against realnovel's subscription. realnovel's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (296 vs 33). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. realnovel sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per 7 days and PlotNovel sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 1.2 for realnovel against 1.2 for PlotNovel. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: realnovel has 296 ratings behind it against 33, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 1% of realnovel's written reviews are positive against 0% of PlotNovel's.

realnovel ships an update weekly, PlotNovel every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on October 8, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | realnovel | PlotNovel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[1.2 (296 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/realnovel/id6683304338/reviews)** | [1.2 (33 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plotnovel/id6749878264/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **296** | 33 |
| Positive reviews | **1.3% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 38 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [SEREAL PTE. LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1768483152) | [Wuhan Yunyue Culture Media Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1832631213) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### PlotNovel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plotnovel/id6749878264)

Immerse yourself in a vast library of premium novel content. Discover compelling fictional stories designed to bring joy and a sense of novelty. The platform regularly updates its collection with new, thought-provoking, and entertaining reads.

**Highlights:** Premium novel content library, Compelling fictional stories, Regular content updates, Focus on user reading experience, Sense of fulfillment and novelty

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| vip_1 | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| vip_7 | $14.99 | per 7 days |
| month | $29.99 | per month |
| vip_90 | $59.99 | per 3 months |
| vip_year | $169.99 | per year |
| Gold coin commodities | $9.99 | one-time |
| coin_02 | $14.99 | one-time |
| coin_10 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Gold coin commodities | $19.99 | one-time |
| coin_03 | $29.99 | one-time |
| coin_04 | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is realnovel free?

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

### Is PlotNovel free?

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

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

realnovel is rated higher. realnovel averages 1.2 out of 5 from 296 ratings, while PlotNovel averages 1.2 from 33 ratings.

### Do realnovel or PlotNovel have ads?

Neither realnovel nor PlotNovel shows ads.

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

realnovel ships an update weekly, and PlotNovel every 6 weeks. Most recently, realnovel was updated on October 8, 2026 and PlotNovel on October 8, 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.*