# realnovel vs GlowFable

The clearest difference is rating: GlowFable at 2.8 against realnovel's 1.2. GlowFable also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and review sentiment (33% vs 1%). realnovel's advantage is ratings volume (296 vs 11) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.6). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. realnovel sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per 7 days and GlowFable sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

GlowFable holds the better App Store score, 2.8 against 1.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: realnovel has 296 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 1% of realnovel's written reviews are positive against 33% of GlowFable's.

realnovel ships an update weekly, GlowFable every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on August 6, 2026 and July 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | realnovel | GlowFable |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.2 (296 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/realnovel/id6683304338/reviews) | **[2.8 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/glowfable/id6752957708/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **296** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | 1.3% of reviews | **33.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 11 days |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 38 MB | 572 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [SEREAL PTE. LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1768483152) | [Hangzhou Xinghe Zhiyao Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1887184776) |

## 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


### GlowFable

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/glowfable/id6752957708)

This app offers a vast library of English web-novels and short fiction, including romance, fantasy, and YA genres. Enjoy a customizable reading experience with continuous scroll, adjustable text, and distraction-free controls. Listen to stories with a built-in text-to-speech audio player.

**Highlights:** Continuous scroll reading, Adjustable text and themes, Distraction-free reading controls, Built-in text-to-speech audio player, Personalized story recommendations, Favorites and bookshelf

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VIP Weekly | $17.99 | per 7 days |
| vip monthly | $29.99 | per month |
| vip yearly | $199.99 | per year |
| coins 1100 | $6.99 | one-time |
| coins 2400 | $19.99 | one-time |
| coins 7000 | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is realnovel free?

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

### Is GlowFable free?

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

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

GlowFable is rated higher. realnovel averages 1.2 out of 5 from 296 ratings, while GlowFable averages 2.8 from 11 ratings.

### Do realnovel or GlowFable have ads?

Neither realnovel nor GlowFable shows ads.

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

realnovel ships an update weekly, and GlowFable every 11 days. Most recently, realnovel was updated on August 6, 2026 and GlowFable on July 25, 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.*