Archivist Browser vs Stash
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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
Read full descriptionHide full description
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.
Stash
Securely share any file type with anyone via an encrypted link. Recipients can download directly from their browser without needing the app or an account. Enjoy unlimited storage and sharing with no file size or bandwidth restrictions.
- End-to-end encryption
- Unlimited cloud storage
- Share with anyone
- No file size limits
- Cross-device syncing
- Drag and drop support
Read full descriptionHide full description
Send any file to anyone with a single encrypted link. No app to install, no account to create. They click, they download. That's it. Stash encrypts every file on your device before it ever leaves, so your files stay yours. END-TO-END ENCRYPTED Every file is locked on your device before upload. The key lives only in your share link, never on a server. Nobody can open your files except you and the people you send them to. Not us. Not anyone. NO ACCOUNT NEEDED TO RECEIVE Send a link by text, email, or any app. Recipients open it in any browser, on any device, and download. No sign-up, no app, no friction. SEND FILES OF ANY SIZE A handful of photos or a 10GB video, it's the same simple link. No size caps, no upload limits, no compression. Files arrive at full original quality. UNLIMITED CLOUD STORAGE Keep as much as you want in the cloud. Photos, videos, documents, music, archives. No storage meters, no tier upgrades, no "you're almost full" warnings. LINKS THAT DON'T EXPIRE Your share links keep working until you delete the file. No countdowns, no broken links a week later. WORKS ON ALL YOUR DEVICES • iPhone: share from any app in a tap • iPad: drag and drop from Files or any app • Mac: full desktop experience, drag straight from Finder Your files sync across all your devices automatically. DEAD SIMPLE No folders to wrangle, no settings to learn. Upload, get a link, share. Done. PERFECT FOR • Large videos that won't fit in email • Full-resolution photos for clients and family • Delivering files to collaborators • Quick, private one-off transfers • Keeping a personal archive of everything PRICED FOR HUMANS Unlimited everything for less than a coffee. One simple plan, no surprise fees, no nickel-and-diming. Send your first file in seconds. Download Stash. EULA: https://stash-app.xyz/terms EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Archivist Browser at 4.9 against Stash's 3.7. Archivist Browser also leads on review sentiment (88% vs 50%) and in-app purchases (none vs 5). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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. Stash sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Archivist Browser asks for nothing beyond the download.
Archivist Browser holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Archivist Browser has 63 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of Archivist Browser's written reviews are positive against 50% of Stash's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Archivist Browser | Stash |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (63 ratings) — better | 3.7 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 87.5% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 63 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days | Every 3 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 79 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Robert Lothian | Alejandro Pacheco |
Customer experience
Archivist Browser
Stash
In-app purchases
Archivist Browser
No in-app purchases
Stash
- Pro$0.997 Days
- Pro3 Days trial$0.997 Days
- Pro$5.991 Month
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Pro$39.991 Year
- Pro$199.99
Questions
Is Archivist Browser free?
Is Stash free?
Which has better reviews, Archivist Browser or Stash?
Do Archivist Browser or Stash have ads?
Which is updated more often, Archivist Browser or Stash?
Other comparisons















