Comparison

Lamplight vs ArcReader

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Lamplight

Explore thousands of free public domain classic books with a beautifully designed reading experience. Set daily goals, track your reading habits, and sync progress across devices. Offline reading is also available.

Highlights
  • Thousands of free classic books
  • Daily reading goals and streak tracking
  • Customizable typography and themes
  • Automatic progress syncing across devices
  • Offline book downloads
  • Curated catalog by genre
Features
Read full description

Rediscover the joy of reading with Lamplight, a beautifully designed app for exploring public domain literature. Thousands of classic books, completely free, with no ads. BUILD A READING HABIT Lamplight helps you read consistently with daily reading goals and streak tracking. Complete bite-sized reading sessions to maintain your streak and watch your progress grow over time. A PREMIUM READING EXPERIENCE Every book features carefully crafted typography optimized for long-form reading. Choose from multiple fonts and color themes to create your perfect reading environment. YOUR PERSONAL LIBRARY Add books to your library and pick up right where you left off across all your devices. Progress syncs automatically, so you never lose your place. Download books for offline reading, perfect for commutes and flights. CLASSICS WORTH READING Browse a curated catalog spanning every genre: adventure, mystery, science fiction, romance, philosophy, and more. From Jane Austen to H.G. Wells, Herman Melville to Mary Shelley, the greatest works of literature are waiting for you. LAMPLIGHT PREMIUM Upgrade to unlock the full experience: - Highlights & Notes: Mark passages and add annotations as you read - Premium Themes: Beautiful color palettes for any mood or setting - Premium Fonts: Handpicked typefaces for the perfect reading experience - Reading Stats: Track your progress with heatmaps, streak records, and detailed statistics START READING TODAY No account required. Open the app, find a book, and start reading. It's that simple. --- Privacy Policy https://readmorebooks.app/lamplight/privacy TOS https://readmorebooks.app/lamplight/terms

About

ArcReader

Download and read web novels offline from various sources. Customize your reading experience with themes, fonts, and scroll modes. Convert novels to audiobooks with on-device text-to-speech and build vocabulary with an integrated dictionary.

Highlights
  • Download and read web novels offline
  • On-device text-to-speech narration
  • Customizable reading themes and fonts
  • Import EPUB files
  • Integrated dictionary with flashcards
  • Highlights and notes
  • Cross-device reading sync
Features
Read full description

Paste any web novel link. Download every chapter. Read offline anywhere — no account, no subscription required to start. ArcReader is the offline-first reader for Royal Road, WTR-Lab, NovelFire, and dozens more sources. Bring your own link, we handle the rest — whether it's progression fantasy, xianxia, cultivation fiction, LitRPG, isekai, romance, or any English web novel and light novel. Loved by readers who wanted something quieter: no crowded feeds, no coin walls, just your books. Built for readers who want full control: pick your theme, your font, your scroll mode, and read offline whenever you want. POPULAR GENRES ON ARCREADER Progression Fantasy · Cultivation · Xianxia · Wuxia · Xuanhuan · LitRPG · GameLit · Isekai · Reincarnation · Fantasy · Romance · Sci-Fi · Fanfiction · Thriller · Horror · Slice of Life · Harem · Adventure WHY READERS LOVE ARCREADER A reader designed for long sessions Choose between four themes (Light, Dark, Sepia, Black AMOLED). Adjust font size, line spacing, font family, and margins to find your perfect setup. Switch between paginated mode with page-turn animation, or smooth continuous scroll. Listen with on-device narration Built-in neural text-to-speech turns any novel into an audiobook — runs entirely on your device. No internet required, no data costs, no monthly fees for the core feature. Adjustable speed from 0.75x to 2x, lock-screen controls, sleep timer, and auto-advance between chapters. Offline-first reading Downloaded content stays on your device in a local library — not a temporary cache. Read on airplanes, in tunnels, or anywhere connectivity is unreliable. Import your own EPUB files Already have books saved as EPUB? Import them straight into your library and read them with the same themes, fonts, and narration as everything else. Look up words and build vocabulary Tap any word for an instant dictionary definition, then save it as a flashcard. Review your flashcards later to lock in new vocabulary as you read. Highlights and notes Long-press to highlight passages in four colors with optional notes. Review all your highlights for any title in one place. Reading position sync Auto-saves your position every few seconds. Open a book on another device and continue exactly where you left off, after signing in. No sign-up wall Open the app and start reading. Account creation is optional — only needed if you want to sync between devices. EVERYTHING ARCREADER OFFERS - Customizable reader (themes, fonts, layout, scroll modes) - On-device neural text-to-speech with voice selection - Background audio with lock-screen controls and sleep timer - Highlights and notes with color coding - Import your own EPUB files into your library - Built-in dictionary with tap-to-define - Vocabulary flashcards to review and remember new words - Reading progress auto-save and cross-device sync - Daily reading goals and streaks - Reading statistics and history ARCREADER VIP (OPTIONAL SUBSCRIPTION) ArcReader VIP adds: - Premium cloud voices for high-quality narration - Unlimited chapter downloads - Ad-free reading experience ArcReader VIP is available as a monthly or yearly auto-renewing subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase. The exact price in your local currency is shown in the app and on the App Store before you confirm. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at purchase confirmation. Subscriptions auto-renew unless turned off in iOS Settings at least 24 hours before the current period ends; renewal is charged within 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel anytime in Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions. PRIVACY ArcReader stores your reading data on your device. Optional account sync uses encrypted cloud storage. We do not sell your data. Full privacy policy available below. Terms of Service: https://arcreaders.app/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://arcreaders.app/privacy.html

Screenshots

Lamplight4 screens
ArcReader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Lamplight at none against ArcReader's shown. ArcReader's advantage is ratings volume (71 vs 1) and device support (4 vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Lamplight sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and ArcReader sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Lamplight against 4.9 for ArcReader. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcReader has 71 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lamplight ships an update every 9 days, ArcReader weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Lamplight versus ArcReader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLamplightArcReader
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.9 (71 ratings)
Positive reviews—96.7% of reviews
Number of ratings171 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS26.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB160 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperRobin AppsThien Le

Customer experience

Lamplight

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

ArcReader

All ratings71 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews30 reviews
Positive96.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative3.3%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Lamplight

Subscriptions2
  • Lamplight Pro$1.991 Month
  • Lamplight Pro$14.991 Year
One-time2
  • Unlock Everything$4.99
  • Lamplight Pro Lifetime$34.99
4 purchases

ArcReader

Subscriptions2
  • ArcReader VIP — Monthly$5.991 Month
  • ArcReader VIP — Annual$44.991 Year
One-time2
  • ArcReader VIP - Lifetime$45.99
  • ArcReader VIP - Lifetime$79.99

Questions

Is Lamplight free?
Lamplight is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ArcReader free?
ArcReader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Lamplight or ArcReader?
Lamplight is rated higher. Lamplight averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while ArcReader averages 4.9 from 71 ratings.
Do Lamplight or ArcReader have ads?
ArcReader shows ads; Lamplight does not.
Which is updated more often, Lamplight or ArcReader?
Lamplight ships an update every 9 days, and ArcReader weekly. Most recently, Lamplight was updated on October 31, 2026 and ArcReader on November 12, 2026.

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