Comparison

Fan Reader vs ArchFic

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

Head to head
About

Fan Reader

This app offers a streamlined reading experience for web fiction, removing forum clutter to present stories in a clean, book-like format. It allows users to organize their favorite web serials, track reading progress, and search for new content across various platforms.

Highlights
  • Removes forum clutter for focused reading
  • Organizes web fiction stories on a personal shelf
  • Displays cover art, synopsis, and chapter lists
  • Searchable story database
  • Adjustable font size and themes
  • Automatic progress saving
  • Clean chapter navigation
Features
Read full description

Fan Reader is a clean reading app for web fiction fans. If you read stories on SpaceBattles, Sufficient Velocity, Archive of Our Own, Royal Road, FanFiction.Net, or Wildbow's serials, Fan Reader strips away the forum clutter and gives you a focused, book-like reading experience. WHAT IT DOES - Unified library — Add stories from SB, SV, Royal Road, AO3, and FFN to one bookshelf - Beautiful reading — Dark, Light, and Eye Care themes with adjustable font, size, and line spacing - Smart search — Find stories across SB, SV, RR, and AO3 with one search, or browse AO3's full catalog with filters - Full FFN support — Paste any FanFiction.Net URL for a clean, ad-free reading experience on the platform's worst-designed mobile site - Chapter navigation — Quick chapter list, next/prev buttons, reading progress tracking - Paste any URL — Drop a story link from any supported platform and start reading instantly - Chapter preloading — Faster page turns on all platforms - No account required — Everything stored locally on your device Fan Reader doesn't store or cache story content on any server. Stories load directly from their original platforms through your device.

About

ArchFic

Read and listen to fanfiction from Archive of Our Own offline. Translate stories with AI, get update alerts for followed authors and fics, and organize your library. Sync your progress and settings across devices.

Highlights
  • Offline reading of AO3 fanfiction
  • AI-powered on-device translation
  • Text-to-speech for hands-free listening
  • New chapter and author update alerts
  • Download and save fics permanently
  • Sync library and settings across devices
  • Customizable reading themes and fonts
Features
Read full description

Read AO3 fanfiction offline — translate and listen anywhere. ArchFic is a fan-made fanfiction reader for Archive of Our Own (AO3). Read fanfiction offline, translate any fic on your device with AI, and listen hands-free with text-to-speech. Get alerted the moment the fics you follow update — the AO3 reader built for the way fans actually read. CONTINUE WHERE YOU LEFT OFF ArchFic remembers your chapter and exact scroll position across every work, so you can jump straight back in from a personalized Continue Reading list. Everything you've opened recently stays in your reading history. FOLLOW AUTHORS & GET NEW-CHAPTER ALERTS Follow your favorite AO3 authors from their profile. New Chapter Alerts notify you the moment a work you follow posts a new chapter, and New Work Alerts tell you when an author publishes something brand-new. The Updates feed gathers every recent update in one tab. NEVER LOSE A FIC AGAIN Download works for offline reading and keep them even if a fic is later deleted, orphaned, or locked on AO3. Save fanfiction to your Library and sort it into Collections you name yourself — Slow Burns, To Read, anything you like. Your AO3 bookmarks, recent reads, and offline downloads all live in one place. SEARCH THE FULL AO3 CATALOG Search works, authors, bookmarks, and tags from Archive of Our Own, or browse by genre: Anime & Manga, Books & Literature, Movies, TV Shows, and Video Games. Filter by rating, word count, completion status, date updated, relationships, and more to find exactly the fanfiction you want. READ ON YOUR TERMS Choose your font, adjust size and line height, and pick from four comfortable themes — White, Sepia, Dark, and Black — made for hours of reading. TRANSLATE AS YOU READ On-device AI translation lets you translate any fic into your language as you read. It works fully offline after a one-time model download, with no per-chapter fees — read fanfiction in any language. LISTEN HANDS-FREE Text-to-speech reads any chapter aloud, like an audiobook for fanfiction. Adjust the speed and voice, then follow along while commuting, cooking, or relaxing. SIGN IN TO SYNC ACROSS DEVICES Sign in to back up your library, collections, follows, and settings to the cloud, then switch phones or reinstall and pick up exactly where you left off. Connect your AO3 account to import your AO3 bookmarks and subscriptions automatically. Metadata only — your fanwork content is never uploaded or stored on our servers. Whether you're binge-reading a slow-burn epic offline on a flight, keeping up with every new chapter from the authors you follow, or just want a faster AO3 reader than the mobile browser, ArchFic is the fanfiction reader made for fans of Archive of Our Own — and archives of our own alike. Built by a fan, for fans who want a better mobile fanfiction reader. ArchFic is an unofficial, fan-made app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Archive of Our Own (AO3) or the Organization for Transformative Works. ArchFic accesses publicly available content from AO3 and does not host, store, or redistribute any fanfiction; if you sign in, our servers store only your account metadata (library, follows, settings), never fanwork content. Fanfiction content remains the property of their respective authors. Use is subject to AO3's Terms of Service (archiveofourown.org/tos).

Screenshots

Fan Reader4 screens
ArchFic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: ArchFic at 5.0 against Fan Reader's 3.8. ArchFic also leads on iOS requirement (15.5 vs 17.0). Fan Reader's advantage is ratings volume (6 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ArchFic holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Fan Reader ships an update every 3 weeks, ArchFic fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Fan Reader versus ArchFic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFan ReaderArchFic
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (6 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings6 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.5 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB109 MB
Age rating12+12+
Developer成文 郑Duong Hang

Customer experience

Fan Reader

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%

ArchFic

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

In-app purchases

None

Fan Reader

No in-app purchases

None

ArchFic

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Fan Reader free?
Fan Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ArchFic free?
ArchFic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Fan Reader or ArchFic?
ArchFic is rated higher. Fan Reader averages 3.8 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while ArchFic averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Fan Reader or ArchFic have ads?
Neither Fan Reader nor ArchFic shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Fan Reader or ArchFic?
Fan Reader ships an update every 3 weeks, and ArchFic fortnightly. Most recently, Fan Reader was updated on October 24, 2026 and ArchFic on October 24, 2026.

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