# Fan Reader vs ArchFic

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.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Fan Reader | ArchFic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fan-reader/id6759957355/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/archfic-ao3-unofficial-reader/id6762523526/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **6** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 4 MB | 109 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.5** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [成文 郑](https://appshunter.io/developer/1879737544) | [Duong Hang](https://appshunter.io/developer/1894525360) |

## What reviewers say

### Fan Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fan-reader/id6759957355)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### ArchFic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/archfic-ao3-unofficial-reader/id6762523526)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*