Comparison

Fanfic 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

Fanfic reader

Features
Read full description

Unofficial fanfic reader Fanfic Reader is an unofficial personal reading app for iPhone and iPad. Keep your books, documents, and fanfiction in one library — and pick up right where you left off. NOT AFFILIATED with Archive of Our Own, authors, or publishers. You add and read your own content. YOUR LIBRARY, YOUR FILES • Import from Files, Share sheet, iCloud Drive, or Wi‑Fi transfer on your local network • EPUB, FB2, MOBI, PDF, DJVU, CHM, Markdown, Office docs, comics (CBZ/CBR), and more • Open archives (ZIP, RAR, 7Z) and read supported files inside • Collections, tags, favorites, reading stats, and full‑text search across your library A COMFORTABLE READER • Per‑book font, theme, and brightness • Bookmarks, highlights, and annotations • In‑book search • Text‑to‑speech with background audio AO3 DISCOVERY (optional) • Search works on Archive of Our Own • Browse in an in‑app browser, save a reading queue, and import EPUB to your library • Content on AO3 is provided by AO3/OTW under their own terms SYNC & EXTRAS • Optional iCloud sync for progress, annotations, and library data via Apple CloudKit • Home Screen widget: continue your last book • Share extension: send files straight into the app Fanfic Reader does not show ads, sell your data, or require an account with us. Internet is used only for features you choose (such as AO3 or Wi‑Fi transfer). Requires iOS 18.6 or later.

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

Fanfic reader4 screens
ArchFic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: ArchFic at 15.5 against Fanfic reader's 18.6. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Fanfic reader versus ArchFic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFanfic readerArchFic
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequency—Fortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.615.5 — better
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB109 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperDaniil ZolotarevDuong Hang

In-app purchases

None

Fanfic reader

No in-app purchases

None

ArchFic

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Fanfic reader free?
Fanfic reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ArchFic free?
ArchFic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Fanfic reader or ArchFic have ads?
Neither Fanfic reader nor ArchFic shows ads.

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