Comparison

KeyReader vs ArchFic

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

Head to head
About

KeyReader

Features
Read full description

Read your own books and understand every word Import your books and read in a foreign language with ease. Tap any word to translate instantly, save new words as flashcards, and explore each chapter through guided questions. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

ArchFic

This app allows users to read fanfiction from Archive of Our Own offline. It offers AI-powered translation, text-to-speech functionality, and alerts for new chapters. Users can also download entire collections for offline access and track their reading statistics.

Highlights
  • Offline fanfiction reading
  • AI-powered translation
  • Text-to-speech (TTS) audio playback
  • New chapter and work update alerts
  • Download entire collections
  • Reading statistics and progress tracking
  • Customizable reading experience
Features
Read full description

Read AO3 fanfiction offline — translate and listen anywhere. ArchFic is an unofficial, fan-made fanfiction reader for Archive of Our Own (AO3). Read fanfiction offline, translate any fic on your device with AI, and listen with text-to-speech. Get alerts when works you follow update. CONTINUE WHERE YOU LEFT OFF ArchFic remembers your chapter and exact scroll position across every work, so you can return from a personalized Continue Reading list. Your recent reading stays in one history, and the Reading Journey shows your streak, reader level, minutes read, top fandoms and Finished shelf. Choose a time range for your stats, then share a reading card with the details you want to show. FOLLOW AUTHORS & GET NEW-CHAPTER ALERTS Follow AO3 authors from their profiles. New Chapter Alerts tell you when a followed work adds a chapter; New Work Alerts show when an author publishes something new. The Updates feed gathers recent changes in one place, so you can catch up with the stories you follow. SAVE WORKS AND READ OFFLINE Download works for offline reading and keep them in your Library. Sort fanfiction into Collections you name, such as Slow Burns or To Read. Download a whole collection or select works together with Premium, then manage the queue from Downloads. Your AO3 bookmarks, recent reads and downloaded chapters stay together. Sign in to sync library details, collections, follows and reading progress between devices. SEARCH THE FULL AO3 CATALOG Search works, authors, bookmarks and tags from Archive of Our Own, or browse fandoms across Anime & Manga, Books & Literature, Movies, TV Shows and Video Games. Filter by rating, word count, completion status, updated date, relationships and more. Save a search to run it again, and keep private notes on a work or chapter. Open a shared AO3 link in ArchFic to go straight to a work, chapter, author or tag. READ ON YOUR TERMS Choose a font, text size, line height and page background. Use the reading layout that suits you, including page-flip mode, and keep your place as you move between chapters. Four fonts and four page colors are free; Premium unlocks 12 more fonts and 8 more page colors. TRANSLATE AS YOU READ On-device AI translation lets you translate a work into your language as you read. Download a language model once, then translate offline. LISTEN TO CHAPTERS Read aloud turns chapters into spoken audio. Choose a voice and speed, use the mini player and sleep timer, and keep listening while ArchFic is in the background or your screen is locked. Premium can continue playback into the next chapter. Export a work as an EPUB with Premium, choose chapters and optional translation, and resume or cancel the export while it runs. OPTIONAL ARCHFIC PREMIUM ArchFic Premium is an optional auto-renewing subscription. It removes ads and unlocks full Reading Journey stats, extra share-card layouts, additional reader papers and fonts, whole-collection downloads, EPUB export and read-aloud auto-continue. Readers without Premium see a banner and some ads between lists; ads do not cover story text. In the EEA and UK, Google UMP presents the applicable ad-consent choices. Subscription plans and billing are shown by the store before purchase. Whether you are catching up on a long fanfiction offline, following AO3 authors, translating a work or listening to a chapter, ArchFic brings your Archive of Our Own reading into one mobile 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 fanfiction. If you sign in, our servers store account and library metadata, not fanwork content. Fanfiction remains the property of its respective authors. Use is subject to AO3's Terms of Service (archiveofourown.org/tos).

Screenshots

KeyReader4 screens
ArchFic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: KeyReader at none against ArchFic's shown. ArchFic's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 weeks) and device support (3 vs 1). On price 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. KeyReader sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and ArchFic sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

KeyReader ships an update every 3 weeks, ArchFic every 10 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
KeyReader versus ArchFic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKeyReaderArchFic
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 10 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.5 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB123 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperOleg StrigunovDuong Hang

In-app purchases

3 purchases

KeyReader

Subscriptions2
  • Unlimited Reading$2.991 Month
  • Unlimited Reading3 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Unlimited Reading$49.99
2 purchases

ArchFic

Subscriptions2
  • Archfic Premium Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Archfic Premium Yearly3 Days trial$14.991 Year

Questions

Is KeyReader free?
KeyReader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ArchFic free?
ArchFic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do KeyReader or ArchFic have ads?
ArchFic shows ads; KeyReader does not.
Which is updated more often, KeyReader or ArchFic?
KeyReader ships an update every 3 weeks, and ArchFic every 10 days. Most recently, KeyReader was updated on October 31, 2026 and ArchFic on October 31, 2026.

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