Comparison

ArchFic vs ArcReader

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

Head to head
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).

About

ArcReader

Download and read web novels offline with customizable themes, fonts, and scroll modes. Convert novels to audiobooks with on-device narration and build vocabulary with an integrated dictionary. Sync progress across devices and import EPUB files.

Highlights
  • Download and read web novels offline
  • Customizable reader themes and fonts
  • On-device text-to-speech narration
  • EPUB file import
  • Integrated dictionary with flashcards
  • Cross-device reading progress 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

ArchFic4 screens
ArcReader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: ArcReader at 69 against ArchFic's 2. On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. ArchFic sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and ArcReader sells 3 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 ArchFic against 4.9 for ArcReader. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcReader has 69 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ArchFic ships an update every 10 days, ArcReader weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
ArchFic versus ArcReader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArchFicArcReader
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better4.9 (69 ratings)
Positive reviews—95.7% of reviews
Number of ratings269 — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysWeekly — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.5 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size123 MB155 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperDuong HangThien Le

Customer experience

ArchFic

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

ArcReader

All ratings69 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews23 reviews
Positive95.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative4.3%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

ArchFic

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

ArcReader

Subscriptions2
  • ArcReader VIP — Monthly$5.991 Month
  • ArcReader VIP — Annual$44.991 Year
One-time1
  • ArcReader VIP - Lifetime$79.99

Questions

Is ArchFic free?
ArchFic 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, ArchFic or ArcReader?
ArchFic is rated higher. ArchFic averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while ArcReader averages 4.9 from 69 ratings.
Do ArchFic or ArcReader have ads?
Both ArchFic and ArcReader show ads.
Which is updated more often, ArchFic or ArcReader?
ArchFic ships an update every 10 days, and ArcReader weekly. Most recently, ArchFic was updated on October 31, 2026 and ArcReader on November 5, 2026.

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