Comparison

ArcReader vs Nōvele

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

Head to head
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

About

Nōvele

Discover your next favorite book based on your mood, genres, and tropes. Organize your reading list with detailed filters and keep a personal journal of your reading experiences, emotions, and favorite elements. Import your existing library to seamlessly track your reading journey.

Highlights
  • Personalized book discovery by mood and genre
  • Organized TBR with detailed filters
  • Reading journal for emotions and thoughts
  • Detailed trope and spice level information
  • Import existing reading libraries
  • Track reading experience and favorite elements
Features
Read full description

Meet Nōvele, the reading companion designed to make choosing, tracking and remembering your books feel personal again. Your reading life is about more than ratings and numbers. Nōvele helps you discover books based on what you actually feel like reading, organize your ever-growing TBR, and keep a personal record of the stories that stayed with you. DISCOVER YOUR NEXT READ Find books based on your tastes, favourite genres, tropes, mood and more. The more you use Nōvele, the more your reading experience becomes your own. BUILD A TBR THAT ACTUALLY HELPS Save the books you want to read and filter your TBR by genre, tropes, reading mood, emotions, trigger warnings and spice level, so you can find the right book for right now. KEEP A READING JOURNAL Remember more than what you read. Record your rating, emotions, thoughts, favourite elements and personal reading experience for every book. KNOW BEFORE YOU READ Explore tropes, trigger warnings and Nōvele’s detailed spice scale, including half-levels, because sometimes the difference between Flirty and Heated matters. BRING YOUR READING HISTORY WITH YOU Import your existing reading library so you don’t have to start your reading journey from scratch. Whether you read two books a year or two books a week, Nōvele gives you one place to discover what’s next and remember what came before. Read what feels right. Remember what mattered. Terms and conditions https://www.novele.ca/terms

Screenshots

ArcReader4 screens
Nōvele4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Nōvele at none against ArcReader's shown. ArcReader's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. ArcReader sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Nōvele sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ArcReader ships an update weekly, Nōvele every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
ArcReader versus Nōvele: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArcReaderNōvele
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (65 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews95.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings65 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size142 MB40 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperThien LeNovele Inc

Customer experience

ArcReader

All ratings65 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews23 reviews
Positive95.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative4.3%

Nōvele

Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

ArcReader

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

Nōvele

Subscriptions2
  • Mensuel$6.991 Month
  • Yearly$69.991 Year

Questions

Is ArcReader free?
ArcReader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Nōvele free?
Nōvele is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ArcReader or Nōvele have ads?
ArcReader shows ads; Nōvele does not.
Which is updated more often, ArcReader or Nōvele?
ArcReader ships an update weekly, and Nōvele every 2 weeks. Most recently, ArcReader was updated on October 20, 2026 and Nōvele on October 7, 2026.

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