Comparison

Rivro vs Trace

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

Head to head
About

Rivro

Features
Read full description

Rivro: Gutenberg Reader is a calm, modern reading app for discovering and reading timeless public-domain books. Explore classic literature, find authors you love, follow subjects and bookshelves, save books to your library, and read in a clean EPUB reader designed for long reading sessions. What you can do: • Discover classic books through curated shelves • Browse authors, subjects, and bookshelves • Search for books and writers • Read EPUB books in a clean, distraction-light reader • Save books to your Library • Continue reading from where you left off • Create and revisit highlights • Track your reading activity and progress • Download books for offline reading with Premium • Remove ads with Lifetime Premium No account is required. Open the app and start reading. Rivro: Gutenberg Reader is built for readers who enjoy classic novels, literature, philosophy, history, adventure, science fiction, poetry, and timeless public-domain books. Premium is optional. Free users can read books online with ads. Lifetime Premium removes ads and unlocks offline reading. This app is independent and is not affiliated with Project Gutenberg.

About

Trace

This app allows users to privately read and organize EPUB files downloaded from AO3 offline. It offers customizable reading settings, library management with personal tags and notes, and robust search and filtering capabilities for fanfiction.

Highlights
  • Offline EPUB reading
  • AO3 fanfiction organization
  • Customizable reading themes and fonts
  • Personalized library management
  • Advanced search and filtering
  • Optional cloud sync
Features
Read full description

Trace Reader is a private, unofficial reader for AO3 EPUBs. Import a story and read it comfortably offline, with the metadata and organisation fanfiction readers actually need. I built this for accessible reading tailored to offline AO3 reading because Apple Books wasn't quite enough. Choose paged or continuous scrolling, adjust the type and spacing, and read in Paper, Sepia, Night or High Contrast themes, with accessible fonts. Filter your collection with all of AO3's filters, and view your library by the things that matter for fanfiction: reading status, fandom, tags, and ships. NO AO3 LOGIN - Keep your account details private. You should never trust a third party with your AO3 login details and this app will never ask you for them. BUILD A LIBRARY THAT FEELS LIKE YOURS • Keep stories as Saved, Reading, Paused, Caught up, Finished or Dropped • Add ratings, personal tags, highlights, and notes by story, chapter or highlighted passage. • Search and filter by fandom, relationships, characters, warnings, series and more • Import individual EPUBs or choose a folder that will automatically load EPUBs once you download them from AO3. • Keep previous EPUB versions and restore one when needed NO ACCOUNT NEEDED Reading, importing and organisation work offline. Your EPUB files and story text stay on your device with no limitations on library size or organization features. TRACE SYNC IS OPTIONAL ADD ON Connect a free Trace account to sync up to 100 stories, restore library details and reading progress on a new device, and access your reading library from any browser. Trace Unlimited adds unlimited Reader sync and private reading Stats. Trace also gives you access to the Trace extension, which lets you track your online reading in the same way you track your EPUB reading, storing it all in the same online library. A subscription is never required to read, import or organise EPUBs on this device. EPUB files are not included in sync right now. Trace Reader is an independent, unofficial app. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Organization for Transformative Works or Archive of Our Own. End User License Agreement (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Rivro4 screens
Trace4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Trace at none against Rivro's shown. Trace also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. Rivro sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Trace sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Rivro ships an update every 2 months, Trace every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Rivro versus Trace: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRivroTrace
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB34 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperVaneet GuptaZACHARY SAMUEL LAMBERT

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Rivro

One-time1
  • Premium Lifetime$29.99
2 purchases

Trace

Subscriptions2
  • Trace Unlimited Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Trace Unlimited Yearly$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Rivro free?
Rivro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Trace free?
Trace is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Rivro or Trace have ads?
Rivro shows ads; Trace does not.
Which is updated more often, Rivro or Trace?
Rivro ships an update every 2 months, and Trace every 3 days. Most recently, Rivro was updated on October 5, 2026 and Trace on October 11, 2026.

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