Comparison

CastLoop vs Self

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

Head to head
About

CastLoop

Experience interactive stories where your choices shape the narrative. Engage with cinematic adventures or write your own AI-generated novels, complete with custom illustrations. Explore a vast library of genres and find your next immersive tale.

Highlights
  • AI-generated interactive novels
  • Cinematic story games
  • Choice-based gameplay
  • AI-generated illustrations
  • Genre browsing
  • Customizable story preferences
Read full description

A dangerous crush. A suspicious ally. One very bad idea. Welcome to CastLoop, where stories are made to be played. Watch cinematic stories and choose your next move. Or step into an interactive novel: pick a suggested action or write your own, and let AI continue the story. Your novel can have pictures, too. Illustrated mode adds two AI-generated images to each new turn. Keep reading while they load, or switch to text-only mode for your next turn. In supported cinematic stories, choice hints show effects or requirements before you tap, and on-screen stats let you follow changes as you play. Browse by genre and set your story preferences to find your next adventure. CastLoop+ includes unlimited text-only generation in interactive novels. Illustrated turns cost 10 Diamonds with membership or 20 Diamonds without it. Nonmembers can generate text-only turns for 5 Diamonds. Illustrated generation still requires Diamonds. Subscriptions and other in-app purchases are available. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Self

This AI-powered app lets you rewrite existing novels and webtoons by altering characters, plot points, and endings. Create your own 'IF stories' and immerse yourself in new narratives based on your favorite works.

Highlights
  • Rewrite existing novels and webtoons
  • Customize character roles and genders
  • Alter plot points and endings
  • Immersive self-insert experience
  • AI-generated text stories
  • Interactive real-time story unfolding
Read full description

Create Your Own 'IF Story' to Fulfill Your Fan Regrets Have you ever read your favorite novel or webtoon and wondered, "What if the protagonist was a different gender?" or "What if they made a different choice here?" 《Self-Insert Simulation》 is an AI fanfiction novel app that loads the universe of an existing work and lets you twist the canon to write a completely new story tailored to your taste. Key Features Endless Possibilities Based on Existing Works Simply enter the title or basic setting of your favorite work. The AI grasps the universe and generates a brand-new text story exclusively for you. Fully Customizable Character Settings Swap the roles of main and supporting characters, or gender-swap the original cast. Freely customize the settings to spark entirely new dynamics and relationships. Break the Canon & Craft Your Own Ending There is no need to follow the established plot. Twist the narrative flow by picking from the choices presented at every turn, and craft the perfect ending you've always wanted—whether it's a happy ending or a tragic one. Immersive Self-Insert Experience Experience the thrill of completely changing the story's trajectory by transmigrating into a background extra within the original universe, or by stepping in as a brand-new original character. Highly Recommended If You: Want to write your own 'IF story' or fanfic because you were unsatisfied with an original ending. Want to play around with freely changing the genders or roles of characters in your favorite web novels or webtoons. Are looking for an AI interactive novel where the story unfolds in real-time based on your choices. Download now and dive into a new universe completed by your very own choices! Support: support@isekai-rp.com

Screenshots

CastLoop4 screens
Self3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Self at 100% against CastLoop's 0%. Self also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and ads (none vs shown). CastLoop's advantage is ratings volume (4 vs 1). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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. CastLoop sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per 7 days and Self sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Self holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of CastLoop's written reviews are positive against 100% of Self's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CastLoop ships an update weekly, Self every 2 days. Both last shipped on November 13, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
CastLoop versus Self: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCastLoopSelf
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4 — better1
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 2 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size186 MB56 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperX OriginalMake Your Wish LLC

Customer experience

CastLoop

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Self

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

10 purchases

CastLoop

Subscriptions2
  • CastLoop Plus Weekly Subscription$14.997 Days
  • CastLoop Plus Annually Subscription$149.991 Year
One-time8
  • Diamond Pack 1$0.99
  • Limited Deal$0.99
  • Unlock Full Story$2.99
Show 5 more
  • Diamond Pack 2$2.99
  • Diamond Pack 3$5.99
  • Diamond Pack 4$9.99
  • Diamond Pack 5$19.99
  • Diamond Pack 6$69.99
4 purchases

Self

One-time4
  • 500 Volts$4.99
  • 1000 Volts$9.99
  • 3000 Volts$29.99
Show 1 more
  • 10,000 Volts$99.99

Questions

Is CastLoop free?
CastLoop is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Self free?
Self is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, CastLoop or Self?
Self is rated higher. CastLoop averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Self averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do CastLoop or Self have ads?
CastLoop shows ads; Self does not.
Which is updated more often, CastLoop or Self?
CastLoop ships an update weekly, and Self every 2 days. Most recently, CastLoop was updated on November 13, 2026 and Self on November 13, 2026.

Other comparisons