# UBSM vs Trace

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: UBSM at none against Trace's 2. UBSM also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). Trace's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Trace sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. UBSM asks for nothing beyond the download.

UBSM ships an update monthly, Trace every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | UBSM | Trace |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trace-fanfiction-tracker/id6761776345/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **3** |
| Positive reviews | — | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Size | 52 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Xentral Methods](https://appshunter.io/developer/464707106) | [ZACHARY SAMUEL LAMBERT](https://appshunter.io/developer/1891419670) |

## What reviewers say

### UBSM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ubsm/id741995501)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Trace

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trace-fanfiction-tracker/id6761776345)

This app helps you track your fanfiction reading progress and organize your favorite stories. It allows you to save works, add notes, and categorize them for easy retrieval. Keep a private record of what you've read, loved, or dropped across supported archives.

**Highlights:** Track reading progress, Organize fanfiction by status, Add private notes and tags, Search and filter by fandom, Integrates with AO3 and FanFiction.net, Create reading collections

**Features:** Safari Extension

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Trace Unlimited Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Trace Unlimited Yearly | $24.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is UBSM free?

UBSM is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Trace free?

Trace is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do UBSM or Trace have ads?

Neither UBSM nor Trace shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, UBSM or Trace?

UBSM ships an update monthly, and Trace every 4 days. Most recently, UBSM was updated on October 14, 2026 and Trace on October 28, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*