Comparison

SolarWriter vs Wallabag Reader

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

Head to head
About

SolarWriter

Transform your e-reader into a portable typewriter for outdoor writing. This app connects your keyboard to your e-reader's screen, allowing you to type comfortably on e-ink displays in bright sunlight. Save and share your work easily.

Highlights
  • E-reader integration
  • External keyboard support
  • Outdoor writing on e-ink screens
  • Text mirroring to e-reader
  • File saving and sharing
  • Detailed setup instructions
Features
Read full description

Traditional screens are fantastic everywhere but outside, especially on a sunny day. E-ink screens work well, but e-readers like the Kindle are difficult to type on and don't support external keyboards. SolarWriter gives you the best of both worlds. SolarWriter runs on your iOS device and acts as a hub between your keyboard and your e-reader. You type on the keyboard, and the text appears on both on the iOS device and on the e-reader's screen (via its web browser). Take advantage of your Kindle's (or other e-reader's) e-ink screen to put your thoughts on paper even outside, with no need to transcribe later. Write at parks, on beaches, in backyards... anywhere you wanted to but couldn't. Save files on your device, or share through email, SMS, and more. Detailed instructions for setup are included inside the app.

About

Wallabag Reader

Save web pages for later reading with this self-hostable application. It offers a free and open-source solution for bookmarking content. Requires a separate wallabag instance to function.

Highlights
  • Save web pages
  • Self-hostable
  • Open source
  • Free (as in freedom)
  • Offline reading
Features
Read full description

Save web articles and read them later—on your terms. Wallabag Reader is the open-source companion for wallabag. Connect to your self-hosted server or a compatible hosted wallabag account, sync your reading list, and keep your archive available on iPhone and iPad. SAVE FROM ANYWHERE • Send pages from Safari and other apps with the Share extension • Add a URL manually or from your clipboard • Sync article content to read without an internet connection READ COMFORTABLY • Enjoy a clean article reader with adjustable text size and light or dark themes • Highlight passages and create, edit, or delete annotations • Listen to articles with built-in text-to-speech • Open the original page or share it with others ORGANIZE YOUR ARCHIVE • Search and filter unread, archived, and starred articles • Sort by date, reading time, or identifier • Add and remove tags, mark articles as read, and favorite what matters • Rediscover short reads, random picks, and tags from the Discover tab YOUR WALLABAG, YOUR CHOICE wallabag is free and open source. This app connects to an existing wallabag instance; it does not create or host one for you. Self-host wallabag on your own server or use a compatible hosted provider. WALLABAG PLUS Core reading and organization features remain available without Plus. An optional auto-renewing wallabag Plus subscription unlocks AI-powered summaries and tag suggestions. Available plans, duration, price, and renewal terms are shown before purchase and may vary by region. Manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings. Privacy policy and terms of use: https://district-web.fr/wallabag-reader/privacy/

Screenshots

SolarWriter3 screens
Wallabag Reader2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: SolarWriter at 3.8 against Wallabag Reader's 3.4. SolarWriter also leads on review sentiment (64% vs 43%) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). Wallabag Reader's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 5 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. SolarWriter sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Wallabag Reader sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SolarWriter holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 37 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of SolarWriter's written reviews are positive against 43% of Wallabag Reader's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SolarWriter ships an update every 5 months, Wallabag Reader every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and August 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
SolarWriter versus Wallabag Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSolarWriterWallabag Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (16 ratings) — better3.4 (37 ratings)
Positive reviews64.3% of reviews — better42.9% of reviews
Number of ratings1637 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size92 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCool S, LLCmaxime marinel

Customer experience

SolarWriter

All ratings16 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral6.3%
Negative18.8%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive64.3%
Neutral7.1%
Negative28.6%

Wallabag Reader

All ratings37 ratings
Positive59.5%
Neutral5.4%
Negative35.1%
Written reviews77 reviews
Positive42.9%
Neutral15.6%
Negative41.6%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

SolarWriter

One-time1
  • SolarWriter Pro$9.99
3 purchases

Wallabag Reader

Subscriptions2
  • Wallabag Plus$2.991 Month
  • Yearly$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Tips$0.99

Questions

Is SolarWriter free?
SolarWriter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Wallabag Reader free?
Wallabag Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SolarWriter or Wallabag Reader?
SolarWriter is rated higher. SolarWriter averages 3.8 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Wallabag Reader averages 3.4 from 37 ratings.
Do SolarWriter or Wallabag Reader have ads?
Neither SolarWriter nor Wallabag Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SolarWriter or Wallabag Reader?
SolarWriter ships an update every 5 months, and Wallabag Reader every 4 weeks. Most recently, SolarWriter was updated on September 10, 2026 and Wallabag Reader on August 21, 2026.

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