Tool comparison
Apps like Wattpad: 11 alternatives for reading and writing stories (2026)
The best Wattpad alternative depends on whether you read fanfiction, binge romance, write web serials or want to get paid. Here is what each app actually is, from its own store listing and help pages.
AIBookCraft Editorial · · 9 min read
Sources checked:
At a glance
- There is no single best app like Wattpad. For free fanfiction, AO3 is nonprofit and ad-free but has no official app. For web serials, Royal Road and Scribble Hub have official apps. For romance, Dreame, GoodNovel, Galatea and WebNovel are free to download but sell chapters through coins, points or subscriptions.
- On October 19, 2026, Wattpad itself was rated 4.7 on the US App Store (706,084 ratings, 17+) and 3.7 on Google Play (100M+ downloads). It has ads, and its Premium and Premium+ subscriptions remove them and add coins and Wattpad Originals.
- Two former alternatives are gone: Amazon closed Kindle Vella on February 26, 2025, and radishfiction.com did not resolve on the check date.
- If you want to write your own book with AI help and publish it to readers, AIBookCraft (“AI Book Writer Story Maker” on the App Store, “AI Book Writer Story Generator” on Google Play) combines a writing tool with a public reading community. It is not a Wattpad clone and has its own content rules.
What is the best app like Wattpad?
It depends on what you use Wattpad for. Wattpad mixes four things in one app: free stories, fanfiction, paid romance originals and a place to post your own writing. Most alternatives do one of those better and the rest worse, so start from the one you care about.
- Free fanfiction with no ads: Archive of Our Own (AO3), in a phone browser. FanFiction.Net if you want an official app.
- Long web serials, especially fantasy and LitRPG: Royal Road, or Scribble Hub for original web novels.
- Romance and werewolf stories to binge: Dreame, GoodNovel, Galatea or WebNovel. Expect to pay per chapter after the free ones.
- Comics and novels in one app: Tapas.
- Posting your own story and finding readers: Royal Road, Tapas, Inkitt, WebNovel, AO3 for fanfiction, or AIBookCraft if you want AI help writing it.
Sources: Archive of Our Own FAQ: About the Archive · Royal Road - Read Stories — App Store (US) · Scribble Hub - Read Web Novels — App Store (US) · Dreame - Read Best Romance — App Store (US) · GoodNovel - BookTok Stories — App Store (US) · Inkitt Galatea — App Store (US) · WebNovel - Read Novels & Manga — App Store (US) · Tapas – Comics and Novels — App Store (US) · Inkitt homepage · About AIBookCraft
11 apps like Wattpad compared (store facts checked October 19, 2026)
Ratings are the US App Store average and count on the check date. “Official app” means published by the platform itself, not a fan-made reader. Wattpad’s own row is included for comparison.
| App | Official app | Best for | How it makes money | App Store rating (US) | App Store age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wattpad (baseline) | iOS, Android, web | Everything at once: free stories, fanfiction, originals | Ads, Coins, Premium and Premium+ subscriptions | 4.7 (706,084) | 17+ |
| Archive of Our Own (AO3) | No official app; mobile website | Fanfiction | Nonprofit, donations, no ads | No official app | — |
| FanFiction.Net | iOS, Android, web | Fanfiction with an official app | Not stated on the site footer | 2.5 (950) | 17+ |
| Royal Road | iOS, Android, web | Free fantasy and LitRPG web serials | Ads; optional Reader Premium US$34.99/year | 4.8 (5,348) | 12+ |
| Scribble Hub | iOS (since July 2026), web | Original web novels | Ads; optional Scribble Hub Plus | 4.7 (68) | 12+ |
| Tapas | iOS, Android, web | Comics and novels in one app | Ink to unlock episodes; Wait-Until-Free | 4.6 (45,273) | 17+ |
| Inkitt | iOS, Android, web | Free stories from new writers | Free to read; reader favorites move to its paid sister app, Galatea | 4.6 (9,947) | 12+ |
| Galatea | iOS, Android | Paid romance and fantasy serials | Subscription and points per chapter | 4.6 (300,419) | 17+ |
| WebNovel | iOS, Android, web | Long web novels and manga | Coins, Fast Pass, subscription | 4.3 (48,251) | 17+ |
| Dreame | iOS, Android, web | Romance and werewolf stories | Free chapters, daily rewards, subscription | 4.4 (170,484) | 17+ |
| GoodNovel | iOS, Android | Romance serials | Coins (some earned through tasks), premium subscription | 4.5 (232,502) | 12+ |
| AIBookCraft | iOS, Android, web | Writing your own book with AI help, and reading community stories | Free account; Pro subscription and credits for AI features | 4.7 (349) | 17+ |
Sources: Wattpad - Read & Write Stories — App Store (US) · Wattpad Help Center: Wattpad Premium and Premium+ · Archive of Our Own FAQ: About the Archive · FanFiction.Net — App Store (US) · Royal Road - Read Stories — App Store (US) · Royal Road Premium subscriptions · Scribble Hub - Read Web Novels — App Store (US) · Scribble Hub Privacy Policy · Tapas – Comics and Novels — App Store (US) · Tapas Help Center: What is Ink? · Inkitt: Books, Novels, Stories — App Store (US) · Inkitt homepage · Inkitt Galatea — App Store (US) · WebNovel - Read Novels & Manga — App Store (US) · WebNovel Help Center · Dreame - Read Best Romance — App Store (US) · GoodNovel - BookTok Stories — App Store (US) · AI Book Writer Story Maker — App Store (US) · AIBookCraft pricing
Free apps like Wattpad (without paying per chapter)
If the coins and paywalled chapters are why you are leaving Wattpad, these are the options whose stories are free to read. Free does not always mean ad-free.
| Platform | What is free | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| AO3 | Every work, with no ads; funded by donations to the Organization for Transformative Works | No official app; new accounts need an invitation |
| Royal Road | Reading every story | Ads unless you buy Reader Premium (US$34.99/year) |
| Scribble Hub | Reading original web novels | Ads on the site; Plus is optional; the only Android listing we found is not official |
| Inkitt | Reading and posting stories | Its most popular books move to Galatea, which is paid |
| FanFiction.Net | Reading and posting fanfiction | The official app is rated about 2.5 on iOS and 2.4 on Google Play, and the iOS app was last updated in September 2024 |
Sources: Archive of Our Own FAQ: About the Archive · Archive of Our Own FAQ: Invitations · Royal Road Premium subscriptions · Scribble Hub Privacy Policy · Inkitt homepage · FanFiction.Net — App Store (US) · FanFiction.Net — Google Play
Romance apps like Wattpad: Dreame, GoodNovel, Galatea and WebNovel
Readers who came to Wattpad for romance, werewolf and billionaire stories usually end up comparing these four. All are free to download, and each listing describes free chapters plus a way to pay for the rest: subscriptions on Dreame and Galatea, points per chapter on Galatea, coins and premium on GoodNovel, and coins, Fast Pass and a subscription on WebNovel.
Before you start a long serial, check two things in the store listing: the age rating (Dreame, Galatea and WebNovel are 17+ on the US App Store; GoodNovel is 12+) and the in-app purchase prices. A cheap first chapter says little about what the whole book will cost.
Sources: Dreame - Read Best Romance — App Store (US) · Inkitt Galatea — App Store (US) · GoodNovel - BookTok Stories — App Store (US) · WebNovel - Read Novels & Manga — App Store (US) · WebNovel Help Center
Wattpad alternatives for writers: where to post your story
If you write, the question is less “which app has the best stories” and more “where will my kind of story find readers, and what rights do I give up?” Read each platform’s terms before posting a full book.
| Platform | Who can post | Good fit for |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Road | Anyone with an account; Author Premium (US$59.99/year) adds analytics and EPUB export | Long fantasy, progression and LitRPG serials |
| Tapas | Any creator; the App Store listing cites over 75,000 creators | Serialized novels and comics |
| Inkitt | Anyone; it calls itself a reader-powered publisher | Writers hoping to be picked up for Galatea |
| WebNovel | Anyone; the homepage advertises “Write novels. Get paid.” and writing contests | Long web novels in popular genres |
| AO3 | Account holders (invitation needed) | Fanfiction |
| AIBookCraft | Anyone with a free account; you keep the ownership rights you have and can unpublish at any time | Writers who want to plan and draft a book with AI, then publish it to a reading community |
Sources: Royal Road Premium subscriptions · Royal Road Terms of Service · Tapas – Comics and Novels — App Store (US) · Inkitt homepage · WebNovel homepage · Archive of Our Own FAQ: Invitations · About AIBookCraft
Closed alternatives: Kindle Vella and Radish Fiction
Older “apps like Wattpad” lists still recommend two services that you cannot use any more. Amazon’s help page says Kindle Vella closed on February 26, 2025; stories readers had already read or unlocked with tokens stay in their Kindle app library.
Radish Fiction, a paid serial-fiction app, was also a common pick. On October 19, 2026, radishfiction.com did not resolve and no Radish Fiction app appeared in US App Store searches. We did not find an official closure notice, so we cannot give a date. The current Tapas iOS app lists its seller as Radish Media, Inc.
Sources: Amazon Help: Kindle Vella · Tapas – Comics and Novels — App Store (US)
Writing with AI? Check each platform’s AI rules first
Wattpad alternatives treat AI-assisted writing very differently: some require a label, some limit contests, and some do not mention it. We keep a separate, dated summary of the official AI rules for Wattpad, Royal Road, Inkitt, Tapas, WebNovel, AO3, Amazon KDP and other platforms in our guide to AI fiction publishing rules. Read that platform’s current policy before you post AI-assisted chapters.
AIBookCraft: write your own story with AI, then publish it
AIBookCraft is an AI-assisted book-writing product from SecondEarth AI, Inc. On the App Store it is listed as “AI Book Writer Story Maker” and on Google Play as “AI Book Writer Story Generator”; both are the AIBookCraft app. You can plan a book from a title or one-line idea, write and edit chapters, draft chapters with AI on Pro, create covers, play interactive stories, and read or publish in a public reading community, mostly romance and fantasy.
It is not a Wattpad replacement for readers who only want a huge free library. It suits writers who want help getting from an idea to finished chapters. A free account lets you write, edit, publish and print your book; AI chapter drafting is part of Pro. AIBookCraft’s own rules allow users aged 13 and up (the US App Store rates the app 17+), it never generates explicit sexual content, and you keep the ownership rights you have in what you write.
Sources: About AIBookCraft · AIBookCraft pricing · AI Book Writer Story Maker — App Store (US) · AI Book Writer Story Generator — Google Play
How to pick a Wattpad alternative in 10 minutes
Use the same short test on two candidates before moving your reading or writing.
- Write down why you are leaving Wattpad: ads, paywalled chapters, the kind of stories, or reach for your own writing.
- Pick two platforms from the table that solve that reason.
- Search each one for three stories in your favorite trope and read the first chapter.
- Open the in-app purchase list in the store and check the price of continuing one book.
- If you write, read the terms on rights and AI use, then post one short chapter before moving a full book.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free app like Wattpad without ads?
AO3 has no ads and every work is free, but it has no official app; you read it in a mobile browser. Royal Road is free to read with ads, and its Reader Premium subscription (US$34.99 a year on October 19, 2026) removes them.
Sources: Archive of Our Own FAQ: About the Archive · Royal Road Premium subscriptions
Does AO3 have an official app?
No. AO3’s FAQ says its volunteers do not have the resources to build and maintain mobile apps and points to a mobile-friendly site skin instead. AO3 apps in the stores are made by third parties.
Does Royal Road have an app?
Yes. Royal Road has official iOS and Android apps from Not Yet Media Ltd., the company that operates the site. The iOS app was first released on October 13, 2023.
Sources: Royal Road - Read Stories — App Store (US) · Royal Road Terms of Service
What happened to Kindle Vella?
Amazon closed Kindle Vella on February 26, 2025. Stories readers had already read or unlocked with tokens remain in their Kindle app library.
Sources: Amazon Help: Kindle Vella
Is Wattpad still free?
Yes, the app is free to download and read, with ads. Wattpad Premium removes ads and adds offline stories and bonus Coins; Premium+ adds Wattpad Originals and 200 bonus Coins a month. Some Originals are unlocked with Coins.
Sources: Wattpad Help Center: Wattpad Premium and Premium+ · Wattpad Help Center: Coins · Wattpad — Google Play
Try a free story plan
Turn one premise into a working title, logline, cast and five editable beats, no sign-up needed.
Put it into practiceSources and verification dates
- Wattpad - Read & Write Stories — App Store (US) — checked
- Wattpad — Google Play — checked
- Wattpad Help Center: Coins — checked
- Archive of Our Own FAQ: About the Archive — checked
- Archive of Our Own FAQ: Invitations — checked
- FanFiction.Net — App Store (US) — checked
- FanFiction.Net — Google Play — checked
- Royal Road - Read Stories — App Store (US) — checked
- Royal Road Terms of Service — checked
- Scribble Hub - Read Web Novels — App Store (US) — checked
- Scribble Hub Privacy Policy — checked
- Tapas – Comics and Novels — App Store (US) — checked
- Tapas Help Center: What is Ink? — checked
- Inkitt: Books, Novels, Stories — App Store (US) — checked
- Inkitt homepage — checked
- Inkitt Galatea — App Store (US) — checked
- WebNovel - Read Novels & Manga — App Store (US) — checked
- WebNovel Help Center — checked
- WebNovel homepage — checked
- Dreame - Read Best Romance — App Store (US) — checked
- GoodNovel - BookTok Stories — App Store (US) — checked
- Amazon Help: Kindle Vella — checked
- About AIBookCraft — checked
- AIBookCraft pricing — checked
- AI Book Writer Story Maker — App Store (US) — checked
- AI Book Writer Story Generator — Google Play — checked
Product features and prices can change. Check the linked official guidance before deciding. Corrections: contact@aibookcraft.app.