Archive of Our Own vs Wattpad

Archive of Our Own9.3Visit Wattpad8.8Visit

Higher score Archive of Our Own #1 in Fanfiction App 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Visit site

vs

Wattpad #3 in Fanfiction App 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Visit Wattpad

• Archive of Our Own fits best

  Readers and writers seeking a broad fanwork archive

• Wattpad fits best

  Readers seeking a large library and native apps

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Side by side

Feature	Archive of Our Own 9.3/10 Visit ↗	Wattpad 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	8.8
Ranking	#1 in Fanfiction App	#3 in Fanfiction App
Best for	Readers and writers seeking a broad fanwork archive	Readers seeking a large library and native apps
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Free plan	—
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	Web	Web, iOS, Android
Support	Docs	Email
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business
Features Archive of Our Own 0/3 · Wattpad 0/3
Offline reading	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Writing and publishing	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Rating controls	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Supported platforms	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Export formats	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Community features	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Browse and search works, fandoms, tags, bookmarks, collections, and people Follow works, series, or users to get update notifications Save visited works and reading lists; join challenges	Millions of free stories across more than 25 languages Offline downloads, personal libraries, and reading lists Native iOS and Android apps with new-chapter alerts
Cons	Account creation uses an invitation queue Focused on fanwork hosting, not general-purpose community management Web-based access rather than a native mobile app	Premium tiers are limited here to ad-free reading No direct messaging between users Public story and profile conversations may not suit private discussion
Our verdict	Archive of Our Own (AO3) is a nonprofit, noncommercial archive for transformative fanworks, including works inspired by books, music, art, games, film, and television. It is aimed at readers and creators who want to share fanworks or find… Read the review →	Wattpad brings readers and writers together around stories, including novels, fanfiction, poetry, and other original writing. Readers can search popular and trending titles, save work to a personal library, create reading lists, download… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Archive of Our Own — where it wins

  • Browse and search works, fandoms, tags, bookmarks, collections, and people
  • Follow works, series, or users to get update notifications
  • Save visited works and reading lists; join challenges

  Where it doesn't

  • Account creation uses an invitation queue
  • Focused on fanwork hosting, not general-purpose community management
  • Web-based access rather than a native mobile app

• Wattpad — where it wins

  • Millions of free stories across more than 25 languages
  • Offline downloads, personal libraries, and reading lists
  • Native iOS and Android apps with new-chapter alerts

  Where it doesn't

  • Premium tiers are limited here to ad-free reading
  • No direct messaging between users
  • Public story and profile conversations may not suit private discussion

• Archive of Our Own9.3/10 · Free plan

  A free, web-based archive for sharing and discovering fanworks across fandoms.

  Visit siteFull verdict →
• Wattpad8.8/10 · Free plan

  A large free story library with tools for reading, publishing, and following updates.

  Visit WattpadFull verdict →