Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Tapas vs Wattpad

Tapas 4.6★ · Free + IAP 45
Winner Wattpad
Wattpad 4.7★ · Free to download 65

Wattpad is the better choice for readers seeking a vast, free library and a strong community, despite a recent surge in ads, while Tapas struggles with consistent payment and ink earning issues.

Full reviews: Tapas · Wattpad

Tapas and Wattpad both offer extensive libraries of comics and novels, but recent user reviews highlight significant differences in user experience, particularly around monetization and app stability. Wattpad, despite its increased ad frequency, maintains a strong community and a generally more functional free reading experience, whereas Tapas faces widespread complaints about its ink system, payment issues, and app bugs.

Head to head

Content Library & Variety tieR5R13R17R20
Tapas Tapas users appreciate the wide variety of genres, comics, and novels available, with some preferring it over competitors like Webtoon R5R17R20. However, some users report stories being delisted without warning R13 or chapters being relocked .
Wattpad Wattpad is praised for its extensive collection of original stories and fanfiction across various genres, with users finding it a primary source for diverse content . Users also value the ability to post their own stories .
Monetization & Value edge: WattpadR1R7R9R10
Tapas Tapas's 'ink' system is a major point of contention. Users find the grind to earn free ink brutal and exhausting R1R12R21R24. Many report that offers for free ink don't work or are buggy, leading to frustration R10R12R21. Paying for ink is also problematic, with users reporting money taken without ink delivered R1R9, and high costs for reading full stories R7. Some users express a desire for a membership option .
Wattpad Wattpad users are increasingly frustrated by the overwhelming number of ads, with many stating an ad appears after every chapter, making the app nearly unusable R61R64R66R67. Users desire a one-time purchase option to remove ads, rather than a subscription .
App Reliability & Bugs tieR2R3R6R9
Tapas Tapas users report numerous bugs, including the app failing to open R2, WUF pages not loading R3, ink disappearing R9R51, ads for ink being broken , unexpected charges , pop-up ads while reading paid content , app crashes , and network connection errors . Some also experience unwanted redirects to adware and issues with accidental chapter progression R6.
Wattpad Wattpad users also face various bugs, such as keyboard issues preventing login , stories being deleted or removed from libraries , inability to comment or reply , the home screen not loading , and the app logging users out frequently . Some report blurry covers for their own stories , and issues with offline books not loading .
User Experience & Features tieR6R20R24R31
Tapas Tapas is praised for its navigation and variety R20R50. However, users dislike the lack of settings, especially for swipe and scroll functions R6. Issues with comment sections R31 and fake engagement are also noted. The inability to publish webcomics on an iPad is a concern for creators . Some users miss older features like easier free ink generation R24R36.
Wattpad Wattpad users appreciate the ability to interact with other readers and writers . However, the new social feed is widely disliked for cluttering announcements and being an invasion of privacy . Users request features like highlighting and improved library sorting . Concerns about AI-generated content and outdated writing UI are also mentioned.
Customer Support edge: TapasR4R23R51
Tapas Tapas users report poor customer support, with multiple attempts to contact the team going unanswered for weeks R4. Issues with unrewarded ink are often met with unhelpful responses R23R51.
Wattpad Wattpad reviews do not frequently mention direct customer support interactions, but the prevalence of unaddressed bugs and user frustrations with new features suggests a lack of effective resolution for user issues.
Pick Tapas if

You are willing to pay for content and appreciate a high-quality reading experience, and are prepared to navigate potential payment and bug issues R5R20.

Pick Wattpad if

You prioritize a vast, free library of original stories and fanfiction, enjoy community interaction, and can tolerate frequent ads .

Evidence note: Wattpad's higher lifetime rating is likely influenced by its long history and large user base, but recent reviews heavily skew negative due to the overwhelming ad frequency. Tapas's lower lifetime rating reflects persistent issues with its monetization model and app stability.

Frequently asked

Is it possible to read for free on Tapas?
Yes, Tapas offers the first few chapters of most books for free, and has a 'Wait Until Free' (WUF) feature, but earning free 'ink' to unlock more chapters is described by users as a brutal grind, with many reporting that the free offers and games to earn ink are buggy or don't work R3R12R21R23.
How often do ads appear on Wattpad?
Recent reviews indicate that ads on Wattpad now appear after almost every single chapter, making the reading experience frustrating and nearly unusable for many users R61R64R66R67.
Do Tapas and Wattpad support independent creators?
Both apps support creators, with Tapas allowing independent creators to post and offering ink as a way to support authors R36R50, and Wattpad being a popular platform for writers to publish their own fanfiction and original stories . However, Tapas has faced criticism for using AI in marketing R19 and being owned by a company accused of mistreating artists R49, while Wattpad users express concern over AI-generated content .

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R5] Tapas 5/5 · US Love the app: Love all the different genres. Can get a bit pricey but worth it.
  2. [R13] Tapas 1/5 · US Delist stuff I was reading: I was reading story and stepped away for a bit. When I came back the story I was reading was delisted. After searching around, found that apparently it was finished then delisted. So unless you like reading things and not knowing the ending. I’d try somewhere else.
  3. [R17] Tapas 5/5 · US Love this app: Some many good book to read
  4. [R20] Tapas 5/5 · US Great app: I love this app. It’s so easy to navigate, has great anime, no limits on favorites, and a huge variety to read from. Easily rivals WEBTOON.
  5. [R1] Tapas 2/5 · US Took my money: tried playing the games to earn ink, but the progression is a brutal, exhausting grind. Decided to just spend real money to read my books, but the app is completely broken. It regularly takes my money without delivering the ink. To make it worse, the transactions don't even show up properly on my statement right away. Don’t waste your time or your money on this buggy app. But still
  6. [R7] Tapas 1/5 · US Delete: THIS IS HORRENDOUS, damn near all the stories u need to pay and u guys have sooo many issues with the app wtf…
  7. [R9] Tapas 3/5 · US My inks keep disappointing without spending them: Whenever I get those inks, and I leave the app and save up, the next day it disappears. it happens all the time and it’s getting annoying. Please fix this, thank you.
  8. [R10] Tapas 1/5 · US Continuously scammed out of money: These offers for games suck. While for common web ones as long as you don’t spend money over half don’t work. But for game ones to be usefully you usually have to spend a little money but I keep being scammed out of it and not rewarded even if I report it. And almost every-time I’m not rewarded for a purchase one the offer gets deleted so they won’t even reward m
  9. [R2] Tapas 4/5 · US Lots of stories but Recent bug?: Very fun and addicting app. Only trouble is I’m having trouble opening it currently? I click on the app and it starts to load but then just exits. Hoping this does not continue for long.
  10. [R3] Tapas 3/5 · US It’s ok: The ink system is annoying but the real issue is the WUF page. It doesn’t load properly. Incredibly frustrating to want to read and search through what’s available and it won’t even load. I’m more than ok with the waiting to read aspect. What bothers me is not being able to look through the available catalogue.
  11. [R6] Tapas 3/5 · US Lack of settings: There are new updates and annoying functions such as the swipe and scroll problems: - Swiping left and right needs on/off switch It is easy to change episodes with an up or down swipe even in the SLIGHTEST direction to the left or right and prices have gone up
  12. [R24] Tapas 3/5 · US App: The app is okay compared to how it used to be. I hate the fact that we have to do offers to get free ink now and the worst part is that those so called offers don’t even work nor give you free ink because they’re always glitching. I miss when we only had to watch 30 videos a day and they would reload after just two minutes. I wish they would bring the adds back for free ink instead.
  13. [R31] Tapas 1/5 · US The Comments Ruin It: Edit: Tapas! Either take reports of malicious commenters more seriously or give us an easy way to block them on the app! Smarter people than I am have discussed the trolls/malicious comments on this platform on reddit, NU, and another webcomic app. Manta did it. Tappytoon did it. Webtoon patrols their comments religiously. You’re losing users over this. The titles that Tap
  14. [R4] Tapas 1/5 · US No help: I have written to the tapas team multiple times about a problem and no one has reached out to me. It’s been almost two weeks now….
  15. [R23] Tapas 4/5 · US Good but…: Great app to read, lots of variation of topics to read about, love the WUF (Wait Until Free) feature. Would recommend. However, the most recent game I played for earning ink didn’t give me anything, even after reaching out to customer support through Offerwall. I showed my transaction history, and all they kept saying was close and reopen the app…which didn’t work. Last time this happe
  16. [R51] Tapas 3/5 · US Inks: When im in need of a good story , it’s nothing to open this app nd my favorite story is a click away ! But what’s unsettling is seeing the inks you’ve won not being added to your account, and what’s even more disappointing is reaching out to solve the problem and being told the ink have already been rewarded only to see it’s still not showing in your account. I just want to fix the problem
  17. [R12] Tapas 3/5 · US READ BEFORE YOU GET: So basically, for 99.99% of the books the first five chapters are free but then you need ink to unlock the rest. And there are three ways to win ink: Give money, download and play the games they say, or do the web activities. And im not giving any money so i decided to do the other two options. But guess what? THEY DONT WORK. SO NOW IM DELETING THIS APP BC I CANT READ ANY BOOK
  18. [R21] Tapas 3/5 · US Locks too many episodes: I like the app, I just don’t like how new episodes are locked and I have to pay money for ink. Even if I try to get free ink, it’s some bogus stuff that doesn’t even give me the ink. I get you need to get ink to pay creators for their stories, but I feel like only having a certain amount of episodes free just takes away from my excitement of reading the stories.
  19. [R61] Wattpad 2/5 · US Ads: There is way too many ads it’s absolutely ridiculous, why do you need a ad after every freaking chapter it’s crazy that I can’t read a chapter without an ad. DO BETTER
  20. [R64] Wattpad 2/5 · US So many ad’s: Been using this app 11 years now, I’ve been though so many ups and downs with you wattpad. An ad after every chapter is ludicrous. And they’re the type of ad’s where it always takes you to the App Store so you have to swipe back into it. Why penalize me for being poor? Has our time together meant nothing? You have sold out and should be ashamed.
  21. [R66] Wattpad 3/5 · US get rid of the constant ads!!!: i’ve been using wattpad for about 6 years, i’ve always loved it! There used to be very few ads and now this new update gives you ads after EVERY chapter, it ruins the whole mood and is very annoying, i stopped using wattpad because of this..NO ONE wants to sit through ads every minute while reading.. and absolutely NO ONE wants to pay any money to get rid of them! T
  22. [R67] Wattpad 1/5 · US Too many ads: The ads on this app are ridiculous and make it impossible to use. The inability to scroll without an ad popping up makes the user experience unbearable. And of course, they make the ads impossible to dismiss without taking you to the sponsors page/website. Disgusting.
  23. [R19] Tapas 2/5 · US AI in App Store updates??: Not signaling real support of their many artists when they use what appears to be AI in their marketing… :(
  24. [R36] Tapas 3/5 · US Ink is getting scarce: Used to be my favorite app for reading comics as the quality was neater and nicer and ink was really easy to get and obtain, while the authors got supported. However now their ink takes me to the unity webpage which already feels clunky and stupid since you have to refresh the offers to obtain the ink after you do them. Also they reduced how much ink you get from the offers
  25. [R49] Tapas 1/5 · US Owned by a terrible company: Owned by kakao that protects predators and games artists and is happy about taking away pirating sites while forgetting that if purchasing of a chapter doesn’t equal to you owning it then it’s not piracy, they’re horrible to employees and artists alike don’t download this app it’s not worth a cent. And if you’re an artist who wants to post a webtoon your better off usi
  26. [R50] Tapas 5/5 · US Great app!: Been using this app for almost 6 years or so now. I love it. I do wish the prices would come down a little more frequently(as with any paid service) alas I’m pleased nonetheless with what I get here etc. Tapas has a consistent quality and service coupled with an ever growing library of Gem like stories. This platform that allows creators to make content that’s accessible, fun, and eng

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store