Source-backed analysis8
Review basis
Research-based review: the AppDuo Editorial Team compiled it from official pages, documentation, app stores, press and user feedback, without hands-on testing. Every claim links to a source with the date it was checked.
8 reference sourcesInformation updated Nov 10, 2026
How we review
Wattpad Review
Read and publish community-written stories, with an ad-free Premium tier
By AppDuo Editorial Team · Updated
- Web
- iOS
- Android
On this page
Decide at a glance
Our verdict
Wattpad suits readers of community-written novels and fanfiction, and writers who want to publish for free. The trade-off is uneven ratings (4.7/5 on the App Store, 3.7/5 on Google Play, 1.9/5 on Trustpilot), with Trustpilot reviewers often citing ads, paywalled stories and slow support.
Best for: Readers who like novels, fanfiction and genre fiction such as romance, fantasy and mystery
Skip it if: People who want edited fiction of consistent quality, like published books
Pros
- Free to read, write and build a library, with offline downloads
- Large catalogue across genres, with comments placed directly on passages
- 4.7/5 on the US App Store from about 706,000 ratings; marked Editors' Choice on Google Play
Cons
- Google Play shows only 3.7/5 (5.02M reviews); Trustpilot 1.9/5 from 221 reviews on an unclaimed profile
- The free version has ads, and some stories must be unlocked with Coins
All pros and cons · Who is it for?
Cons
- Stories are user-posted so quality varies; Trustpilot reviewers complain of stories removed by automated moderation
- A data breach of roughly 270 million records was reported in June 2020
Best for
- Writers who want a ready readership and comments on individual passages
Problems it solves
Experience & key features
What Wattpad is
Wattpad is a social storytelling platform where writers post original stories and fanfiction and readers follow, comment and vote. According to Wikipedia, Allen Lau and Ivan Yuen founded it in Toronto, Canada, launching in December 2006. Since 2021 it has belonged to Naver, the parent company of WEBTOON. The Google Play description says the catalogue spans novels, fanfiction and poetry in over 25 languages.
How it works and key features
Per Google Play, readers browse by genre, save stories to a library, download them for offline reading, get alerts for new chapters and comment while reading. Writers publish for the community to discover; Google Play says Wattpad's production studio has adapted stories such as The Kissing Booth and After into films and books. Since 2019 a small selection of paid stories unlocks chapter by chapter with Coins, a virtual currency bought via Apple or Google. Per the privacy policy, you can sign up with email or log in with Facebook or Google.
Pricing and value
Most content is free and ad-supported. The US App Store lists Premium at 5.99 USD/month or 59.99 USD/year, Premium+ at 9.99 USD/month or 89.99 USD/year, plus Coin packs such as 74 Coins for 3.99 USD and 244 Coins for 8.99 USD. The pages reviewed do not detail Premium+ benefits; per BetaKit (2019), Premium removes ads and adds profile colours. Prices may vary by country and no VND price list was found.
More analysis
Who it fits, and the alternatives
Wattpad fits people who enjoy community-written fiction and writers who want a ready readership. For comics, WEBTOON (same parent company) or MANGA Plus are closer fits. The caveat is mixed ratings: 4.7/5 on the App Store, 3.7/5 on Google Play and 1.9/5 on Trustpilot, along with complaints about ads, paywalled stories and support.
Screenshots
Plans & pricing
Prices last verified Nov 10, 2026
Miễn phí
PersonalFree
Reading and writing stories is free, with ads. Some paid stories need Coins to unlock each chapter.
Premium
Personal$5.99/mo/user
$5/mo billed yearly
Listed on the US App Store at 5.99 USD/month or 59.99 USD/year. Per BetaKit (2019), it removes ads, adds custom profile colours and gives up to 66% bonus Coins on every Coin pack.
Premium+
Personal$9.99/mo/user
$7.50/mo billed yearly
Listed on the US App Store at 9.99 USD/month or 89.99 USD/year. The App Store page does not say what this tier includes.
- Free plan limits
- Per the Google Play description, reading stories, building a library, offline downloads, comments and votes are free. The app shows ads and sells Coins and paid plans in-app.
- Free trial
- No free trial
Cancellation & refunds
No Wattpad refund policy was found in the pages reviewed; the Terms of Service only point to a separate Payment Policy.
Privacy
According to the privacy policy (last revised 2 November 2023), creating an account requires an email address, date of birth, username, whether you are a reader, writer or both, and at least one preferred genre; real name, gender and location are optional. Wattpad also records IP address, cookies, device details and actions such as votes. Data is used to run accounts, personalise story recommendations, show tailored ads and prevent spam and fraud. Wattpad says it will not rent or sell personal information unless anonymised; it may share data with affiliates and service providers, and may give Google your email address to check eligibility for Google AdSense for Platforms. Closing an account deactivates it for six months, during which it can be restored; after that personal information is permanently deleted while anonymised comments and contributions remain. Children under 13 (under 14 in Quebec) may not use the service. In June 2020, per Wikipedia, a data breach exposed almost 270 million records including names, emails, birth dates and bcrypt-hashed passwords.
Wattpad alternatives
Frequently asked questions
Is Wattpad free?
Yes. Per Google Play, reading stories, building a library and offline downloads are free, but the app has ads and in-app purchases. Premium and Coins are optional extras.
How much is Wattpad Premium?
On the US App Store, Premium is 5.99 USD/month or 59.99 USD/year; Premium+ is 9.99 USD/month or 89.99 USD/year. Prices may vary by country.
What age is Wattpad for?
The privacy policy bars children under 13 (under 14 in Quebec). The US App Store rates the app 16+.
Who owns Wattpad?
Naver announced the 600 million USD acquisition of Wattpad in January 2021. Per Wikipedia, the deal closed in May 2021 and Wattpad is now a subsidiary of Webtoon Entertainment.
Review evidence & sources8
Scores
- Ease of use
- 7.0
- Features
- 7.5
- Value for money
- 6.5
- Performance
- 6.5
- Support
- 5.0
- Privacy & security
- 6.0
Why this score
Web, iOS and Android apps that sync reading progress across devices. The US App Store shows 4.7/5 and Google Play 3.7/5; Trustpilot reviewers cite weak search and missing notifications.
Why this score
Reading, writing, library, offline downloads, inline comments and Coin-based paid stories; the App Store lists 20 interface languages. The sources reviewed show no tooling that stands out against comparable platforms.
Why this score
Most content is free to read. Paid plans at 5.99 to 9.99 USD/month mainly remove ads; some Trustpilot reviewers say they are pushed to pay to finish stories.
Why this score
No independent data on speed or stability. The score rests on the 3.7/5 Google Play rating, where some reviewers report the app resetting and losing the story in progress.
Why this score
Trustpilot has many reports of unanswered support tickets, especially for account recovery and deletion. The official help centre could not be opened to check, so the score is low.
Why this score
The policy states what is collected, retention and access/deletion rights, and says non-anonymised data is not sold. Marked down for tailored ads and the 2020 breach of about 270 million records.
What users say
- App Store (United States)4.7/5 · 706,000
- Google Play (United States)3.7/5 · 5,020,000
- Trustpilot1.9/5 · 221
Sources
- Vendor-providedWattpad privacy policyNov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedWattpad terms of serviceNov 10, 2026
- storeApp Store listing (US)Nov 10, 2026
- storeGoogle Play listingNov 10, 2026
- Community-reportedWikipedia: WattpadNov 10, 2026
- pressBetaKit: Wattpad launches monetization model globally (2019-07-18)Nov 10, 2026
- pressTubefilter: Wattpad acquired by Naver (2021-01-20)Nov 10, 2026
- review-siteTrustpilot: wattpad.comNov 10, 2026
Specs & compatibility
- Developer
- Wattpad (Webtoon Entertainment)
- Headquarters
- Canada
- Launched
- 2006
- Category
- Entertainment
Capabilities
- Works offline
- Mobile app
Platforms
- Web
- iOS
- Android
Interface languages
- English
- Vietnamese
- French
- German
- Portuguese
- Russian
- Spanish
- Indonesian
Integrations
Support
Change history
- Feature.Wattpad announces it will remove private messaging after a report on sexual grooming in private messages.
- Company.Naver's acquisition of Wattpad completes.
- Company.Naver announces it will acquire Wattpad for 600 million USD in cash and stock.
Full change history (7)
- Update.A data breach exposes almost 270 million records, including names, emails, birth dates and bcrypt-hashed passwords.
- Feature.Paid Stories and Premium become available to users worldwide.
- Feature.Wattpad Next, a beta for Coin-funded paid stories, begins.
- Launch.Wattpad launches, developed by Allen Lau and Ivan Yuen.
About the author
Reviews & comments
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