Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Archive of Our Own VS Fanfiction.net

Compare Archive of Our Own VS Fanfiction.net and see what are their differences

Archive of Our Own logo Archive of Our Own

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Fanfiction.net logo Fanfiction.net

The most popular fan fiction website in the world according to Wikipedia
  • Archive of Our Own Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-22
  • Fanfiction.net Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-03-10

Archive of Our Own features and specs

  • Diverse Content
    Archive of Our Own (AO3) offers a wide range of fan-generated content across numerous fandoms, genres, and formats, providing extensive variety for readers and writers.
  • User-Friendly Tagging System
    AO3 employs a comprehensive and flexible tagging system that allows users to easily find content that matches their interests and preferences.
  • Non-Profit Organization
    As a part of the Organization for Transformative Works (OTW), AO3 is a non-profit platform that operates free from commercial pressures, focusing solely on user experience.
  • Customization Options
    Users can customize the site's appearance according to their preferences, making the reading experience more personalized and comfortable.
  • Community and Support
    AO3 fosters a supportive community that encourages creativity and offers feedback, making it a welcoming environment for both new and experienced writers.
  • No Advertising
    The site is free from advertisements, providing an uninterrupted and clean reading experience.

Possible disadvantages of Archive of Our Own

  • Content Moderation
    The open nature of AO3 means that there is minimal content moderation, which can lead to the presence of low-quality or disturbing content.
  • Search Function Limitations
    Despite its robust tagging system, AO3's search functionality can sometimes be less intuitive and more complex for new users.
  • Variable Quality
    Since AO3 hosts user-generated content, the quality of stories can vary significantly, ranging from brilliantly written works to less polished pieces.
  • Adult Content Accessibility
    Explicit content on the site can be easily accessible, which might be a concern for younger users or those seeking a family-friendly environment.
  • Server Performance
    AO3 occasionally faces server performance issues, especially during peak times, which can result in slow loading times or temporary inaccessibility.
  • Complex Interface
    The site's interface can be overwhelming for newcomers due to its extensive features and options, which might require a learning curve.

Fanfiction.net features and specs

  • Wide Audience
    Fanfiction.net has a vast and diverse user base, providing writers with a large audience to share their work with.
  • Variety of Categories
    The platform hosts a wide range of fandoms, including literature, movies, TV shows, gaming, and more, giving writers plenty of choices for their creative outlets.
  • Community Interaction
    Users can leave reviews, follow stories, and interact with writers, creating a vibrant community atmosphere.
  • Free to Use
    Fanfiction.net is a free platform, making it accessible to anyone with an internet connection.
  • Archive Longevity
    Stories posted on Fanfiction.net can remain archived for years, ensuring long-term availability.

Possible disadvantages of Fanfiction.net

  • Outdated Interface
    The website's user interface is considered dated and clunky, which can be cumbersome to navigate and use.
  • Limited Customization
    Users have limited options for formatting and customizing their stories, which can hinder creative presentation.
  • Quality Control
    There is a wide range of quality among the stories, and there is no rigorous review process to filter out lower-quality works.
  • Search Functionality
    The search and filtering options are relatively basic and may not effectively help users find specific types of stories.
  • Mobile Experience
    The mobile website experience is not as optimized as other modern platforms, potentially detracting from usability on phones and tablets.

Archive of Our Own videos

The Life and Death of Fandom Platforms | LiveJournal, Archive of Our Own (AO3), Tumblr, and ???

More videos:

  • Review - WEB SITE REVIEW : Archive Of Our Own

Fanfiction.net videos

Basic Fanfiction.net Review

More videos:

  • Review - Fanfiction.net report and review
  • Review - How NOT to Review on Fanfiction.Net

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Archive of Our Own and Fanfiction.net)
Writing Tools
45 45%
55% 55
Books
43 43%
57% 57
Design Tools
51 51%
49% 49
Entertainment
52 52%
48% 48

User comments

Share your experience with using Archive of Our Own and Fanfiction.net. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Fanfiction.net should be more popular than Archive of Our Own. It has been mentiond 2109 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Archive of Our Own mentions (627)

  • I want to create IMDB for Open source projects
    I'm not sure how much value making something "not fugly" really matters. Design should be based on functionality, not anti-fugliness. In my experience, design considerations should come after building a successful growth "feedback loop." (Or whatever you want to call it.) At that point, you may decide making your website look "polished" isn't even necessary. IMDB was certainly quite ugly for a long time.... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • For a few times I’ve seen comments that this fanbase is small. How/why?
    On Archive Of Our Own , the theme for International Fanworks Day 2021 was fandoms/relationships that aren't well represented on the site. Based on an idea I'd had going back to 1992, I picked Mariah Carey and wrote this story. There are only 11 stories/works) about or involving Mariah on the site. Hell, she's been around 33 years and her first name still gets the red squiggle under it, meaning her name... Source: over 1 year ago
  • Larian romance stats vs AO3 stats
    It's the top-10 romantic relationships written about BG3 characters on AO3, the largest fanfiction website on the internet. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Larian romance stats vs AO3 stats
    For those not in the know, AO3 (the ArchiveOfOurOwn) is the largest (I think?) fanfiction website on the internet. Its interests are pretty different! ;). Source: over 1 year ago
  • Best Spuffy long fics?
    Elysian Fields is the place for Spuffy fanfic! I recommend doing an Advanced Search - you can search for and sort by word count, likes, etc. (similar to Archive of Our Own, also a place with Spuffy fics but not quite as user-friendly as EF). Source: over 1 year ago
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Fanfiction.net mentions (2109)

  • Show HN: Epublifier – scrape pages (books, manuals) for offline reading
    Does it support http://fanfiction.net/ ? - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Mel Gibson’s ‘Passion of the Christ’ Sequel to Be Shot in Rome in January, Set to Follow Jesus’ Descent into Hell & the Fall of the Angels
    It's actually kind of pathetic when you stand back and think that, had Dante been born today, the Divine Comedy would be some obscure escapist fantasy posted to fanfiction.net that everyone would think was really weird and uncomfortable. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Am I imagining things, or does average writing quality seem to vary across sites?
    Personally, I prefer using Spacebattles and Ao3, the only fics I read on fanfiction.net are the ones I have subscribed to, and I don't really browse any fics on it nowadays. There's also QQ and SV, but that's all. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Looking for a fic, don't remember much, but hopefully it will be enough for someone to recognize it.
    Okay, so I thought (wrong) that the fic I was looking for was 'benefits of old laws by ulkante on fanfiction.net. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Looking for a lost fic
    I saved these links while I was reading them a couple years ago, the writer is "suituuup" under fanfiction.net and ao3. Both accounts are still here but for some reason these two links don't work anymore. Anyone saved them before or know why this would happen? The fandom is Pitch Perfect by the way. Source: over 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Archive of Our Own and Fanfiction.net, you can also consider the following products

Wattpad - Wattpad is now the worlds most popular ebook community where readers and writers discover, share...

Penana - Read the best stories from our aspiring writers! Come in to interact with writers and other fans!

Belletristica - Your online writing platform. Share your stories and poetry with the world and become part of our community!

Booksie.com - Booksie is a free online publishing site that allows writers to easily post, share, and promote their writing.

FictionPress - Massive online database of user-submitted fiction and poetry.

Commaful - Largest multimedia fiction site in the world. A lot of short stories, poetry, and fanfiction.