If you love consuming stories online or sharing them yourself, you've probably heard of Wattpad. Wattpad is an open community that offers space for both aspiring and established writers. It's not without its faults, though.
If you're looking for other sites like Wattpad, here are some alternatives that you shouldn't overlook.
What Is Wattpad?
Wattpad provides a space for readers and writers. It's a community that connects everyone through stories.
Many people think of Wattpad as ''that site with all the fanfiction,'' and that's true. Many of the communities Wattpad hosts revolve around different fandoms and the stories they wish to tell with well-known characters.
The site boasts 90 million readers, and thousands of stories get uploaded or expanded daily. No matter the path you choose to take as a writer, Wattpad allows you to monetize your work on the platform. You can publish your story in the genre of your choosing, and insert ads into your posts to gain revenue.
As a reader, Wattpad's catalog allows you to browse through millions of ebooks in every genre you can imagine. You can follow your favorite writers and get notifications when they publish something.
Wattpad is not the only available platform for writers and readers, though. Over the years, many sites have popped up that match or even surpass Wattpad. Let's look at some of them and what they offer.
Download: Wattpad for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)
1. Penana
Like Wattpad, Penana is incredibly diverse in terms of available genres and subgenres. You can find stories on anything you can think of—or, you can write them.
The platform gives you three options to choose from if you wish to write: Story Mode, Contest Mode, and Blog Mode. With the first, you can write story chapters and share them with the community. The second lets you start a writing contest on whichever topic you choose and turn other users into active participants in your writing. And the last allows you to craft a personal blog.
The platform will also display how long it will take you to read a certain story, as well as its rating and how many times it has been read. This way, it lets you know what you're getting into before you even start reading.
Download: Penana for Android | iOS (Free)
2. Sweek
Sweek is another platform that caters to writers and readers. It allows you to write and share stories, or simply read them.
The platform lets you share your work and helps you establish a fanbase, which you can then use to get feedback.
What's more, the Sweek platform can help get your book published by the Sweek publishing house. You'll get help every step of the publishing process, and it's all for free. Once your ebook is published, Sweek will sell it on social media and on its webshop.
But if you're set on having it printed as a paperback, Sweek can do that, too. Your work will get distributed to some well-established bookshops, and you get a percentage of the sales.
Download: Sweek for Android | iOS (Free)
3. Fanfiction.net
FanFiction.net is known as one of the most popular fanfiction sites, as the site boasts over 12 million registered users.
The site itself looks very bare-bones, but it gets the job done. It may not be as sleek and modern-looking as other sites, but it's easy to find what you're looking for, and in the end, that's what matters.
The platform offers distinct categories you can browse, like Comics, Anime, and TV Shows. It also has a Crossover category, which consists of stories that combine characters and plotlines from different movies, TV shows, and books. Fanfiction.net may not be as well-known as Wattpad, but it's still worth exploring.
Download: Fanfiction.net for Android | iOS (Free)
4. Booksie
Booksie offers an established community of readers and writers that you are free to join. According to the site, it has ''tens of thousands of writers'' and ''tens of millions of readers.''
If you're a writer, you can publish your writings, establish a fan base, and interact with fans through comments. You can track how many people read your work, as well as get feedback and ratings.
If you're not interested in sharing your work, you can still enjoy what other people write. The platform allows you to get updates from your favorite writers, as well as interact with them.
5. Movellas
Movellas is a free website that offers an array of ebooks that primarily cater to teenagers. The reading and writing platform houses thousands of stories written by and geared towards young people and the young adult (YA) genre.
Just keep in mind that while you don't need an account to read stories on the site, you'll have to sign up if you want to write and share your work.
The Movellas platform lets you follow any writer that interests you and keep up with their work. You can also give feedback on everything you read. A great perk to the platform is that it lets you download stories, so you can still enjoy it when you go offline. Movellas also offers audio stories if you're not in the mood for reading.
Download: Movellas for Android | iOS (Free)
6. Medium
Medium often gets marketed as the YouTube of writing. It's a platform that helps you get paid for your work. It's excellent for sharing nonfiction and opinion pieces in the form of articles. However, you can write about anything you want.
Unlike the other platforms on this list, Medium isn't free. It asks that you pay $5/month to read an unlimited number of articles. Some of the revenue generated from the subscription cost goes to the writers on the platform.
Download: Medium for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)
7. Tap by Wattpad
It might seem a bit odd to introduce a Wattpad creation as a Wattpad alternative, but it still serves as a viable platform for reading and writing stories of many genres.
Tap is an app that offers a very unique reading experience. Stories take the form of back and forth text messages. The chat-like immersive experience makes you feel like you're a part of the story. It almost seems as if you're peering into someone's personal life by going through their private chats.
If you wish to write your own stories on Tap, all you have to do is adhere to the text-style format.
Download: Tap for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)
There's More Out There Than Just Wattpad
Wattpad came out in 2008 and has come a long way since then. But in that time, many similar platforms have emerged.
Whether you're looking for a place to share your thoughts and ideas, or you're looking to read others' stories, you can find it on every one of the above platforms. Don't limit yourself to only Wattpad.
