Archive of Our Own (AO3) is a nonprofit hosting site for transformative fanworks such as fanfiction. It is a project of the Organization for Transformative Works, a nonprofit established by fans, and runs on donations; users do not pay, and the site has no advertisements. Work Search can find works by tag, title, author, word count, hits, kudos, publication date, and language. Filters cover rating, warning, category, fandom, character, relationship, and freeform tags. Works can be downloaded as AZW3, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, or HTML, though each download includes all available chapters rather than a single chapter. Readers can change site colors, fonts, and layout with site skins, and customize individual works with work skins. AO3 aims to be compatible with common desktop browsers, e-readers, screen readers, and default browsers on most iOS, Android, and Windows mobile devices. The archive is built on open-source software designed by and for fans. An invitation is required to create an account; AO3 says this helps keep growth within its hardware, bandwidth, and support capacity. Mobile apps are not currently available, and a public API is several major releases away on the roadmap.
Who it is for
AO3 suits readers looking for fanworks with detailed search and filtering, as well as fans who want to host transformative works. Its web access and downloadable formats may suit readers using browsers or e-readers.
What is good
- Free to use and has no advertisements
- Searches by tags, authors, dates, and more
- Downloads available in five formats
- Site and work skins allow customization
What to know first
- An invitation is required to create an account
- Mobile apps are not currently available
- Downloads cannot be limited to individual chapters
Verdict
AO3 offers free fanwork hosting with extensive search, filtering, and download options. Readers should know that account creation requires an invitation and mobile apps are not currently available.
Get started with Archive of Our Own
- Visit the AO3 website in a web browser.
- Search works by tag, title, author, word count, hits, kudos, publication date, or language.
- Use filters for rating, warning, category, fandom, character, relationship, or freeform tags.
- Download a work in AZW3, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, or HTML if desired.
- Request an invitation to create an account.
What the free plan stops at
AO3 is free to use. An invitation is required for an account, and a work download includes all available chapters rather than an individual chapter.
Questions about Archive of Our Own
Does AO3 cost anything?
No. Users do not pay; the Archive is funded entirely by donations and does not host ads.
Who runs AO3?
AO3 is a project of the Organization for Transformative Works, a nonprofit organization established by fans.
Can I use AO3 without an account?
An invitation is required to create an account. The facts do not describe other account-access requirements.
Is there an AO3 mobile app?
Mobile apps are not currently available because resources are unavailable. AO3 aims to work with default browsers on most iOS, Android, and Windows mobile devices.
Can I download a single chapter?
No. A work download includes all available chapters; individual chapters cannot be downloaded separately.
Is AO3 open source?
AO3 is built on open-source archiving software designed and built by and for fans. The software is hosted on GitHub.
Archive of Our Own plans and pricing
All plansCompared on online community platforms
- Free plan
- Yes
- Mobile apps
- web app
