Serialized storytelling has been a popular form of global entertainment for years. But in English-speaking countries, we usually consume these stories via television series, podcasts, and comics. That has changed. In recent years, fiction serials have begun to grow a legion of English-speaking fans. Until recently, however, most of these serials were collected and printed as novels for readers. No more! Now, there exist a few platforms where you can read webnovels online as they’re meant to be enjoyed—in installments doled out at regular intervals.

Let’s take a look at the major platforms where you can read webnovels online.

Tapas

While Tapas is better known for their webcomic selection, they have a sizeable webnovel catalog featuring multiple genres. The platform features translated work like Ro Yujin’s The Second Coming of Gluttony and original English-language serialized webnovels like the immensely popular The Beginning After the End by TurtleMe. Tapas was recently acquired by Kakao Entertainment, so it’s not clear yet how this will affect the platform. Will this mean more original Korean webnovels being made available to English-language readers or more webtoon adaptations of original English-language webnovels already on the Tapas platform? Time will tell.

Webnovel

As the site’s name implies, this is the place if you want to read webnovels. Like Tapas, Webnovel features a mix of translated and original work. Unlike Tapas, Webnovel prominently recruits aspiring webnovel writers by offering weekly prompts and themes where users can submit their work. Not only is this great for writers, it’s also good for readers wanting to discover the next big thing. It’s similar to Webtoon’s Canvas program. Given how large the site is, you might be worried about navigation and discovery. Don’t worry. In addition to allowing readers to browse via genre, Webnovel also highlights different titles weekly and features lists of works ranked by various criteria.

WuxiaWorld

Based on the name, you might assume this site is dedicated solely to Chinese webnovels. You’re not completely wrong with your first impression. The site was originally founded by a fan of wuxia. But while it’s true that the site’s most popular works do fall into that category, WuxiaWorld has a growing collection of excellent Korean webnovels like The Regressed Demon Lord Is Kind and The Return of the Disaster-Class Hero. If anything, WuxiaWorld is a demonstration of how hungry readers are for serial fiction—especially if they come from Asia and feature Asian themes, plots, and concepts of fantasy, reincarnation, and power-levelling.

Wattpad

English-language readers might think they’re unfamiliar with serialized fiction, but if they’ve spent any time on the internet, they’ve probably heard of Wattpad. Ironic since Wattpad is one of the biggest sites where you can read webnovels online. Unlike the previous platforms featured on this list, Wattpad’s catalog is almost entirely user-generated. As a result, its offerings tend to skew younger and lean toward the romance subgenres. Wattpad was recently acquired by Naver and like with Tapas and Kakao, it’s unclear how the deal will affect the platform. Based on the demographic that makes up Wattpad’s userbase, it’s unlikely that we’ll see more translated Korean webnovels launch on the platform, but if you’re a fan of an existing work on the platform, you might see it turned into a webtoon or drama in the future. You never know!

Radish

Radish is probably the most well-known English-language serialized fiction app. If you’re a romance reader, this is the platform for you—especially because it mimics a true webnovel experience where you read bite-sized installments on your phone. Radish features all genres of romance—from paranormal to contemporary and from young adult to steamy. That said, while its reputation is rooted in the romance genres, some of its most popular offerings fall into the thriller and mystery genres. Radish was also recently acquired by Kakao. It’s unclear if the acquisition will result in more I.P. development by the conglomerate or, since Korean webnovels have been featured on the app in the past, if more translated Korean webnovels will join the catalog. There are plenty of romantic webnovels, after all!

Royal Road

If you love fantasy, Royal Road is the site for you. Like Wattpad, the site features user-generated work but what’s interesting is that catalog shows just how much webnovels from Korea and other Asian countries have influenced online fantasy serials. LitRPG has its roots in Asian gaming and raid fantasies, after all. Transmigration and reincarnation stories abound. Same with cultivation webnovels. From a reader standpoint, it’s fascinating to see how interconnected and global fictional storytelling has become.

Vella

Vella is a newcomer to the world of webnovel platforms. The site is Amazon’s latest offering and just launched in mid-July. Because Vella is so new, the site still has a lot of growing to do. In terms of features. In terms of user experience. In terms of catalog. Currently, only readers based in the United States can access the platform via browser or iOS app. Android users and readers outside the United States might be disappointed to hear that but consider these early days of the platform to be more of a soft beta launch versus a true global launch. It’s unclear if Vella will take over the online serial fiction world but if there’s a company that can make it happen, it’s Amazon.

Tappytoon

Like Tapas, Tappytoon is best known for its comics catalog. But the platform very recently launched a webnovel section. Given its established comics section, Tappytoon made the smart decision to begin with the original webnovels that served as the inspiration for titles already available on their platform. Fans of Father, I Don’t Want This Marriage and The Lady and the Beast should be thrilled with this development. Tappytoon Novels is currently only available via their app.

Each of these sites has its own personality and style. If you love romance, you might want to check out Radish. If you love LitRPG, Royal Road is the site for you. If you’re an avid webtoon reader wanting to branch out into webnovels, then you should explore Tapas. While there aren’t as many sites where you can read webnovels online yet, that’s certain to change in the future as serial fiction continues to grow in popularity.