Archive of Our Own vs Cowbird

Struggling to choose between Archive of Our Own and Cowbird? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Archive of Our Own is a Social & Communications solution with tags like fanfiction, fanart, fanworks, open-source, nonprofit.

It boasts features such as Allows users to post fanfiction, fanart, and other fanworks, Has an extensive tag system to help users find content, Lets users download works in different formats like PDF, EPUB, MOBI, Has a rich text editor for formatting works, Allows anonymous posting and commenting, Has a robust search function, Lets users bookmark works and create collections and pros including Completely free to use with no ads, User-friendly interface, Strong anti-abuse policies, Active moderation by volunteers, Large, engaged user community, Non-profit organization focused on accessibility.

On the other hand, Cowbird is a Social & Communications product tagged with storytelling, microblogging, social-media.

Its standout features include Microblogging platform for sharing personal stories, Allows posts with text, photos, audio and video, User profiles and ability to follow other users, Reblogging and commenting on posts, Hashtagging and search to find stories by topic, Customizable user feeds, Mobile app available, and it shines with pros like Promotes storytelling and personal connection, Multimedia options make storytelling engaging, Easy to share and discover new stories, Fosters community around shared interests.

Feature	Archive of Our Own	Cowbird
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Social & Communications	Social & Communications

Product Overview

Archive of Our Own

Description: Archive of Our Own (AO3) is a non-profit open source repository for fanfiction, fanart, and other fanworks. It allows users to post their creative works based on books, movies, TV shows, video games, and more for others to read and interact with.

Cowbird

Description: Cowbird is a microblogging platform focused on storytelling. Users share short personal stories and anecdotes through text, photos, audio, and video. The interface encourages users to read and engage with others' stories by reblogging, commenting, and connecting.

Key Features Comparison

Archive of Our Own Features

• Allows users to post fanfiction, fanart, and other fanworks
• Has an extensive tag system to help users find content
• Lets users download works in different formats like PDF, EPUB, MOBI
• Has a rich text editor for formatting works
• Allows anonymous posting and commenting
• Has a robust search function
• Lets users bookmark works and create collections

Cowbird Features

• Microblogging platform for sharing personal stories
• Allows posts with text, photos, audio and video
• User profiles and ability to follow other users
• Reblogging and commenting on posts
• Hashtagging and search to find stories by topic
• Customizable user feeds
• Mobile app available

Pros & Cons Analysis

Archive of Our Own

Pros

• Completely free to use with no ads
• User-friendly interface
• Strong anti-abuse policies
• Active moderation by volunteers
• Large, engaged user community
• Non-profit organization focused on accessibility

Cons

• Site can run slowly due to high traffic
• Tag system has a learning curve
• Formatting options are limited
• No official mobile app
• Some fandoms are more active than others

Cowbird

Pros

• Promotes storytelling and personal connection
• Multimedia options make storytelling engaging
• Easy to share and discover new stories
• Fosters community around shared interests

Cons

• Less features than full-scale social networks
• Smaller user base than major platforms
• Content moderation relies on user reporting

Pricing Comparison

Archive of Our Own

• Free

Cowbird

• Freemium