Bound vs Smart Comic Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Bound
Listen to your DRM-free audiobooks with a modern interface. Import files from cloud services or your computer, manage your library, and enjoy features like automatic playback saving, adjustable speed, and chapter support. Includes CarPlay integration and a sleep timer.
- Import from cloud services (Dropbox, OneDrive)
- Web uploader via WiFi
- Automatic playback position saving
- Adjustable playback speed (0.5x-3.0x)
- Chapter support
- Sleep timer
- CarPlay support
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Listen to your favorite DRM-free audiobooks with Bound. Bound allows you to import audio files from various cloud services and play them back in a beautiful modern interface. Bound will automatically save your listening position so that you never lose your place. Supported Audio File Types (DRM-free only): .mp3, .m4a, .m4b, .aac Download - Dropbox and Microsoft OneDrive. - Apple Files. - Web Uploader for importing from your computer via WiFi. Manage - Move audio files between books. - Change cover art. - Sort based on author, title, recently added, and recently played. - Rename title and author. - Choose between a number of fun themes. - Dark mode support. Play - Automatically saves playback location as you progress through the book. - Independently configure seek forward and seek backward times. - Chapter support for audio files with embedded chapters (.m4a / .m4b / OverDrive .mp3). - Change playback speed from 0.5X to 3.0X. - Smart Rewind when returning to your book after a while. - Sleep Timer with configurable time or at the end of a chapter. - Manually bookmark locations that you want to return to. - CarPlay support. If you enjoy using Bound, please consider writing a review.
Smart Comic Reader
This app offers a unique comic reading experience by automatically detecting and zooming into individual panels. It allows for seamless navigation between panels with simple taps, optimizing the view for smaller screens. Import comics from various sources and organize them within your iCloud or local storage.
- Automatic panel detection and zoom
- Seamless panel-to-panel navigation
- Optimized viewing for small screens
- Comic import from any source
- iCloud sync and local storage options
- Supports CBZ, CBR, and PDF formats
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A different kind of comic reader that offers a better way to read comics on a smaller screen. How it works: 1. Import any comic into the app. 2. Double tap on a panel and watch the app automatically detect its boundaries and zoom in on it. 3. Tap on the side of the screen to easily move to the next panel. If needed, the app will rotate the comic to make maximum use of your screen space. Key Features ============ Smart Reader: - Automatically zoom in and move between panels for a smooth reading experience. - Works with any comic, western or manga, no matter the art style. Panels do not need well-defined edges to be detected. - Always stay in control, let the app guide you over the page while you can always manually zoom and pan. Comic Collection: - Import comics from anywhere and organize your comic collection. - Comics are stored in iCloud to save storage space and keep your collection in sync across devices. - Your Smart Comic Reader collection is a regular folder on your iCloud Drive that you can access and manage from any iCloud connected device, like a Mac, or a Windows device using iCloud for Windows. - Also works locally if iCloud is disabled. - Supports comics in CBZ/ZIP, CBR/RAR and PDF formats. And many more features to come! If you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to send them to: support@vandijk.dev. Comics in video and screenshots: “Pepper&Carrot”, David Revoy, CC-By “Plastic Man”, Quality Comics, Public Domain “Say Hello to Black Jack”, Shuho Sato
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Smart Comic Reader at 4.9 against Bound's 4.6. Smart Comic Reader also leads on review sentiment (91% vs 73%) and price ($2.99 vs $4.99). Bound's advantage is chart position (#1 vs #112) and ratings volume (2K vs 539). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Bound costs $4.99 and Smart Comic Reader $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Smart Comic Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2K and 539 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of Bound's written reviews are positive against 91% of Smart Comic Reader's.
Bound ships an update every 2 months, Smart Comic Reader every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Bound | Smart Comic Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | $2.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.6 (2K ratings) | 4.9 (539 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 72.6% of reviews | 91.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2K — better | 539 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #1 — better | #112 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 18.3 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 48 MB | 54 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Deadpan, LLC | Onne van Dijk |
Customer experience
Bound
Smart Comic Reader
User reviews
Bound
From 2K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great app!
- 👍 Excellent audiobook player
- 💡 Seamless cloud storage integration
- 🚀 Efficient and reliable
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🐛 Issues with cloud storage connectivity
- 🐛 Inconsistent playback behavior
- 🐛 Trouble with large audiobook files
- 🐛 Missing features like folders/playlists
Smart Comic Reader
From 539 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Panel-by-panel reading mode
- 👍 Seamless iCloud integration
- 🔒 No ads or data collection
- 👍 Clean, minimal UI
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional issues with panel detection
- 🔀 Difficulty exiting panel view
- 🔀 Inability to adjust cover size in grid view
Bugs and requests
Bound
Reported bugs
5 issues- Audiobooks disappearing from library after device restart
- Inability to delete audiobooks from library
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between apps
- Playback issues with multi-part audiobooks
- Problems with web uploader functionality
Requested features
6 requests- Add support for Apple Watch
- Implement search and filtering options
- Allow bookmarks with notes/labels
- Add Chromecast support
- Introduce dark mode
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- Improve cloud storage management
Smart Comic Reader
Reported bugs
3 issues- Deleted user's entire comic collection
- iCloud sync not working for some users
- Freezing/crashing issues on iPad
Requested features
6 requests- Page marking/bookmarking function
- Built-in dictionary/translation tool
- Vertical scrolling mode for webtoons
- Ability to manually arrange reading order
- Live Text integration for dictionary lookup
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- Widgets for quick access
In-app purchases
Bound
No in-app purchases
Smart Comic Reader
No in-app purchases









