# WebNovel vs Panels

The clearest difference is ads: Panels at none against WebNovel's shown. Panels also leads on review sentiment (70% vs 38%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.3). WebNovel's advantage is chart position (#9 vs #170) and ratings volume (48K vs 13K). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. WebNovel sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Panels sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Panels holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 48K and 13K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of WebNovel's written reviews are positive against 70% of Panels's.

WebNovel ships an update every 10 days, Panels every 9 days. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | WebNovel | Panels |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (48K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/webnovel-read-novels-and-manga/id1234939196/reviews) | **[4.8 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/panels-comic-reader/id1236567663/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **48K** | 13K |
| Positive reviews | 38.5% of reviews | **70.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#9** | #170 |
| Size | 224 MB | 166 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cloudary Holdings Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1234939195) | [Produkt Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1236567662) |

## What reviewers say

### WebNovel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/webnovel-read-novels-and-manga/id1234939196)

**Currently charting:** #9 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #11 Top Grossing · Book, #17 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers, #61 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

Discover a vast library of novels and comics across numerous genres, including fantasy, romance, and fanfiction. Immerse yourself in captivating stories, explore exclusive titles, and even share your own creations with a global community of readers and writers.

**Highlights:** Vast library of novels and comics, Multiple genres including fantasy and romance, Exclusive original and translated titles, Fanfiction collection, Platform for aspiring authors, Reading and writing contests

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Membership | $4.99 | per month |
| Membership_Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Weekly short story membership | $19.99 | per 7 days |
| 50 Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| 150 Coins | $2.99 | one-time |
| 250 Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| 500 Coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| 1000 Coins | $19.99 | one-time |
| 2500 Coins | $49.99 | one-time |
| 5000 Coins | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app
- 👍 Variety of genres
- 👍 Interactive reading experience
- 👍 Supports original and translated novels

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive to read
- 💰 Coins/fast passes expire too quickly
- 🐛 Glitches and crashes
- 🔒 Account suspension issues
- 💰 Privilege system is a scam

**Reported bugs**

- Signing out and account suspension problems
- Chapters not loading or displaying correctly
- Coins/fast passes not being awarded properly

**Requested features**

- Add more ways to earn coins/fast passes
- Implement a subscription model for unlimited reading
- Improve customer support responsiveness
- Add a landscape reading mode


### Panels

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/panels-comic-reader/id1236567663)

**Currently charting:** #170 Top Free · Book, #192 Top Grossing · Book (US App Store)

Enhance your comic and manga reading with a clean, customizable interface. Enjoy universal file compatibility, cross-device syncing, and advanced reading presets. Organize your library, secure your content, and import from various cloud services and local networks.

**Highlights:** Universal file compatibility (CBR, CBZ, PDF, ePUB), Cross-device reading progress sync, iCloud Drive integration, Customizable reading presets, Right-to-left reading for manga, OPDS server support, Content security with password/Face ID

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Panels+ Monthly | $1.49 | per month |
| Panels+ Yearly | $14.99 | per year |
| Panels 3 Upgrade | $9.99 | one-time |
| Panels 2 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Panels 3 | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth and responsive
- 👍 Clean and modern UI
- 💡 Useful features like panel view and vertical scrolling
- 🔒 No ads in paid version
- 👍 Good import and organization options

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Useful features locked behind paywall
- 🔒 Subscription model instead of one-time purchase
- 🐛 Issues with page navigation and zoom
- 🐛 Problems with reading right-to-left content

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when opening large files
- Issues with page order and navigation
- Problems with zooming and scrolling
- Syncing and importing bugs
- Compatibility issues with older devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to create sub-folders and nested collections
- Automatic sorting and organization of comics
- Option to lock reading direction
- Double-tap to zoom functionality
- Progress tracking and bookmarking features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is WebNovel free?

WebNovel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Panels free?

Panels is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, WebNovel or Panels?

Panels is rated higher. WebNovel averages 4.3 out of 5 from 48K ratings, while Panels averages 4.8 from 13K ratings.

### Do WebNovel or Panels have ads?

WebNovel shows ads; Panels does not.

### Which is updated more often, WebNovel or Panels?

WebNovel ships an update every 10 days, and Panels every 9 days. Most recently, WebNovel was updated on November 3, 2026 and Panels on November 3, 2026.

### Which is more popular, WebNovel or Panels?

WebNovel currently peaks at #9 in the App Store charts, and Panels at #170. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*