Comparison

Panels vs Manga Viewer

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Panels

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
Currently charting
Read full description

Improve your comic reading experience with Panels. Enjoy reading your favorite titles in a clean and delightful interface, with plenty of customization and advanced features — fully DRM-free, with first-class support for OPDS, your own library, and your own files. Key features: - Universal Compatibility: Support for most common comic types: CBR, CBZ, CB7, PDF and comic ePUB (not text eBook). Support for multiple image formats, including WebP. - Cross-Device Sync: Synchronize your reading progress across iPhone, iPad and Mac and resume reading exactly where you left off. - Full iCloud Drive support: store your entire library on iCloud and access it from different devices. - Library Organization: Effortlessly manage your comic library with intuitive tools for easy navigation, custom folder colors, logos and cover images. * Themes: support for Light and Dark modes, and many others. * Reading Presets: Choose from a multitude of reading presets or create your own, including horizontal, vertical, or panel-by-panel guided view. - Right to Left reading (manga): read any comic with Panels. * OPDS support: Stream, search and download comics from your OPDS compatible server (Komga, Kavita, Codex, Ubooquity and others). * Secure your content: Keep files locked using a password or Face ID for your collections and files. Use Incognito mode to keep your reading sessions hidden. * Live Text and Subject detection. * Experimental Features: Access experimental features like panel-by-panel navigation. Panels Store — DRM-free comics from independent creators: - Browse and buy comics directly inside Panels, no extra apps or accounts. - 100% DRM-free: every purchase is yours to keep, read offline and back up. - Creators keep 80% of revenue, so your purchases directly support the people making the comics. - Purchased issues are added to your library and sync across your devices automatically. Native support for importing files from: * iCloud Drive * Dropbox * Microsoft OneDrive - Substack * OPDS: Komga, Kavita, Codex and others * Local network shared files and folders via SMB and Embedded web server - iTunes - External drives - Airdrop - Drag&Drop from other apps Page Filters: * Reduce Noise * Increase Sharpness * Reduce Moiré * Crop Borders * Require an active subscription or a one-time purchase. • You may purchase an Auto-Renewing Subscription to unlock all the premium features while it\'s active; or a one-off purchase to unlock the current major version features forever. • Your subscription will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase and will automatically renew (at the duration selected) unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. • Current subscription may not be cancelled during the active subscription period; however, you can manage your subscription and/or turn off auto-renewal by visiting your iTunes Account Settings after purchase • Read our privacy policy and terms of use: https://panels.app/privacy / https://panels.app/terms

About

Manga Viewer

This app allows you to view comic and fictional image archives on your smartphone. It supports various compressed file formats and image types, with options for cloud import and PC transfer via WiFi. Enjoy features like page view modes, image filters, and iCloud sync for a seamless reading experience.

Highlights
  • Supports zip, rar, 7z, cbz, cbr, cb7 compressed files
  • PDF and TIF/TIFF file support
  • Upload via PC web browser (WIFI)
  • Import from cloud apps (iCloud, Dropbox, Box)
  • FTP and SSHFTP support
  • One page and two page view modes
  • Night mode and image brightness adjustment
Features
Read full description

The simplest viewer app for viewing comic, fictional image archives Such as a cartoon or a novel, on a smartphone You can see it anywhere. Now that you've installed the app Try transferring files on your PC with WiFi * Some functions may not be supported on Mac(Apple Silicon) ** Characteristic ** - zip, rar, 7z, cbz, cbr, cb7 compressed files are supported (png, jpeg, jpg, gif, bmp, tif, tiff, jxl(iOS 26+), heif(iOS 18+) extension images are included, webp format is supported from iOS14) - Support for locked files (zip, rar, 7z, pdf) - PDF file support - TIF/TIFF file support (like PDF file, change in settings) - Upload via PC web browser (WIFI) - Import files from cloud apps such as iCloud, dropbox, circle drive, and Box - FTP support: browse, download - SSHFTP support - Secure FTP not supported - Cloud apps support file copy from mail attachments - one page view, two page view - Sharpen image filter - IPhone, iPad, Mac(Apple Silicon) support - Rotate the screen both horizontally and vertically - Image next page Zoom-in keep-alive function: Apply the previous book's zoom-in status in the following book. Please change your settings. - Screen off option: When set to ON, the screen automatically turns off at the time the device turns off. - Last file view, On / Off in setting - Next book auto-switching options: If you automatically change the next book switching option in Settings, tabs on the last page will automatically switch to the next book. (Default manual) - iCloud Sync : Synchronize the information (read location) of the read file and open the same file on another device (signed in with the same iCloud account) so that you can see it again. - Two pages in landscape mode: Two pages in landscape rotation, one page in vertical rotation, iPad only -Vertical scroll mode (= webtoon mode): scrolls vertically like webtoons, one-page mode is fixed, and some options are fixed and not applied. - Image / PDF Night mode: Invert color / Image brightness (1 to 3 steps), in-app purchase required - Night Mode - Invert Color: Invert the white background to black (gray) and black to white. This mode is suitable for viewing novels. - Night Mode - Image Brightness: You can change the brightness of the image in three steps without changing the screen brightness of the device. - Bluetooth keyboard: Supports page switching and screen closing function, direction key (asdw) page switch, ESC key viewer screen close (in-app purchase required) - A function that changes to the next page when the volume is changed. (The sound size will change as well. Please be careful. ON / OFF in setting. Need an in-app purchase or reward view.) - Blink: Recognizes eye blinks to switch pages (iPhone only, iOS 18+, in-app purchase required) - Automatic Image Crop: Automatically crops the empty space on all four sides of images with a white background. (iOS 16+, in-app purchase required) - Content Color: You can change and unify the content (pictures or text) within the image to a single color. A background color is applied to the image background excluding the content (In-app purchase required) - Select text: Long-click to select text within a page and copy, search, translate, or share (iOS 18+, in-app purchase required) Please send bugs or suggestions to junhuloveapple@gmail.com at the top right of the setting screen.

Screenshots

Panels4 screens
Manga Viewer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Panels at none against Manga Viewer's shown. Panels also leads on ratings volume (12K vs 346) and chart position (#184 vs unranked). Manga Viewer's advantage is review sentiment (82% vs 70%). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Panels against 4.8 for Manga Viewer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Panels has 12K ratings behind it against 346, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Panels's written reviews are positive against 82% of Manga Viewer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Panels ships an update every 8 days, Manga Viewer weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Panels versus Manga Viewer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPanelsManga Viewer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (12K ratings)4.8 (346 ratings)
Positive reviews70.2% of reviews82.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings12K — better346
Update frequencyEvery 8 daysWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#184 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size165 MB95 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperProdukt Studiokim juyoung

Customer experience

Panels

All ratings12,369 ratings
Positive95.4%
Neutral1.8%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews1,119 reviews
Positive70.2%
Neutral9.6%
Negative20.3%

Manga Viewer

All ratings346 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral2.0%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews194 reviews
Positive82.5%
Neutral6.7%
Negative10.8%

Bugs and requests

Panels

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • 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

6 requests
  • 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
Show 1 more
  • Support for more file formats like ePub

Manga Viewer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Panels

Subscriptions2
  • Panels+ Monthly7 Days trial$1.491 Month
  • Panels+ Yearly7 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time3
  • Panels 3 Upgrade$9.99
  • Panels 2$19.99
  • Panels 3$19.99
5 purchases

Manga Viewer

One-time5
  • Sponsor 1$0.99
  • Sponsor 2$1.99
  • Remove app ads$1.99
Show 2 more
  • Sponsor 3$3.99
  • Sponsor 4$7.99

Questions

Is Panels free?
Panels is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Manga Viewer free?
Manga Viewer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Panels or Manga Viewer?
Panels and Manga Viewer are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 12K and 346 ratings respectively.
Do Panels or Manga Viewer have ads?
Manga Viewer shows ads; Panels does not.
Which is updated more often, Panels or Manga Viewer?
Panels ships an update every 8 days, and Manga Viewer weekly. Most recently, Panels was updated on September 23, 2026 and Manga Viewer on September 22, 2026.

Other comparisons