# Panels vs Manga Viewer

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 (#189 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.

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.

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.

Panels ships an update every 8 days, Manga Viewer weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Panels | Manga Viewer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/panels-comic-reader/id1236567663/reviews) | [4.8 (346 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/manga-viewer-cbzcbr-reader/id1309007086/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **12K** | 346 |
| Positive reviews | 70.2% of reviews | **82.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#189** | — |
| Size | 165 MB | 95 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Produkt Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1236567662) | [kim juyoung](https://appshunter.io/developer/918406157) |

## What reviewers say

### Panels

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

**Currently charting:** #189 Top Free · 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


### Manga Viewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/manga-viewer-cbzcbr-reader/id1309007086)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sponsor 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sponsor 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove app ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Sponsor 3 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Sponsor 4 | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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 25, 2026 and Manga Viewer on September 22, 2026.

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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.*