Panels vs Komi Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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
Komi Reader
This app allows you to read text files, comics, and PDFs all in one place. It supports various compressed file formats and offers extensive customization options for text and image viewing. Easily import files from cloud services or your PC.
- View text, images, and PDFs
- Supports zip, rar, 7z, cbz, cbr, cb7 files
- Import from cloud services and PC
- Customizable text and image display
- Night mode for images/PDFs
- Auto-scrolling and page turning
- App and file locking
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Text files and images contained in compressed files Apps that all can see in one app Also supports PDF Put text and zipped files in your app Apps that can be viewed in one app See comics and novels in one app. iPhone, iPad, Mac (Apple Silicon) support * Some functions may not be supported on Mac Previously integrated Komi Viewer and Text Viewer app. You can also try using the Komi Viewer or Text Viewer in the App Store before purchasing the app. ** Characteristic ** - You can view the text file and the image included in the compressed file. - zip, rar, 7z, cbz, cbr, cb7 compressed files are supported (png, jpeg, jpg, gif, bmp, tif, tiff, webp, jxl, heif extension images are included) - Support for locked files (zip, rar, 7z, pdf) - PDF file - TIF/TIFF file - ePub file , only text in ePub to display the same (with the same function) as the existing txt file. (No media such as audio, no chapter function) - both landscape and portrait - iPad multitasking - iPhone, iPad, Mac(Apple Silicon) - Upload via PC web browser (WIFI) - Import of files from iCloud, Dropbox, One Drive, Box, and other cloud apps (cbr, cbz, cb7 are not supported in the cloud service, please upload in other ways.) - FTP/SFTP support (FTPS not supported) - Upload files to iTunes file share - Text font, color, left margin, background can be changed - Show status bar - App lock, file lock - Image/PDF Night Mode: Invert Color / Image Brightness (1 ~ 3 steps) - 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 - Bluetooth keyboard: Supports page switching and screen closing function, direction key (asdw) page switch, ESC key viewer screen close - Pad text file viewer "Two-page view" support: left-right, right-left page orientation can also be selected, please adjust the page interval to "left and right margin" value. - Text file autoscrolling: Text files can now be autoranged vertically (down). Sets the total amount of time a page goes from 1 second (fast) to 30 seconds (slow) Now you do not have to manually scroll the text file. - Vertical scrolling added: Vertical scrolling can be dragged by the user. You can change it in the setting screen. The existing "vertical touch" does not work. - Image next page Zoom-in keep-alive function: Apply the previous book's zoom-in status in the following book. Please change your settings. - 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) - Image / PDF Automatic page turnover and auto scroll: Automatically flips to the next page after a certain amount of time. If it is zoomed in, it will automatically scroll down. Speed settable (in-app purchase required) - Text file underline function: 3 kinds of underline can be selected, and underlining transparency can be set on iOS 11 or higher - 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.) - Convert copied text to clipboard into txt file - 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. (The bookmark information in the text file is also synchronized.) (iOS 11+) - Font file (ttf, otf) registration: After adding the file, you can register by clicking the file in the app. You can enable it in the "Font - Type" item of the setting. - Blink: Recognizes eye blinks to switch pages (iPhone only, iOS 18+) - Automatic Image Crop: Automatically crops the empty space on all four sides of images with a white background. (iOS 16+) - Content Color: Changes and unifies the content (pictures or text) within the image to a single color Please send bugs or suggestions to junhuloveapple@gmail.com at the top right of the setting screen.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Panels at Free against Komi Reader's $3.99. Panels also leads on ratings volume (12K vs 194) and chart position (#170 vs unranked). Komi Reader's advantage is review sentiment (94% vs 70%). On rating, update cadence, ads 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
Panels is free to download; Komi Reader costs $3.99 up front. Panels sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month and Komi Reader sells 4 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 Komi Reader. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Panels has 12K ratings behind it against 194, 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 94% of Komi Reader's.
Panels ships an update every 8 days, Komi Reader weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Panels | Komi Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $3.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (12K ratings) | 4.8 (194 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 70.2% of reviews | 94.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 12K — better | 194 |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #170 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 165 MB | 175 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Produkt Studio | kim juyoung |
Customer experience
Panels
Komi Reader
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
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- Support for more file formats like ePub
Komi Reader
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Panels
- Panels+ Monthly7 Days trial$1.491 Month
- Panels+ Yearly7 Days trial$14.991 Year
- Panels 3 Upgrade$9.99
- Panels 2$19.99
- Panels 3$19.99
Komi Reader
- Sponsor 1$0.99
- Sponsor 2$1.99
- Sponsor 3$3.99
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- Sponsor 4$7.99








