# Panels vs Komi Reader

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 (#184 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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Panels | Komi Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | [4.8 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/panels-comic-reader/id1236567663/reviews) | [4.8 (194 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/komi-reader-txt-and-pdf/id1351831223/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **12K** | 194 |
| Positive reviews | 70.2% of reviews | **94.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#184** | — |
| Size | 165 MB | 175 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:** #184 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


### Komi Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/komi-reader-txt-and-pdf/id1351831223)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sponsor 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sponsor 2 | $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 Komi Reader free?

Komi Reader costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Panels or Komi Reader?

Panels and Komi Reader are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 12K and 194 ratings respectively.

### Do Panels or Komi Reader have ads?

Neither Panels nor Komi Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Panels or Komi Reader?

Panels ships an update every 8 days, and Komi Reader weekly. Most recently, Panels was updated on September 25, 2026 and Komi Reader on September 23, 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.*