# Panels vs Smart Comic Reader

The clearest difference is price: Panels at Free against Smart Comic Reader's $2.99. Panels also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 5 weeks) and ratings volume (12K vs 539). Smart Comic Reader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and review sentiment (91% vs 70%). On rating and ads there is nothing between them.

Panels is free to download; Smart Comic Reader costs $2.99 up front. Panels sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Smart Comic Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Panels against 4.9 for Smart Comic Reader. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Panels has 12K ratings behind it against 539, 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 91% of Smart Comic Reader's.

Panels ships an update every 8 days, Smart Comic Reader every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Panels | Smart Comic Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | [4.8 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/panels-comic-reader/id1236567663/reviews) | **[4.9 (539 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-comic-reader/id1511175212/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **12K** | 539 |
| Positive reviews | 70.2% of reviews | **91.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | #170 | **#27** |
| Size | 165 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.3 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Produkt Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1236567662) | [Onne van Dijk](https://appshunter.io/developer/1511175211) |

## What reviewers say

### Panels

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

**Currently charting:** #170 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


### Smart Comic Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-comic-reader/id1511175212)

**Currently charting:** #27 Top Paid · Book (US App Store)

This app offers a unique comic reading experience by automatically detecting and zooming into individual panels. It allows for seamless navigation between panels with simple taps, optimizing the view for smaller screens. Import comics from various sources and organize them within your iCloud or local storage.

**Highlights:** Automatic panel detection and zoom, Seamless panel-to-panel navigation, Optimized viewing for small screens, Comic import from any source, iCloud sync and local storage options, Supports CBZ, CBR, and PDF formats

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Panel-by-panel reading mode
- 👍 Seamless iCloud integration
- 🔒 No ads or data collection
- 👍 Clean, minimal UI
- 🚀 Fast and responsive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional issues with panel detection
- 🔀 Difficulty exiting panel view
- 🔀 Inability to adjust cover size in grid view

**Reported bugs**

- Deleted user's entire comic collection
- iCloud sync not working for some users
- Freezing/crashing issues on iPad

**Requested features**

- Page marking/bookmarking function
- Built-in dictionary/translation tool
- Vertical scrolling mode for webtoons
- Ability to manually arrange reading order
- Live Text integration for dictionary lookup


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Panels free?

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

### Is Smart Comic Reader free?

Smart Comic Reader costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Panels or Smart Comic Reader?

Smart Comic Reader is rated higher. Panels averages 4.8 out of 5 from 12K ratings, while Smart Comic Reader averages 4.9 from 539 ratings.

### Do Panels or Smart Comic Reader have ads?

Neither Panels nor Smart Comic Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Panels or Smart Comic Reader?

Panels ships an update every 8 days, and Smart Comic Reader every 5 weeks. Most recently, Panels was updated on September 25, 2026 and Smart Comic Reader on September 22, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Panels or Smart Comic Reader?

Panels currently peaks at #170 in the App Store charts, and Smart Comic Reader at #27. 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.*