# Panels vs bloopworm

The clearest difference is rating: Panels at 4.8 against bloopworm's 3.9. Panels also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 months). bloopworm's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5). On price, review sentiment, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Panels sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. bloopworm asks for nothing beyond the download.

Panels holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Panels has 12K ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Panels's written reviews are positive against 67% of bloopworm's.

Panels ships an update every 8 days, bloopworm every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and August 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Panels | bloopworm |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/panels-comic-reader/id1236567663/reviews)** | [3.9 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bloopworm-comic-book-reader/id6499460872/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **12K** | 19 |
| Positive reviews | **70.1% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#193** | — |
| Size | 165 MB | 140 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) | [Prabhkirat Singh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1655610562) |

## What reviewers say

### Panels

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

**Currently charting:** #193 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


### bloopworm

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bloopworm-comic-book-reader/id6499460872)

This app uses AI to enhance your digital comic reading experience. It automatically detects panels and text, offering smart navigation and multiple reading modes for manga, webtoons, and traditional comics. Organize your library with built-in file management.

**Highlights:** AI-powered smart panel detection, Multiple reading modes (auto-detect, LTR, RTL), Horizontal and vertical viewing options, Support for various image and compressed file formats, In-app file management and import, Intuitive image viewer with zoom

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Panels free?

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

### Is bloopworm free?

bloopworm is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Panels or bloopworm?

Panels is rated higher. Panels averages 4.8 out of 5 from 12K ratings, while bloopworm averages 3.9 from 19 ratings.

### Do Panels or bloopworm have ads?

bloopworm shows ads; Panels does not.

### Which is updated more often, Panels or bloopworm?

Panels ships an update every 8 days, and bloopworm every 3 months. Most recently, Panels was updated on September 25, 2026 and bloopworm on August 27, 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.*