Comparison

Panels vs Wrist Ebook Reader

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Panels

Enhance your comic reading with advanced features and a clean interface. Enjoy DRM-free titles, extensive file format support, and seamless cross-device synchronization. Organize your library and customize your reading experience.

Highlights
  • Universal comic format support (CBR, CBZ, CB7, PDF, ePUB)
  • Cross-device reading progress sync
  • OPDS server streaming and downloading
  • DRM-free comic store with creator support
  • Advanced reading presets and page filters
  • Library organization with custom themes
  • Content security with password/Face ID
Features
Read full description

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

About

Wrist Ebook Reader

Import DRM-free EPUB and TXT files from your iPhone to read them as clean text on your Apple Watch. The app divides books into small pages for comfortable reading sessions, allowing you to adjust font size and navigate chapters.

Highlights
  • Import DRM-free EPUB/TXT files
  • Convert books to watch-friendly text
  • Send books from iPhone to Apple Watch
  • Save last reading position
  • Adjust font size
  • Chapter navigation
  • Quick-launch complication
Features
Read full description

Bring your own DRM-free EPUB or TXT files from iPhone to Apple Watch, and read them as clean, simple text. Wrist Reader is a lightweight reading companion for Apple Watch. It extracts the readable body text from your files, removing images, tables, notes, and complex styling for comfortable reading in short moments. Books are divided into small reading pages. Scroll with the Digital Crown to continue to the next page, adjust the font size and line breaks, jump to chapters when available, and resume where you left off. Wrist Reader does not sell, download, or provide book content. It is made for files you already own. Features: - Import DRM-free EPUB and TXT files on iPhone - Convert books into watch-friendly text pages - Send selected books from iPhone to Apple Watch - Save your reading position on Apple Watch - Adjust font size and choose word or character wrapping - Navigate chapters when EPUB chapter information is available - Open the app from a supported watch face complication - Keep 1 book for free; keep more with a one-time Pro purchase Notes: - Please use DRM-free EPUB files only. - Chapter navigation is not available for TXT files. - All book processing takes place locally on your devices.

Screenshots

Panels4 screens
Wrist Ebook Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Wrist Ebook Reader at 100% against Panels's 70%. Wrist Ebook Reader also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 9 days) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Panels's advantage is ratings volume (13K vs 4) and chart position (#154 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Panels sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month and Wrist Ebook Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Wrist Ebook Reader holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Panels has 13K ratings behind it against 4, 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 100% of Wrist Ebook Reader's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Panels ships an update every 9 days, Wrist Ebook Reader daily. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Panels versus Wrist Ebook Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPanelsWrist Ebook Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (13K ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings13K — better4
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
Best chart rank#154 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size166 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperProdukt Studioironwhy

Customer experience

Panels

All ratings12,674 ratings
Positive95.5%
Neutral1.8%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews1,144 reviews
Positive70.2%
Neutral9.5%
Negative20.3%

Wrist Ebook Reader

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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
Show 1 more
  • Support for more file formats like ePub

Wrist Ebook Reader

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Panels

Subscriptions2
  • Panels+ Monthly7 Days trial$1.491 Month
  • Panels+ Yearly7 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time3
  • Panels 3 Upgrade$9.99
  • Panels 2$19.99
  • Panels 3$19.99
1 purchases

Wrist Ebook Reader

One-time1
  • Wrist Reader Pro$2.99

Questions

Is Panels free?
Panels is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Wrist Ebook Reader free?
Wrist Ebook Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Panels or Wrist Ebook Reader?
Wrist Ebook Reader is rated higher. Panels averages 4.8 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Wrist Ebook Reader averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Panels or Wrist Ebook Reader have ads?
Neither Panels nor Wrist Ebook Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Panels or Wrist Ebook Reader?
Panels ships an update every 9 days, and Wrist Ebook Reader daily. Most recently, Panels was updated on November 8, 2026 and Wrist Ebook Reader on November 5, 2026.

Other comparisons