Comparison

Smart Comic Reader vs Neon Ichiban

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

Head to head
About

Smart Comic Reader

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
Currently charting
Read full description

A different kind of comic reader that offers a better way to read comics on a smaller screen. How it works: 1. Import any comic into the app. 2. Double tap on a panel and watch the app automatically detect its boundaries and zoom in on it. 3. Tap on the side of the screen to easily move to the next panel. If needed, the app will rotate the comic to make maximum use of your screen space. Key Features ============ Smart Reader: - Automatically zoom in and move between panels for a smooth reading experience. - Works with any comic, western or manga, no matter the art style. Panels do not need well-defined edges to be detected. - Always stay in control, let the app guide you over the page while you can always manually zoom and pan. Comic Collection: - Import comics from anywhere and organize your comic collection. - Comics are stored in iCloud to save storage space and keep your collection in sync across devices. - Your Smart Comic Reader collection is a regular folder on your iCloud Drive that you can access and manage from any iCloud connected device, like a Mac, or a Windows device using iCloud for Windows. - Also works locally if iCloud is disabled. - Supports comics in CBZ/ZIP, CBR/RAR and PDF formats. And many more features to come! If you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to send them to: support@vandijk.dev. Comics in video and screenshots: “Pepper&Carrot”, David Revoy, CC-By “Plastic Man”, Quality Comics, Public Domain “Say Hello to Black Jack”, Shuho Sato

About

Neon Ichiban

Discover, read, and collect digital comics and manga from major publishers all in one app. Enjoy same-day releases, seamless offline reading, and unique digital collectibles. It's a comprehensive hub for comic and manga fans.

Highlights
  • Discover comics and manga
  • Read online or offline
  • Collect digital editions
  • Same-day print releases
  • Signed & sketched collectibles
  • All-in-one reading hub
Read full description

NOW WITH IN-APP PURCHASING! Discover, buy and read digital comics and manga from Marvel, DC, Kodansha, and more—all in one place. Neon Ichiban is your home to discover, read, and collect the stories you love. The Neon Ichiban brings it all together—read, collect, and connect in one seamless experience. This is the next evolution of comics fandom. Built by the team behind Comixology, Neon Ichiban blends powerful tech with a deep respect for readers, collectors and creators. From superhero sagas to manga epics to rare digital variants, everything you’re into lives here—on your terms. Why fans love Neon Ichiban: – Same-Day Releases – New comics and manga from Ablaze, Dark Horse, DSTLRY, Dynamite Entertainment, IDW Publishing, Kodansha, Mad Cave, Oni Press, Rebellion Publishing, Titan Comics, Udon, Vault, and more—available the same day as print. – Seamless Reading – Read online or offline. Smooth, seamless, and built for long sessions. – Signed & Sketched Collectibles: bring the artist’s alley to you. Enjoy your signed and sketched digital editions by top creators. All-in-One Experience Neon Ichiban isn’t just where you read—it’s where you connect, collect, and dive deeper into the stories that matter.

Screenshots

Smart Comic Reader4 screens
Neon Ichiban4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Neon Ichiban at Free against Smart Comic Reader's $2.99. Neon Ichiban also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks). Smart Comic Reader's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 3.4) and review sentiment (91% vs 50%). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

Neon Ichiban is free to download; Smart Comic Reader costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Smart Comic Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Smart Comic Reader has 548 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Smart Comic Reader's written reviews are positive against 50% of Neon Ichiban's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Smart Comic Reader ships an update every 5 weeks, Neon Ichiban every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Smart Comic Reader versus Neon Ichiban: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSmart Comic ReaderNeon Ichiban
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.9 (548 ratings) — better3.4 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews91.2% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings548 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#15 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS18.317.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size54 MB12 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperOnne van DijkDSTLRY MEDIA INC

Customer experience

Smart Comic Reader

All ratings539 ratings
Positive97.0%
Neutral0.9%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews217 reviews
Positive91.2%
Neutral2.3%
Negative6.5%

Neon Ichiban

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Bugs and requests

Smart Comic Reader

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

6 requests
  • 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
Show 1 more
  • Widgets for quick access

Neon Ichiban

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Smart Comic Reader

No in-app purchases

None

Neon Ichiban

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Smart Comic Reader free?
Smart Comic Reader costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Neon Ichiban free?
Neon Ichiban is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Smart Comic Reader or Neon Ichiban?
Smart Comic Reader is rated higher. Smart Comic Reader averages 4.9 out of 5 from 548 ratings, while Neon Ichiban averages 3.4 from 5 ratings.
Do Smart Comic Reader or Neon Ichiban have ads?
Neither Smart Comic Reader nor Neon Ichiban shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Smart Comic Reader or Neon Ichiban?
Smart Comic Reader ships an update every 5 weeks, and Neon Ichiban every 2 weeks. Most recently, Smart Comic Reader was updated on November 3, 2026 and Neon Ichiban on October 30, 2026.

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