# Smart Comic Reader vs Neon Ichiban

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smart Comic Reader | Neon Ichiban |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (548 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-comic-reader/id1511175212/reviews)** | [3.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/neon-ichiban/id6746939477/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **548** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **91.2% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#17** | — |
| Size | 54 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.3 | **17.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Onne van Dijk](https://appshunter.io/developer/1511175211) | [DSTLRY MEDIA INC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1815064849) |

## What reviewers say

### Smart Comic Reader

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

**Currently charting:** #17 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


### Neon Ichiban

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/neon-ichiban/id6746939477)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*