# Swiftfin vs Paperback

The clearest difference is rating: Paperback at 4.3 against Swiftfin's 3.8. Paperback also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Paperback holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 267 and 569 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 53% and 54% positive.

Swiftfin ships an update every 3 months, Paperback every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Swiftfin | Paperback |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (267 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swiftfin/id1604098728/reviews) | **[4.3 (569 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paperback-comicmanga-reader/id1626613373/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 267 | **569** |
| Positive reviews | 53.3% of reviews | **53.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 186 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Anthony Lavado](https://appshunter.io/developer/1480192617) | [Faizan Durrani](https://appshunter.io/developer/1626613375) |

## What reviewers say

### Swiftfin

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swiftfin/id1604098728)

Stream your video collection from a Jellyfin media server to your iOS device. Enjoy an easy-to-use interface for your media library and watch live TV if you have the necessary hardware.

**Highlights:** Native iOS/iPadOS video player, Connects to Jellyfin media servers, Stream video collection, Easy-to-use interface, Watch Live TV (with hardware)

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Smooth and responsive UI
- 🚀 Fast and efficient media playback
- 🔒 Secure user profiles and pin protection
- 💡 Seamless switching between multiple user accounts
- 👍 Clean and modern app design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 🔋 Inconsistent battery performance
- 🔒 Difficulty changing server IP/domain
- 🐛 Issues with subtitle and audio track selection
- 🐛 Unreliable live TV and DVR functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to connect to Jellyfin server after recent updates
- Sorting and filtering not working as expected
- Playback issues with certain video codecs and formats
- Home bar not disappearing during video playback
- Sync issues between iOS and tvOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add offline media download capability
- Implement Picture-in-Picture mode
- Introduce a shuffle option for episodes
- Integrate e-book and audiobook support
- Allow customization of media library views


### Paperback

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paperback-comicmanga-reader/id1626613373)

This app provides an ad-free reading experience for comics and manga from a Komga server. It offers extensive customization through a scripting API, allowing users to extend its functionality with TypeScript or JavaScript.

**Highlights:** Ad-free reading, Komga server support, TypeScript/JavaScript scripting API, Extensible functionality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic app with great features
- 👍 Clean and efficient UI
- 🔒 No ads or in-app purchases
- 🎨 Customizable themes and settings
- 📚 Wide range of manga/comics sources

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔍 Confusing setup and onboarding process
- 🔄 Unreliable library sync and update features
- 🕰️ Slow download and loading speeds
- 📱 Compatibility problems on some devices

**Reported bugs**

- JSON token errors when interacting with server
- Inability to add/remove manga from library
- Disappearing navigation UI elements

**Requested features**

- Bookmark/resume reading feature
- Panel-by-panel/smart panel reading mode
- Sync reading progress across devices
- Better documentation and support resources


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Swiftfin free?

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

### Is Paperback free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Swiftfin or Paperback?

Paperback is rated higher. Swiftfin averages 3.8 out of 5 from 267 ratings, while Paperback averages 4.3 from 569 ratings.

### Do Swiftfin or Paperback have ads?

Neither Swiftfin nor Paperback shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Swiftfin or Paperback?

Swiftfin ships an update every 3 months, and Paperback every 2 weeks. Most recently, Swiftfin was updated on September 22, 2026 and Paperback on September 19, 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.*