# Paperback vs Manatan

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Paperback at none against Manatan's 6. Paperback also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.1). Manatan's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Manatan sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Paperback asks for nothing beyond the download.

Paperback ships an update every 2 weeks, Manatan daily. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Paperback | Manatan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (569 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paperback-comicmanga-reader/id1626613373/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **569** | — |
| Positive reviews | 53.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 33 MB | 395 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Faizan Durrani](https://appshunter.io/developer/1626613375) | [KOLBY MOROZ LIEBL](https://appshunter.io/developer/1863650008) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Manatan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/manatan/id6756917436)

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Stone Membership | $3.99 | per month |
| Crystal Membership | $6.49 | per month |
| Emerald Membership | $12.99 | per month |
| Sapphire Membership | $19.99 | per month |
| Ruby Membership | $39.99 | per month |
| Diamond Membership | $79.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Paperback free?

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

### Is Manatan free?

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

### Do Paperback or Manatan have ads?

Neither Paperback nor Manatan shows ads.

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

Paperback ships an update every 2 weeks, and Manatan daily. Most recently, Paperback was updated on October 18, 2026 and Manatan on October 8, 2026.

---

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