# Paperback vs ReelAthon

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ReelAthon at 100% against Paperback's 54%. ReelAthon also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.3) and update cadence (daily vs every 2 weeks). Paperback's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (569 vs 2). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ReelAthon sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Paperback asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReelAthon holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Paperback has 569 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of Paperback's written reviews are positive against 100% of ReelAthon's.

Paperback ships an update every 2 weeks, ReelAthon daily. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Paperback | ReelAthon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (569 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paperback-comicmanga-reader/id1626613373/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reelathon/id6797086348/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **569** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 53.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Daily** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 33 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Faizan Durrani](https://appshunter.io/developer/1626613375) | [Brandon Henrie](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896561620) |

## 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


### ReelAthon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reelathon/id6797086348)

Discover curated movie marathons based on themes, franchises, or moods. Easily plan, track, and share your viewing experiences with friends. Features a "Wheel of Boom" for spontaneous movie selection and family-safe options.

**Highlights:** Curated movie marathons, Franchise and theme-based lineups, Wheel of Boom for random selection, Build and share custom marathons, Track watched films and rate them, Family-safe viewing option

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Paperback free?

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

### Is ReelAthon free?

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

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

ReelAthon is rated higher. Paperback averages 4.3 out of 5 from 569 ratings, while ReelAthon averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Paperback or ReelAthon have ads?

Neither Paperback nor ReelAthon shows ads.

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

Paperback ships an update every 2 weeks, and ReelAthon daily. Most recently, Paperback was updated on October 18, 2026 and ReelAthon on October 4, 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.*