# iComic vs Special Symbols

The clearest difference is monetization model: Special Symbols at free against iComic's paid. Special Symbols also leads on rating (3.5 vs 3.1) and iOS requirement (14.7 vs 16.6). iComic's advantage is review sentiment (66% vs 52%) and update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

iComic costs $0.99 and Special Symbols $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Special Symbols holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 8 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 66% of iComic's written reviews are positive against 52% of Special Symbols's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

iComic ships an update monthly, Special Symbols every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iComic | Special Symbols |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | $0.99 |
| Rating | [3.1 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icomic-comic-reader/id297328082/reviews) | **[3.5 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/special-symbols-keyboards/id434343055/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **8** |
| Positive reviews | **66.2% of reviews** | 51.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 3 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **14.7** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Y.Yamamoto](https://appshunter.io/developer/297328085) | [Marco Petrucci](https://appshunter.io/developer/371279011) |

## What reviewers say

### iComic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icomic-comic-reader/id297328082)

Read high-resolution comic pages from zip or cbz archives on your device. Enjoy seamless navigation and zooming with multi-touch gestures. Download comics from the internet or personal servers for offline reading.

**Highlights:** High-resolution comic page display, Supports JPG, TIF, PNG in ZIP/CBZ, Multi-touch page navigation, Pinch-to-zoom functionality, Built-in download manager, Offline comic access

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Lightweight app with small file size
- 🎯 Excellent image quality and resolution preservation
- 📚 Supports multiple comic formats (CBZ, CBR, ZIP, RAR)
- 🔄 FTP transfer functionality for wireless file management
- 💾 Dropbox integration for easy file access

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently with large files
- ❌ Cannot handle high-resolution images (6000x4000+ pixels)
- 🔧 Steep learning curve for file transfer setup
- ⚠️ Poor documentation and unclear instructions
- 🔄 Slow page flipping with very large images

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when opening large comic files
- Rotation mode becomes stuck after using 'fix right' option
- Status bar doesn't disappear despite settings
- Bookmark settings not saved in iOS 4.x
- FTP upload fails with permission errors

**Requested features**

- CBR/RAR format support (added in later versions)
- iTunes file transfer integration
- Lock rotation option for reading
- Auto-rotate to landscape for 2-page spreads
- Improved file management and deletion from app


### Special Symbols

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/special-symbols-keyboards/id434343055)

Enhance your messages, emails, and social media posts with a creative touch. This app provides 21 distinct keyboards to easily insert unique characters and styles directly from your system keyboard.

**Highlights:** 21 unique keyboards, Add special characters, Creative text styles, Bold and italic text, Monospace and gothic fonts, Full width text

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iComic free?

iComic costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Special Symbols free?

Special Symbols costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, iComic or Special Symbols?

Special Symbols is rated higher. iComic averages 3.1 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Special Symbols averages 3.5 from 8 ratings.

### Do iComic or Special Symbols have ads?

Neither iComic nor Special Symbols shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iComic or Special Symbols?

iComic ships an update monthly, and Special Symbols every 2 months. Most recently, iComic was updated on October 29, 2026 and Special Symbols on October 24, 2026.

---

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