# ComicGlass vs SideBooks

The clearest difference is price: SideBooks at Free against ComicGlass's $3.99. SideBooks also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.3) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). ComicGlass's advantage is chart position (#117 vs unranked). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

SideBooks is free to download; ComicGlass costs $3.99 up front. ComicGlass sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and SideBooks sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

SideBooks holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 61 and 97 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 74% of ComicGlass's written reviews are positive against 72% of SideBooks's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

ComicGlass ships an update every 3 weeks, SideBooks every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ComicGlass | SideBooks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (61 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/comicglass/id363992049/reviews) | **[4.6 (97 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sidebooks/id409777225/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 61 | **97** |
| Positive reviews | **73.9% of reviews** | 72.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#117** | — |
| Size | 39 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [RR Soft](https://appshunter.io/developer/363992052) | [Tatsumi-system Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/409777230) |

## What reviewers say

### ComicGlass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/comicglass/id363992049)

**Currently charting:** #117 Top Paid · Book (US App Store)

This app offers a comprehensive comic reading experience for scanned manga and personal files. Enjoy seamless access to your library from various storage locations and customize your reading with advanced features. It supports a wide range of file formats and syncs your progress across devices.

**Highlights:** Scanned manga and comic reader, Access files from PC/Mac, NAS, cloud, Wide format support (ZIP, PDF, WebP, AVIF), Effortless file transfer and syncing, Progress sync via iCloud, Network and cloud storage support, Customizable reading experience, Stream files without downloading

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MediaServer plus | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app for reading comics and manga
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 💡 Customizable reading experience
- 🔒 Password protection for folders

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes when reading from SMB
- 🐛 Issues with opening password-protected folders
- 🐛 Compatibility problems with certain file formats
- 🐛 Rendering issues when switching between portrait and landscape modes

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when opening certain files
- Inability to change folder names
- Issues with FTP and network file sharing
- Problems with rendering double-page spreads

**Requested features**

- Add support for JPEG XL format
- Implement vertical scrolling for manga/comics
- Improve backup and sync functionality
- Add iCloud integration for file management


### SideBooks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sidebooks/id409777225)

This app offers a high-performance PDF and comic viewer with realistic paper-turning animations. It supports various viewing directions, enhanced bookshelf management, and secure password protection for your documents. Easily import files from multiple sources and enjoy a customizable reading experience.

**Highlights:** Realistic paper curl animation, Multiple viewing directions, Enhanced bookshelf management, Password protection, Dropbox and iTunes file import, Supports PDF, ZIP, CBZ, RAR, CBR

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Thema extension Add-On | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth page turning
- 📚 Great for reading comics and manga
- 🗂️ Excellent folder organization
- 🔍 Useful search and table of contents features
- 💻 Seamless Dropbox integration

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes when loading large files
- 🚫 Limited file format support (no CBZ/CBR)
- 🔍 Difficult to find and delete books
- 🔒 Requires Dropbox access, no local file support
- 🔍 Small thumbnail size makes it hard to browse

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when opening certain PDF files
- Corrupted files cause repeated crashes
- Dropbox integration issues on some devices

**Requested features**

- Add support for ePub and other popular formats
- Implement iCloud/Google Drive integration
- Allow manual rearrangement of bookshelf
- Add dark mode and customizable background options
- Improve bookmark and annotation features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ComicGlass free?

ComicGlass costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is SideBooks free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ComicGlass or SideBooks?

SideBooks is rated higher. ComicGlass averages 4.3 out of 5 from 61 ratings, while SideBooks averages 4.6 from 97 ratings.

### Do ComicGlass or SideBooks have ads?

Neither ComicGlass nor SideBooks shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ComicGlass or SideBooks?

ComicGlass ships an update every 3 weeks, and SideBooks every 9 days. Most recently, ComicGlass was updated on September 24, 2026 and SideBooks on September 23, 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.*