# SideBooks vs Comics Book Reader

The clearest difference is update cadence: SideBooks at every 9 days against Comics Book Reader's every 4 months. SideBooks also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.3). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SideBooks sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Comics Book Reader sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. 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 — 97 and 214 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 72% of SideBooks's written reviews are positive against 75% of Comics Book Reader's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

SideBooks ships an update every 9 days, Comics Book Reader every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SideBooks | Comics Book Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (97 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sidebooks/id409777225/reviews)** | [4.3 (214 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/comics-book-reader/id1056129062/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 97 | **214** |
| Positive reviews | 72.4% of reviews | **75.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 32 MB | 158 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 10.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Tatsumi-system Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/409777230) | [LTD DevelSoftware](https://appshunter.io/developer/717594986) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Comics Book Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/comics-book-reader/id1056129062)

This application is a robust viewer for various comic book formats, including CBZ, CBR, CB7, and CBT. It offers a highly optimized visualization system for mobile devices, ensuring maximum productivity and comfort. Enjoy an elegant design, extended functionality, and high speed for a pleasurable reading experience.

**Highlights:** Supports CBZ, CBR, CB7, CBT formats, Integrates with cloud services (Google Drive, Dropbox), Supports network services (SMB, FTP, SFTP), File manager with sorting and search, Wi-Fi and FTP transfer options, Page layout and effects customization, Bookmarks and quick preview

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Thank the Developer | $0.99 | one-time |
| Appearance Customization | $1.99 | one-time |
| Additional Formats | $3.99 | one-time |
| Pro Version | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth performance
- 📚 Supports various comic formats
- 💾 Cloud storage integration
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🔍 Good file management

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- ⏰ Frequent ads interrupting reading
- 💰 Expensive premium version
- 📱 Compatibility issues with newer devices
- 🔗 Cloud storage integration problems

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch
- Corrupted comic file downloads
- Slow performance on older devices
- Inability to access cloud storage
- Incorrect page rendering

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to organize comics into folders
- Seamless page-to-page navigation
- More cloud storage providers support
- Customizable reading experience


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SideBooks free?

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

### Is Comics Book Reader free?

Comics Book Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SideBooks or Comics Book Reader?

SideBooks is rated higher. SideBooks averages 4.6 out of 5 from 97 ratings, while Comics Book Reader averages 4.3 from 214 ratings.

### Do SideBooks or Comics Book Reader have ads?

Neither SideBooks nor Comics Book Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SideBooks or Comics Book Reader?

SideBooks ships an update every 9 days, and Comics Book Reader every 4 months. Most recently, SideBooks was updated on September 29, 2026 and Comics Book Reader on September 20, 2026.

---

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