SideBooks vs Manga Viewer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SideBooks
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.
- Realistic paper curl animation
- Multiple viewing directions
- Enhanced bookshelf management
- Password protection
- Dropbox and iTunes file import
- Supports PDF, ZIP, CBZ, RAR, CBR
Read full descriptionHide full description
SideBooks is a high performance, high speed PDF viewer that allows you to enjoy reading with the feel of actual paper. =Features= Curl animation that simulates the actual turning of paper pages has been added to the standard page slide function. Supports viewing from 3 directions, documents that open left to right, right to left and vertically. It provides the optimal environment for viewing any book. All zoom rates have been optimized providing high speed, dynamic screen display. An infinite hierarchy of folders can be created, moved, deleted, renamed, etc. using the enhanced bookshelf management function. Real visual bookshelf function that corresponds to back cover style display. Files can be imported by 3 methods, Network transfer through Dropbox, USB transfer through iTunes and direct transfer from other applications. Books can be protected so others cannot view them by using the password protected locking function. This is a universal application that operates on the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. =Functions= Overall: *Brightness Adjustment *Screen rotates to match the orientation of the device *Screen Rotation Lock *Password Protected Start-up Lock Viewer: *Support PDF,ZIP,CBZ,RAR and CBR format *Page Turning: Choose from slide or curl *Viewing Directions: Choose from opening left to right / right to left / vertically *Page Spacing: Choose form wide / narrow / none *Facing Pages: Choose the pair of facing pages by setting the cover to on or off *Trim function within the range of page display *Cache pre-read function for the previous and next pages *Set the display for each book and remember the page number of the last page read *Text search function (list display type) *Contents function (also supports hierarchy type) *Bookmark function (with editable memos) *Edit handwritten notes *Send to other applications (Open-In) *Send by email *Printing function (Air Print) *In-page link function *Link to outside URL function (built-in browser / Safari / Printing) *Display / Don't Display link buttons *Page turning function using tap or swipe *Expansion / Contraction function using pinch and double tap (1-1024x zoom) *Viewing of encrypted PDF files with password protection *Display / non-display of statusbar when reading Bookshelf: *Display form: Choose form list bookshelf / visual bookshelf *Function to set theme of visual bookshelf with each folder *Bookshelf thema extension pack (Add-On) *Cover editing function (corresponds to the trim) *File editing function: create, move, delete, setting for all books in folder *Bookmark list *Reading history list *Unread list *Edit of mark choose form already read / unread *Book name search function *Network transfer through Dropbox *USB transfer through iTunes *Direct transfer from other applications Special thanks to, "Give My Regards to Black Jack" SHUHO SATO Manga on Web http://mangaonweb.com
Manga Viewer
This app allows you to view comic and fictional image archives on your smartphone. It supports various compressed file formats and image types, with options for cloud import and PC transfer via WiFi. Enjoy features like page view modes, image filters, and iCloud sync for a seamless reading experience.
- Supports zip, rar, 7z, cbz, cbr, cb7 compressed files
- PDF and TIF/TIFF file support
- Upload via PC web browser (WIFI)
- Import from cloud apps (iCloud, Dropbox, Box)
- FTP and SSHFTP support
- One page and two page view modes
- Night mode and image brightness adjustment
Read full descriptionHide full description
The simplest viewer app for viewing comic, fictional image archives Such as a cartoon or a novel, on a smartphone You can see it anywhere. Now that you've installed the app Try transferring files on your PC with WiFi * Some functions may not be supported on Mac(Apple Silicon) ** Characteristic ** - zip, rar, 7z, cbz, cbr, cb7 compressed files are supported (png, jpeg, jpg, gif, bmp, tif, tiff, jxl(iOS 26+), heif(iOS 18+) extension images are included, webp format is supported from iOS14) - Support for locked files (zip, rar, 7z, pdf) - PDF file support - TIF/TIFF file support (like PDF file, change in settings) - Upload via PC web browser (WIFI) - Import files from cloud apps such as iCloud, dropbox, circle drive, and Box - FTP support: browse, download - SSHFTP support - Secure FTP not supported - Cloud apps support file copy from mail attachments - one page view, two page view - Sharpen image filter - IPhone, iPad, Mac(Apple Silicon) support - Rotate the screen both horizontally and vertically - Image next page Zoom-in keep-alive function: Apply the previous book's zoom-in status in the following book. Please change your settings. - Screen off option: When set to ON, the screen automatically turns off at the time the device turns off. - Last file view, On / Off in setting - Next book auto-switching options: If you automatically change the next book switching option in Settings, tabs on the last page will automatically switch to the next book. (Default manual) - iCloud Sync : Synchronize the information (read location) of the read file and open the same file on another device (signed in with the same iCloud account) so that you can see it again. - Two pages in landscape mode: Two pages in landscape rotation, one page in vertical rotation, iPad only -Vertical scroll mode (= webtoon mode): scrolls vertically like webtoons, one-page mode is fixed, and some options are fixed and not applied. - Image / PDF Night mode: Invert color / Image brightness (1 to 3 steps), in-app purchase required - Night Mode - Invert Color: Invert the white background to black (gray) and black to white. This mode is suitable for viewing novels. - Night Mode - Image Brightness: You can change the brightness of the image in three steps without changing the screen brightness of the device. - Bluetooth keyboard: Supports page switching and screen closing function, direction key (asdw) page switch, ESC key viewer screen close (in-app purchase required) - A function that changes to the next page when the volume is changed. (The sound size will change as well. Please be careful. ON / OFF in setting. Need an in-app purchase or reward view.) - Blink: Recognizes eye blinks to switch pages (iPhone only, iOS 18+, in-app purchase required) - Automatic Image Crop: Automatically crops the empty space on all four sides of images with a white background. (iOS 16+, in-app purchase required) - Content Color: You can change and unify the content (pictures or text) within the image to a single color. A background color is applied to the image background excluding the content (In-app purchase required) - Select text: Long-click to select text within a page and copy, search, translate, or share (iOS 18+, in-app purchase required) Please send bugs or suggestions to junhuloveapple@gmail.com at the top right of the setting screen.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: SideBooks at none against Manga Viewer's shown. SideBooks also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). Manga Viewer's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.6) and review sentiment (82% vs 72%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. SideBooks sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Manga Viewer sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Manga Viewer holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 97 and 346 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of SideBooks's written reviews are positive against 82% of Manga Viewer's.
SideBooks ships an update every 9 days, Manga Viewer weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SideBooks | Manga Viewer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (97 ratings) | 4.8 (346 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 72.4% of reviews | 82.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 97 | 346 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 32 MB | 95 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tatsumi-system Co., Ltd. | kim juyoung |
Customer experience
SideBooks
Manga Viewer
Bugs and requests
SideBooks
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes when opening certain PDF files
- Corrupted files cause repeated crashes
- Dropbox integration issues on some devices
Requested features
6 requests- 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
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Implement a more intuitive file management system
Manga Viewer
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
SideBooks
- Thema extension Add-On$0.99
Manga Viewer
- Sponsor 1$0.99
- Sponsor 2$1.99
- Remove app ads$1.99
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Sponsor 3$3.99
- Sponsor 4$7.99






