# SideBooks vs ComicReader

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SideBooks at 74% against ComicReader's 13%. SideBooks also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.5). ComicReader's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SideBooks sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and ComicReader 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 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 97 and 51 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of SideBooks's written reviews are positive against 13% of ComicReader's.

SideBooks ships an update every 9 days, ComicReader every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SideBooks | ComicReader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (97 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sidebooks/id409777225/reviews)** | [3.5 (51 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/comicreader-comic-book-reader/id1597314495/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **97** | 51 |
| Positive reviews | **73.7% of reviews** | 12.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 33 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Tatsumi-system Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/409777230) | [Pablo Clemente](https://appshunter.io/developer/721792087) |

## 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


### ComicReader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/comicreader-comic-book-reader/id1597314495)

This application is designed for iPad users with extensive comic collections. It offers a polished interface to manage and read thousands of comics without performance issues. Import comics via iTunes, Wi-Fi web server, or the Files app.

**Highlights:** Polished interface, Handles large comic collections (1500+ comics), Background comic import, No pre-processing required, Supports CBR, CBZ, and PDF, Multiple import methods (iTunes, Wi-Fi, Files app)

**Features:** Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ComicReader Plus | $8.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SideBooks free?

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

### Is ComicReader free?

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

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

SideBooks is rated higher. SideBooks averages 4.6 out of 5 from 97 ratings, while ComicReader averages 3.5 from 51 ratings.

### Do SideBooks or ComicReader have ads?

Neither SideBooks nor ComicReader shows ads.

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

SideBooks ships an update every 9 days, and ComicReader every 5 days. Most recently, SideBooks was updated on November 1, 2026 and ComicReader on October 30, 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.*