SideBooks vs StreamZine
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
StreamZine
Read full descriptionHide full description
Turn open archives and forum topics into your own library of comics, magazines and books. FIRST AND THE ONLY READER WITH NATIVE SUPPORT FOR StripZona, THE ex-YU vintage comics site. IMPORTANT • The app includes no content • You can read only what the sources hold; some need a (free) account on their own site • This is an independent reader, with no connection to those sites and no endorsement from them. SOURCES • Ex-YU: StripZona (forum topics, need free account), RetroSpec (computer magazines and books), Stripovi.com (free Croatian web comics), PopBoks (Džuboks, Ritam) • Comics: ComicBook+ (public domain, free account to download), BatCave • Vintage computer press: BombJack (Commodore, Amiga, Atari, MSX and more), Spectrum Computing (Sinclair), Atarimania (Atari), Vintage Apple (Byte, Macworld, MacUser, books and manuals) • Archive.org: import any item straight from its own page • Sources are switchable so you can hide the content and/or language you are not interested in • Local files support (USB, AirDrop, app Import) MANAGING CONTENT • Indexed sources are switchable • Forums: use Import to sign in and fetch metadata • Download individually, delete individually or in a group. THE LIBRARY • A grid of covers or a list view • Sort by: recently open, date added, title, series, hero, number, size • Search and filter by: downloaded, read, in progress. READING • Portrait turns page by page; landscape fits to screen width, scrolls like a web page • Smart Zoom trims blank margins so the artwork fills the screen • A scrubber, a thumbnail grid, remembers where you stopped. PRIVACY • No analytics, tracking, ads. The app has no account of its own • You sign in on each site's own form; the app cannot see your username or password. - - - - - StreamZine pretvara arhive i forumske teme u vašu biblioteku stripova, časopisa i knjiga. PRVI I JEDINI ČITAČ KOJI DIREKTNO PODRŽAVA STRIPZONA FORUM • Pipnite Import, izaberite StripZona • Prijavite se sa vašim nalogom (aplikacija ne vidi username i lozinku) • Lajkujete temu sa linkovima na stripove • Pipnite Import i aplikacija ce uneti podatke o svim stripovima sa te teme u biblioteku • Vratite se u glavni ekran (Done) i onda sa Download skidate stripove • Download je dugme (u listi naslova) ili drzite prst na naslovnici da se pojavi meni sa Download opcijom VAŽNO • Aplikacija ne sadrži nikakav sadržaj — biblioteka je na početku prazna. • Čitate samo ono što imaju arhive ispod; za neke treba (besplatan) nalog na njihovom sajtu. • Ovo je nezavisan čitač, bez veze sa navedenim sajtovima i bez njihove podrške. ARHIVE • Ex-YU: StripZona (teme sa foruma, treba besplatan nalog), RetroSpec (računarski časopisi i knjige), Stripovi.com (besplatni hrvatski web stripovi), PopBoks (Džuboks i Ritam). • Stripovi: ComicBook+ (javno vlasništvo, treba besplatan nalog) i BatCave. • Računarska štampa: BombJack (Commodore, Amiga, Atari, MSX i desetak drugih mašina), Spectrum Computing (Sinclair), Atarimania (Atari), Vintage Apple (Byte, Macworld, MacUser, knjige i uputstva). • Archive.org: uvoz bilo koje stavke direktno sa njene stranice. UČITAVANJE • Indeksirane arhive su tu čim ih upalite u Settings. • Za forume: upotrebite Import da se prijavite i preuzmete naslovnice, naslove, ediciju, izdavača i brojeve kao i linkove za skidanje. • Preuzimate i brišete pojedinačno ili grupno. • Ako se nešto ne učitava sa StripZone, javite mi. PREGLED BIBLIOTEKE • Kao tabela naslovnica ili lista naslova • Sortiranje: nedavno otvarano, datum, naslov, edicija, junak, broj, veličina • Pretraga i filteri: skinuto, pročitano, započeto. ČITANJE • Uspravno: strana po strana. Vodoravno: slika se raširi na širinu ekrana i skroluje. • Smart Zoom odseca prazne margine da crtež ispuni ekran. • Klizač, mreža sličica i pamćenje gde ste stali. PRIVATNOST • Nema analitike, praćenja, reklama; aplikacija nema nikakve svoje naloge. • Prijave (ako treba) idu na formama samih sajtova; aplikacija ne vidi vaša korisnička imena ni lozinke.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: StreamZine at none against SideBooks's 1. StreamZine also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 9 days). SideBooks's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads and device support 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. StreamZine asks for nothing beyond the download.
SideBooks ships an update every 9 days, StreamZine every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SideBooks | StreamZine |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (97 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 73.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 97 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 32 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Tatsumi-system Co., Ltd. | Mihailo Despotovic |
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
StreamZine
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
SideBooks
- Thema extension Add-On$0.99
StreamZine
No in-app purchases








