Manga University 101 vs Comic Basics
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Manga University 101
Learn to draw manga and anime with interactive tutorials and a digital drawing toolbox. Create your own art using various pens, pencils, and markers, then share it or save it. Access a catalog of books and video tutorials from renowned art professionals.
- Interactive drawing tutorials
- Digital drawing toolbox
- Multi-width pens, pencils, markers
- Share and save artwork
- Catalog of manga books
- YouTube video gallery
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FIFTEENTH ANNIVERSARY EDITION Download Manga University 101 and start drawing! That’s right — you can draw right inside the app, using your finger, an Apple Pencil, or a third-party stylus. Then, share your art by texting or emailing it, or save it to the camera roll. Manga University 101 was made in Japan by the art professionals at Manga University, publisher of the worldwide bestselling “How to Draw Manga” series of books. We created this app so you can enjoy all of our drawing tutorials on your iOS devices. Now you can learn manga and anime techniques wherever you are! Manga University 101 has a full-featured digital drawing toolbox, complete with multi-width pens, pencils and markers in a rainbow of colors. The app also comes with a complete catalog of Manga University books (with links so you can get them on the Apple Books store); our popular gallery of YouTube videos (including the "How to Draw Manga" series featuring Mosoko Miyatsuki); and news and interviews from our Tokyo Campus Blog. SENPAI WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU! If you enjoy our app, please be sure to tell your friends about it. We’d also love for you to rate and review Manga 101 on the App Store ^_^ Contact us with your feedback, questions and requests for new tutorials at comments@japanime.com For more information about Manga University, visit us at howtodrawmanga.com See what we're up to on Instagram at instagram.com/mangauniversity Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/mangauniversity Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/mangauniversity
Comic Basics
This app enhances a physical book by unlocking video lessons when the camera is pointed at its pages. It offers in-depth tutorials taught by industry professionals, providing a modern approach to learning comic creation.
- Video lessons unlocked via camera
- Expanded content from physical book
- Step-by-step tutorials
- Professional instructors
- Printable sample pages
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NOTE: This app requires the Comic Basics book, if you do not have the book you can still use it by downloading and printing some sample pages included in the app. Comic Basics is a companion app to the book of the same name. Download the app, launch, and point the camera at the pages to see the video lessons unlocked and expanded in further depth. This is a rethink on how to teach comics using the most up to date technology and teaching methods. Furthermore, the lessons in this app are only taught by professionals who do this for a living. Each book contains two hours of step by step videos is the free companion apps which fill the natural gaps left by standard, print-only teaching books.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Manga University 101 at 69% against Comic Basics's 0%. Manga University 101 also leads on rating (2.8 vs 2.0). Comic Basics's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Manga University 101 holds the better App Store score, 2.8 against 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Manga University 101's written reviews are positive against 0% of Comic Basics's.
Manga University 101 ships an update monthly, Comic Basics every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Manga University 101 | Comic Basics |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.8 (4 ratings) — better | 2.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 68.8% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13 | 9.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 33 MB | 142 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Japanime Y.K. | Anomaly Productions, Inc. |
Customer experience
Manga University 101
Comic Basics
Bugs and requests
Manga University 101
Reported bugs
4 issues- Crashes on launch
- Hair tutorial images not loading
- Face tutorial not working
- Compatibility issues with older devices
Requested features
6 requests- More character tutorials
- Step-by-step instructions
- Male body drawing tutorials
- Hair and hands tutorials
- Ability to save and share drawings
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- Coloring and shading tutorials
Comic Basics
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Manga University 101
No in-app purchases
Comic Basics
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Manga University 101 free?
Is Comic Basics free?
Which has better reviews, Manga University 101 or Comic Basics?
Do Manga University 101 or Comic Basics have ads?
Which is updated more often, Manga University 101 or Comic Basics?
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