# DrawnStrips vs Comic Reader

DrawnStrips and Comic Reader both sit at 4.3 stars, but that hides the real split: 85% of Comic Reader's written reviews are positive against 47% of DrawnStrips's. Comic Reader also leads on ratings volume (42 vs 3) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). DrawnStrips's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. DrawnStrips sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Comic Reader sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Comic Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Comic Reader has 42 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of DrawnStrips's written reviews are positive against 85% of Comic Reader's.

DrawnStrips ships an update every 3 weeks, Comic Reader fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DrawnStrips | Comic Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawnstrips-comic-reader/id473092872/reviews) | **[4.5 (42 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/comic-reader-manga-cbz-cbr/id6504741382/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **42** |
| Positive reviews | 47.1% of reviews | **85.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 24 MB | 96 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fabrice Leyne](https://appshunter.io/developer/473092875) | [Alexandre Guidet](https://appshunter.io/developer/1508644490) |

## What reviewers say

### DrawnStrips

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawnstrips-comic-reader/id473092872)

Experience comics and manga with a fast, elegant reader designed for immersive and customizable reading on iPhone and iPad. Supports a wide range of formats and offers flexible navigation and live image enhancements.

**Highlights:** Universal format support (CBR, CBZ, PDF, EPUB, etc.), OPDS server access, Smooth iOS performance with native gestures, Flexible navigation for various reading styles, Live image enhancements, Built-in conversion tools, Customizable shortcuts and themes

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $7.99 | per year |
| Lifetime License | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and clean interface
- 👍 Good for reading comics/manga
- 👍 Supports various formats (CBZ, PDF)
- 👍 Good integration with Apple APIs
- 👍 Polished, minimalistic feel

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😞 Subscription required for basic use
- 😞 App closes if subscription not selected
- 😞 Paywall for settings
- 😞 Crashes frequently
- 😞 Slow performance

**Reported bugs**

- App closes if subscription not selected
- Paywall for settings
- App crashes immediately upon opening
- Cannot download or install on Mac Sequoia
- Incapable of opening some CBR files without crashing

**Requested features**

- Add Apple Vision Pro support
- Continuous vertical scrolling support
- Remember last window size and position
- Left mouse click to forward, right click to backward
- Integration with iBooks


### Comic Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/comic-reader-manga-cbz-cbr/id6504741382)

This app allows users to read comic books in CBR, CBZ, and PDF formats. It offers features like smart library organization, automatic progress saving, and an ad-free experience. Premium features include unlimited imports and custom collections.

**Highlights:** Supports CBR, CBZ, and PDF formats, Import from local storage/USB, Automatic reading progress saving, Customizable comic collections, Ad-free reading experience, Eye comfort mode (blue light filter)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Monthly subscription sale | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly subscription | $12.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $17.99 | per year |
| Yearly subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Yearly subscription sale | $29.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $22.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $34.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium | $69.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DrawnStrips free?

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

### Is Comic Reader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, DrawnStrips or Comic Reader?

Comic Reader is rated higher. DrawnStrips averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Comic Reader averages 4.5 from 42 ratings.

### Do DrawnStrips or Comic Reader have ads?

Neither DrawnStrips nor Comic Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, DrawnStrips or Comic Reader?

DrawnStrips ships an update every 3 weeks, and Comic Reader fortnightly. Most recently, DrawnStrips was updated on October 26, 2026 and Comic Reader on October 27, 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.*