# DrawnStrips vs Pharania

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pharania at none against DrawnStrips's 3. Pharania also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. DrawnStrips sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Pharania asks for nothing beyond the download.

DrawnStrips ships an update every 3 weeks, Pharania monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DrawnStrips | Pharania |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawnstrips-comic-reader/id473092872/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3** | — |
| Positive reviews | 47.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 24 MB | 34 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Fabrice Leyne](https://appshunter.io/developer/473092875) | [V P Trading PLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1752839938) |

## 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


### Pharania

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pharania/id6529556319)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DrawnStrips free?

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

### Is Pharania free?

Pharania is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do DrawnStrips or Pharania have ads?

Neither DrawnStrips nor Pharania shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, DrawnStrips or Pharania?

DrawnStrips ships an update every 3 weeks, and Pharania monthly. Most recently, DrawnStrips was updated on October 12, 2026 and Pharania on September 28, 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.*