Comparison

DrawnStrips vs xiComic

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

DrawnStrips

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
Read full description

DrawnStrips Reader – The Best Comic Experience on iPhone & iPad Read comics the way they were meant to be enjoyed. DrawnStrips Reader is a fast, elegant iOS app designed for smooth, immersive, and fully customizable reading on iPhone and iPad. Why You’ll Love It • Universal Format Support: CBR, CBZ, CB7, CBT, ZIP, RAR, TAR, PDF, EPUB, folders • OPDS Access Anywhere: Connect to your OPDS servers system-wide • Built for iOS: Smooth performance with native gestures and multitasking support • Flexible Navigation: Swipe, scroll, or use keyboard – supports Manga, Western, vertical, horizontal reading styles • Live Image Enhancements: Adjust brightness, contrast, sharpness, and more in real time • Built-in Tools: Convert to ZIP, CBZ, PDF, EPUB or folders • Fully Customizable: Shortcuts, themes, auto-next issue, and more ===== SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS • Monthly: Just $1.99 USD/month • Yearly: Just $7.99 USD/year, after the 3-day free trial Prices may vary by location LIFETIME LICENSE • One-time purchase for $14.99 USD Prices may vary by location Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled. — Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account upon confirmation — You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renew in your account settings — No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during the active period — Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period — All subscription costs are listed above DrawnStrips Reader is not a free app. It uses Apple’s In-App Purchase system. Privacy Policy: https://drawnstrips.com/privacy/ Terms of Service: https://drawnstrips.com/tos/ =====

About

xiComic

This app provides a fast and private reading experience for your existing comic and manga files. It supports various import methods and reading modes, including left-to-right, right-to-left, and vertical scrolling. Organize your library effortlessly with collections and automatic grouping.

Highlights
  • Import CBZ, CBR, ZIP, RAR files
  • Supports JPG, PNG, WEBP, HEIC, GIF
  • Comic, Manga, and Vertical Scroll modes
  • Organize library with collections
  • Automatic series grouping
  • Privacy-focused, no account needed
  • Offline reading
Features
Read full description

Own the comics — own the experience. xiComic is a blazing-fast, privacy-first reader for the comic and manga files you already have. No storefront, no ads, no account needed — just smooth reading on iPhone, iPad, Mac and even Apple Vision! Also next iPhone ;) — Effortless importing • Open CBZ, CBR, ZIP or RAR from Files, AirDrop, Share Sheet or drag-and-drop • Batch-import entire folders in one tap — RAR5 included! • Also reads loose image folders: JPG, PNG, WEBP, HEIC, GIF — Reading perfected • Comic Mode — left-to-right for Western comics and graphic novels • Manga Mode — right-to-left for authentic manga reading • Vertical Scroll — top-to-bottom for webtoons and long-strip comics • Pinch-to-zoom on any page. Wanna stay focused? Tap to hide all controls! — Organize your way • Create collections and sort your library however you like • Want automatic series grouping? Just tap Magic Organizer! • Grid view with beautiful edge-to-edge covers and blazing-fast search — Privacy & legality first • Your files never leave your device unless you choose to — safely! • Anonymous analytics help improve the app — nothing is ever linked to you • No ads, no account, no interruptions — ever — Accessible & multilingual • Designed with accessibility in mind, with VoiceOver labels for navigation and reading • Fully translated in English, German, Spanish, French, and Italian — more coming soon! — Perfect for • Reading comics, manga, and graphic novels offline on iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Vision Pro • Organizing large digital comic collections • Reading webtoons with vertical scrolling • Enjoying your library without ads, subscriptions, or any interruptions — Frequently asked questions Is xiComic really free? Yes — no in-app purchases, no subscriptions, and no advertisements. All features are currently included at no cost. Does it work without internet? Completely. Your comic library lives on your device. No internet connection needed. What formats can I open? CBZ, CBR, ZIP, RAR (including RAR5), plus folders of JPG, PNG, WEBP, HEIC, and GIF images. Can I read manga right-to-left? Yes! Switch between Comic Mode, Manga Mode, and Vertical Scroll anytime. Is my data safe? xiComic collects zero personal data. No ads, no account required. Your files never leave your device. You own the comics, xiComic helps you enjoy them ;)

Screenshots

DrawnStrips4 screens
xiComic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: DrawnStrips at 47% against xiComic's 0%. DrawnStrips also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.0) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). xiComic's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, ratings volume, ads and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DrawnStrips holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of DrawnStrips's written reviews are positive against 0% of xiComic's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DrawnStrips ships an update every 3 weeks, xiComic every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and August 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
DrawnStrips versus xiComic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDrawnStripsxiComic
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (3 ratings) — better3.0 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews47.1% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings33
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.017.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFabrice LeyneAlireza Rezagholian

Customer experience

DrawnStrips

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews85 reviews
Positive47.1%
Neutral14.1%
Negative38.8%

xiComic

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

DrawnStrips

Reported bugs

29 issues
  • 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
Show 24 more
  • Arrow keys are backwards
  • Resizing function does not work
  • Export function in CBZ creation mode does not work
  • Pages are not in order when exporting
  • Crashing constantly
  • Can only turn one page at a time
  • App forgets window size
  • App crashes when exiting fullscreen mode
  • App quits unexpectedly when opening files
  • Page turning is random and skips pages
  • Double pages appear at the end of the book
  • Zoom does not work with dual displays
  • Touch gestures for scrolling and zoom aren't smooth
  • Scrolling doesn't default to system default
  • Swiping doesn't work as expected
  • Up and down keys don't scroll
  • Page turning with scrolling doesn't work
  • App doesn't load clicked comics consistently
  • Plays a noise every time trackpad is used to switch pages
  • Cannot turn off page flip sound
  • Not working on Mountain Lion
  • Update not taken into account
  • Interface issues on older displays (grainy images)
  • Issues with dual monitors and scaling

Requested features

27 requests
  • 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
Show 22 more
  • Support for .zip and .rar files directly
  • Settings tab for non-Retina displays
  • Comprehensive toolbar tucked away when not in use
  • Loupe tool
  • Ability to export a page
  • Quick access to change reading direction
  • Smoother touch gestures for scrolling and zoom
  • Regular updates and maintenance
  • Gallery feature
  • Automatic recognition of files on Mac
  • Better organization of comics
  • Library system
  • Dark mode option
  • Zoom to fit option
  • Remember position in each comic
  • Customize page turning keys
  • Mouse wheel support for page turning
  • Optimize comic load time
  • Caching of next and previous pages
  • Double-tap for zooming
  • Keyboard controls
  • Better library management

xiComic

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

DrawnStrips

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$1.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription3 Days trial$7.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime License$14.99
None

xiComic

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DrawnStrips free?
DrawnStrips is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is xiComic free?
xiComic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, DrawnStrips or xiComic?
DrawnStrips is rated higher. DrawnStrips averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while xiComic averages 3.0 from 3 ratings.
Do DrawnStrips or xiComic have ads?
Neither DrawnStrips nor xiComic shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DrawnStrips or xiComic?
DrawnStrips ships an update every 3 weeks, and xiComic every 2 months. Most recently, DrawnStrips was updated on September 19, 2026 and xiComic on August 24, 2026.

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