DrawnStrips vs ShelfStream
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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/ =====
ShelfStream
This app is a powerful comic and manga viewer that supports a wide range of file formats and cloud storage services. It offers a premium reading experience with intelligent prefetching and multiple viewing modes, along with easy library management.
- Cloud storage integration (iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, Box)
- NAS and server connection (SMB, WebDAV, FTP/SFTP)
- Zero load time prefetching
- Multiple reading modes (single, spread, vertical scroll)
- Support for ZIP, CBZ, RAR, CBR, PDF, 7z
- Library organization and bookmarks
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【The Ultimate Comic & Manga Viewer】 ShelfStream is the next-generation viewer designed for comic enthusiasts who want the best reading experience for their scanned ebook and comic collection. ■ Cloud Storage Support (Premium) • Works with iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive, and Box • Read your files where they are, without copying them to your device ■ NAS & Server Connection (Premium) • SMB, WebDAV, FTP/SFTP protocols supported • Open books on your home server without copying them • Handle massive libraries effortlessly ■ Comfortable Reading Experience • ZIP/CBZ files prefetch page by page, so you can start reading without waiting for the whole file (RAR/CBR/7z/PDF are retrieved in full before display) • 7 reading styles (single page, two-page spread, vertical scroll (Webtoon), and more) • Right-to-left and left-to-right reading support • Save display settings per book and series ("Apply to Series" for batch setup) • Set the fit method separately for portrait/landscape, plus a landscape layout option ■ Extensive Format Support • ZIP, CBZ, RAR, CBR, PDF, 7z compatible • Image files (JPEG, PNG, WebP) ■ Easy Library Management • Organize by series • Bookmarks and reading history (reading position is stored on this device) • Intuitive library controls ■ Pricing • Free: local file reading, all 7 reading styles, series management, bookmarks • ShelfStream Premium: cloud and NAS connections with streaming Monthly plan (1 month, auto-renewing) US$0.49 / Yearly plan (1 year, auto-renewing) US$5.99 Both include a 7-day free trial • No ads, including on the free plan Subscriptions renew automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings. The ultimate viewer for digital comic collectors. Start free today. --- Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://shelfstream.remosia.biz/privacy/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: ShelfStream at 100% against DrawnStrips's 47%. ShelfStream also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.3) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). DrawnStrips's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). 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. DrawnStrips sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and ShelfStream sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
ShelfStream holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of DrawnStrips's written reviews are positive against 100% of ShelfStream's.
DrawnStrips ships an update every 3 weeks, ShelfStream weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DrawnStrips | ShelfStream |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (3 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 47.1% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 24 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Fabrice Leyne | 株式会社リモシア |
Customer experience
DrawnStrips
ShelfStream
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
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- 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
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- 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
ShelfStream
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
DrawnStrips
- Monthly Subscription$1.991 Month
- Yearly Subscription3 Days trial$7.991 Year
- Lifetime License$14.99
ShelfStream
- Monthly Plan7 Days trial$0.491 Month
- Yearly Plan7 Days trial$5.991 Year
Questions
Is DrawnStrips free?
Is ShelfStream free?
Which has better reviews, DrawnStrips or ShelfStream?
Do DrawnStrips or ShelfStream have ads?
Which is updated more often, DrawnStrips or ShelfStream?
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