Midtown Comics vs Panels
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Midtown Comics
Shop for comics, graphic novels, collectibles, apparel, and more from a legendary pop culture destination. Manage your pull list, sync your cart, and discover new releases and unique finds from anywhere in the world.
- Shop new releases and back issues
- Browse collectibles, apparel, and action figures
- Manage pull list subscriptions
- Sync cart between app and website
- Discover pop culture finds
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Not in New York City? No problem! NYC’s legendary pop culture destination, Midtown Comics, is now right at your fingertips with the all-new Midtown Comics App! All-New Design. Exciting New Features. Take your comic book shopping to the next level! Explore everything from New Releases to Back Issues, plus a huge variety of Collectibles, Apparel, Action Figures, Statues, and more—all in one place. With the new app, you can: Subscribe to and manage your Pull List Subscriptions Sync your cart seamlessly between the app and the website Discover the latest and coolest pop culture finds instantly Download or update today and enjoy 20% OFF your first order! We’re always working to improve your shopping experience, and we’d love to hear from you. Share your feedback anytime at info@midtowncomics.com. Whether you’re in New York City or anywhere in the world, the Midtown Comics App brings the world’s largest selection of comics, graphic novels, and collectibles straight to your hand. No need for multiple apps—the Midtown Comics App has it all!
Panels
Enhance your comic and manga reading with a clean, customizable interface. Enjoy universal file compatibility, cross-device syncing, and advanced reading presets. Organize your library, secure your content, and import from various cloud services and local networks.
- Universal file compatibility (CBR, CBZ, PDF, ePUB)
- Cross-device reading progress sync
- iCloud Drive integration
- Customizable reading presets
- Right-to-left reading for manga
- OPDS server support
- Content security with password/Face ID
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Improve your comic reading experience with Panels. Enjoy reading your favorite titles in a clean and delightful interface, with plenty of customization and advanced features — fully DRM-free, with first-class support for OPDS, your own library, and your own files. Key features: - Universal Compatibility: Support for most common comic types: CBR, CBZ, CB7, PDF and comic ePUB (not text eBook). Support for multiple image formats, including WebP. - Cross-Device Sync: Synchronize your reading progress across iPhone, iPad and Mac and resume reading exactly where you left off. - Full iCloud Drive support: store your entire library on iCloud and access it from different devices. - Library Organization: Effortlessly manage your comic library with intuitive tools for easy navigation, custom folder colors, logos and cover images. * Themes: support for Light and Dark modes, and many others. * Reading Presets: Choose from a multitude of reading presets or create your own, including horizontal, vertical, or panel-by-panel guided view. - Right to Left reading (manga): read any comic with Panels. * OPDS support: Stream, search and download comics from your OPDS compatible server (Komga, Kavita, Codex, Ubooquity and others). * Secure your content: Keep files locked using a password or Face ID for your collections and files. Use Incognito mode to keep your reading sessions hidden. * Live Text and Subject detection. * Experimental Features: Access experimental features like panel-by-panel navigation. Panels Store — DRM-free comics from independent creators: - Browse and buy comics directly inside Panels, no extra apps or accounts. - 100% DRM-free: every purchase is yours to keep, read offline and back up. - Creators keep 80% of revenue, so your purchases directly support the people making the comics. - Purchased issues are added to your library and sync across your devices automatically. Native support for importing files from: * iCloud Drive * Dropbox * Microsoft OneDrive - Substack * OPDS: Komga, Kavita, Codex and others * Local network shared files and folders via SMB and Embedded web server - iTunes - External drives - Airdrop - Drag&Drop from other apps Page Filters: * Reduce Noise * Increase Sharpness * Reduce Moiré * Crop Borders * Require an active subscription or a one-time purchase. • You may purchase an Auto-Renewing Subscription to unlock all the premium features while it\'s active; or a one-off purchase to unlock the current major version features forever. • Your subscription will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase and will automatically renew (at the duration selected) unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. • Current subscription may not be cancelled during the active subscription period; however, you can manage your subscription and/or turn off auto-renewal by visiting your iTunes Account Settings after purchase • Read our privacy policy and terms of use: https://panels.app/privacy / https://panels.app/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Midtown Comics at none against Panels's 5. Midtown Comics also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Panels's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads and device support 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. Panels sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Midtown Comics asks for nothing beyond the download.
Panels holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Panels has 12K ratings behind it against 1.4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Midtown Comics's written reviews are positive against 70% of Panels's.
Midtown Comics ships an update every 2 months, Panels every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Midtown Comics | Panels |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (1.4K ratings) | 4.8 (12K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 52.3% of reviews | 70.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1.4K | 12K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 8 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #191 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 108 MB | 165 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Midtown Comics Online Inc. | Produkt Studio |
Customer experience
Midtown Comics
Panels
User reviews
Midtown Comics
From 1.4K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Awesome changes
- 👍 Great app
- 👍 Amazing App!
- 👍 Cool updates and easy to use!
- 👍 Awesome update makes shopping smooth and simple
Room to improve
- ⚠️ Warning based on my experience
- 🐛 Can't login, just use website I guess
- ⚠️ Scam Coupons
- 🐛 Cannot login on app
- 🤔 I miss the old version already. Why can't I empty the cart?
Panels
From 12K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Smooth and responsive
- 👍 Clean and modern UI
- 💡 Useful features like panel view and vertical scrolling
- 🔒 No ads in paid version
- 👍 Good import and organization options
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Useful features locked behind paywall
- 🔒 Subscription model instead of one-time purchase
- 🐛 Issues with page navigation and zoom
- 🐛 Problems with reading right-to-left content
Bugs and requests
Midtown Comics
Reported bugs
12 issues- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices
- Cannot choose shipping method
- Cover previews don't load
- Cannot log in
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- Finalizing purchase issues
- Cannot buy anything
- Cannot access wishlist
- Crashes and lags
- Outdated UI
- Payment issues
- Logging out issues
Requested features
3 requests- Pull list option
- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard
Panels
Reported bugs
5 issues- Crashes when opening large files
- Issues with page order and navigation
- Problems with zooming and scrolling
- Syncing and importing bugs
- Compatibility issues with older devices
Requested features
6 requests- Ability to create sub-folders and nested collections
- Automatic sorting and organization of comics
- Option to lock reading direction
- Double-tap to zoom functionality
- Progress tracking and bookmarking features
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Support for more file formats like ePub
In-app purchases
Midtown Comics
No in-app purchases
Panels
- Panels+ Monthly7 Days trial$1.491 Month
- Panels+ Yearly7 Days trial$14.991 Year
- Panels 3 Upgrade$9.99
- Panels 2$19.99
- Panels 3$19.99
Questions
Is Midtown Comics free?
Is Panels free?
Which has better reviews, Midtown Comics or Panels?
Do Midtown Comics or Panels have ads?
Which is updated more often, Midtown Comics or Panels?
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