# iPublishCentral Reader vs Panels

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Panels at 70% against iPublishCentral Reader's 19%. Panels also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.7) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months). iPublishCentral Reader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Panels sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. iPublishCentral Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

Panels holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Panels has 12K ratings behind it against 156, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 19% of iPublishCentral Reader's written reviews are positive against 70% of Panels's.

iPublishCentral Reader ships an update every 2 months, Panels every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on August 20, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iPublishCentral Reader | Panels |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (156 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ipublishcentral-reader/id510322929/reviews) | **[4.8 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/panels-comic-reader/id1236567663/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 156 | **12K** |
| Positive reviews | 19.0% of reviews | **70.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#184** |
| Size | 178 MB | 165 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [iPublishCentral](https://appshunter.io/developer/419606382) | [Produkt Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1236567662) |

## What reviewers say

### iPublishCentral Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ipublishcentral-reader/id510322929)

Read and manage your digital library with this app. It supports PDF and EPUB formats, allowing you to organize books, customize your reading experience with notes and highlights, and sync progress across devices. Download content from various sources, including cloud storage and email.

**Highlights:** Read PDF and EPUB ebooks, Organize books into shelves, Add notes and highlights, Bookmark pages, Sync reading progress across devices, Download content from Dropbox and email, Customize font, margins, and background

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Panels

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/panels-comic-reader/id1236567663)

**Currently charting:** #184 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Panels+ Monthly | $1.49 | per month |
| Panels+ Yearly | $14.99 | per year |
| Panels 3 Upgrade | $9.99 | one-time |
| Panels 2 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Panels 3 | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iPublishCentral Reader free?

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

### Is Panels free?

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

### Which has better reviews, iPublishCentral Reader or Panels?

Panels is rated higher. iPublishCentral Reader averages 3.7 out of 5 from 156 ratings, while Panels averages 4.8 from 12K ratings.

### Do iPublishCentral Reader or Panels have ads?

Neither iPublishCentral Reader nor Panels shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iPublishCentral Reader or Panels?

iPublishCentral Reader ships an update every 2 months, and Panels every 8 days. Most recently, iPublishCentral Reader was updated on August 20, 2026 and Panels on September 23, 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.*