Comparison

Readwhere vs Panels

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

Head to head
About

Readwhere

Access a vast library of newspapers, magazines, comics, and books for offline reading. Bookmark, clip, save, and share articles, and discover local news with location-based search. Enjoy content in various languages and popular publications.

Highlights
  • Offline reading downloads
  • Bookmark pages
  • Clip, save, and share articles
  • Clipbooks for curated news
  • Location-based newspaper search
  • Multi-language content
  • Wide selection of publications
Features
Read full description

Read popular newspapers, magazines, comics, books and journals on your iOS Devices. Download for offline reading, browse from multiple categories in different languages. • Bookmark pages while reading. • Like an article? Clip, Save and Share. • Clipbooks for new way to read news using clips of publications. • Search Newspapers nearby your current location. • Some of the popular newspapers are The Indian Express - India's most popular english newspaper Rajasthan Patrika - One of the leading newspapers of Rajasthan in hindi Loksatta - Leading International Marathi News Daily Tarun Bharat - Largest Marathi Daily from Belgaum Dainik Bhaskar - No.1 hindi news paper & largest hindi daily Sandesh - Leading gujarati daily Mathrubhumi - One of the front-runners among the Malayalam newspapers • Read these top magazines in app. India Today - The leading news magazine and most widely read publication in India. Available in multiple languages. Outlook Magazine - A weekly general interest news magazine Good Housekeeping - The fastest-growing women’s magazine in India Reader's Digest - The world’s biggest-selling magazine for nearly nine decades Outlook Traveller - The only significant magazine aimed at the travel reader Harper's Bazaar India - A magazine that celebrates the best in luxury, design and style • Read popular comics Chacha Chaudhary - Most popular comic from Diamond Comics Tinkle from Amar Chitra Katha Graphic Novels from Campfire graphics Lotpot Comic - India's most popular children's comic ..and many more There are no auto renewing subscriptions, You can purchase credits in the app and start using those credits to purchase Magazines, Books or Comics. For any issues contact us at helpdesk@readwhere.com Terms of use : http://www.readwhere.com/terms-of-use Privacy police : http://www.readwhere.com/privacy-policy

About

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.

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
Read full description

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

Readwhere4 screens
Panels4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Panels at 4.8 against Readwhere's 1.0. Panels also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (70% vs 42%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Readwhere sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Panels sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Panels holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Panels has 13K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 42% of Readwhere's written reviews are positive against 70% of Panels's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Readwhere ships an update every 2 months, Panels every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Readwhere versus Panels: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReadwherePanels
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (1 ratings)4.8 (13K ratings) — better
Positive reviews42.2% of reviews70.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings113K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#121 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB166 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMediology Software Private LimitedProdukt Studio

Customer experience

Readwhere

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews83 reviews
Positive42.2%
Neutral6.0%
Negative51.8%

Panels

All ratings12,574 ratings
Positive95.5%
Neutral1.8%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews1,138 reviews
Positive70.3%
Neutral9.5%
Negative20.2%

Bugs and requests

Readwhere

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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 more
  • Support for more file formats like ePub

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Readwhere

One-time6
  • Pack of 40 Credits$0.99
  • Pack of 130 Credits$2.99
  • Pack of 240 Credits$4.99
Show 3 more
  • Pack of 500 Credits$9.99
  • Pack of 1000 Credits$19.99
  • Pack of 2500 Credits$49.99
5 purchases

Panels

Subscriptions2
  • Panels+ Monthly7 Days trial$1.491 Month
  • Panels+ Yearly7 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time3
  • Panels 3 Upgrade$9.99
  • Panels 2$19.99
  • Panels 3$19.99

Questions

Is Readwhere free?
Readwhere is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Panels free?
Panels is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Readwhere or Panels?
Panels is rated higher. Readwhere averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Panels averages 4.8 from 13K ratings.
Do Readwhere or Panels have ads?
Neither Readwhere nor Panels shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Readwhere or Panels?
Readwhere ships an update every 2 months, and Panels every 9 days. Most recently, Readwhere was updated on October 23, 2026 and Panels on October 24, 2026.

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