# BOOK WALKER vs Shimoe Manga Reader

The clearest difference is rating: Shimoe Manga Reader at 4.6 against BOOK WALKER's 4.0. Shimoe Manga Reader also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 6 weeks) and review sentiment (48% vs 33%). BOOK WALKER's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BOOK WALKER sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and Shimoe Manga Reader sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Shimoe Manga Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 409 and 1.7K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of BOOK WALKER's written reviews are positive against 48% of Shimoe Manga Reader's.

BOOK WALKER ships an update every 6 weeks, Shimoe Manga Reader every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BOOK WALKER | Shimoe Manga Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (409 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/book-walker/id580775134/reviews) | **[4.6 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shimoe-manga-reader/id6449829324/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 409 | **1.7K** |
| Positive reviews | 32.6% of reviews | **47.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#188** |
| Size | 122 MB | 100 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [BOOKWALKER](https://appshunter.io/developer/567412204) | [Frans Setiawan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1690765132) |

## What reviewers say

### BOOK WALKER

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/book-walker/id580775134)

Access a vast library of English light novels and manga, including popular titles and exclusive content. Enjoy features like V-Scroll comics, simultaneous Japanese publication releases, and audiobooks. Personalize your digital bookshelf and take advantage of regular promotions and coin-back rewards.

**Highlights:** V-Scroll Comics (Webtoons), Manga simultaneous publication, Audiobook selection, Exclusive short stories, Bonus content and giveaways, Coin-back and discount promotions, Personalizable digital library

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 価格帯1の電子書籍 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 価格帯2の電子書籍 | $1.99 | one-time |
| 価格帯3の電子書籍 | $2.99 | one-time |
| 価格帯A3の電子書籍 | $2.99 | one-time |
| 価格帯4の電子書籍 | $3.99 | one-time |
| 価格帯A4の電子書籍 | $3.99 | one-time |
| 価格帯5の電子書籍 | $4.99 | one-time |
| 価格帯A5の電子書籍 | $4.99 | one-time |
| 価格帯6の電子書籍 | $5.99 | one-time |
| 価格帯7の電子書籍 | $6.99 | one-time |
| 価格帯9の電子書籍 | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app for Japanese language speakers outside Japan
- 👍 Easy to use and diverse range of material
- 💡 Coin system allows for affordable purchases
- 👍 Manga and light novels are high quality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently, especially on iPad
- 🐛 Downloading issues, slow speeds, and instability
- 🔒 Can't transfer purchased content to other platforms
- 🔒 Removed ability to access Japanese store in-app
- 👎 Expensive with coupon codes rarely working

**Reported bugs**

- Constant login issues and authentication failures
- App freezes and crashes when opening books/manga
- Incompatible with older iOS devices after updates
- Downloading often fails or gets stuck indefinitely

**Requested features**

- Add ability to sync bookshelves across devices
- Improve page turning and reading experience
- Integrate purchasing directly within the app
- Expand dictionary and translation features
- Restore access to Japanese store within the app


### Shimoe Manga Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shimoe-manga-reader/id6449829324)

**Currently charting:** #188 Top Grossing · Book (US App Store)

Read comics, manhua, manhwa, webtoon, and manga with this free reader app. Organize your library, download chapters for offline access, and customize your reading experience. No login is required to start enjoying your favorite titles.

**Highlights:** Create and categorize your own library, Block specific genres, Download chapters for offline reading, Sort manga by latest or popular, Search for manga, Reading history tracking, Backup and restore library

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shimoe reader plus  1 Week | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Shimoe reader plus  1 Month | $3.99 | per month |
| Shimoe reader plus  1 Year | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great collection of manga/manhwa
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 💡 Ability to filter genres
- 🚀 Smooth reading experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Issues with loading/displaying pages
- 🐛 Chapters not loading/missing
- 🔒 Paywall for latest chapters
- 🐛 Frequent crashes/bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Pages not loading correctly
- Chapters disappearing from library
- App crashing during use
- Downloading issues

**Requested features**

- Add support for multiple languages
- Improve download/offline reading functionality
- Implement a 'read later' or bookmarking feature
- Add an option to filter by completed/ongoing series


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BOOK WALKER free?

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

### Is Shimoe Manga Reader free?

Shimoe Manga Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, BOOK WALKER or Shimoe Manga Reader?

Shimoe Manga Reader is rated higher. BOOK WALKER averages 4.0 out of 5 from 409 ratings, while Shimoe Manga Reader averages 4.6 from 1.7K ratings.

### Do BOOK WALKER or Shimoe Manga Reader have ads?

Shimoe Manga Reader shows ads; BOOK WALKER does not.

### Which is updated more often, BOOK WALKER or Shimoe Manga Reader?

BOOK WALKER ships an update every 6 weeks, and Shimoe Manga Reader every 4 days. Most recently, BOOK WALKER was updated on September 23, 2026 and Shimoe Manga Reader on September 25, 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.*