# Comic Reader vs Pharania

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pharania at none against Comic Reader's 10. Pharania also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.4). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Comic Reader sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Pharania asks for nothing beyond the download.

Comic Reader ships an update fortnightly, Pharania monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Comic Reader | Pharania |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (46 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/comic-reader-manga-cbz-cbr/id6504741382/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **46** | — |
| Positive reviews | 85.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 96 MB | 34 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Alexandre Guidet](https://appshunter.io/developer/1508644490) | [V P Trading PLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1752839938) |

## What reviewers say

### Comic Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/comic-reader-manga-cbz-cbr/id6504741382)

This app allows users to read comic books in CBR, CBZ, and PDF formats. It offers features like smart library organization, automatic progress saving, and an ad-free experience. Premium features include unlimited imports and custom collections.

**Highlights:** Supports CBR, CBZ, and PDF formats, Import from local storage/USB, Automatic reading progress saving, Customizable comic collections, Ad-free reading experience, Eye comfort mode (blue light filter)

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Monthly subscription sale | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly subscription | $12.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $17.99 | per year |
| Yearly subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Yearly subscription sale | $29.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $22.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $34.99 | one-time |


### Pharania

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pharania/id6529556319)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Comic Reader free?

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

### Is Pharania free?

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

### Do Comic Reader or Pharania have ads?

Neither Comic Reader nor Pharania shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Comic Reader or Pharania?

Comic Reader ships an update fortnightly, and Pharania monthly. Most recently, Comic Reader was updated on November 12, 2026 and Pharania on November 8, 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.*