Comparison

Chunky Comic Reader vs Panels

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

Head to head
About

Chunky Comic Reader

Effortlessly manage and read your digital comic collection with smart upscaling and auto-enhancement features. Organize your library, download comics from various cloud services, and enjoy a seamless reading experience.

Highlights
  • Smart upscaling for low-res comics
  • Auto contrast/tint correction
  • Self-organizing library
  • Background downloading from cloud
  • Parental controls
  • Single/two-up page view
  • Right-to-left reading mode
Features
Read full description

Try an app that makes your comics look great, makes reading them a pleasure, and takes all the friction out of importing and managing them. • Ultra clean and simple to use • Smart upscaling makes even low-res comics look great • Auto contrast/tint fixes yellow pages and faded ink • Self-organising library - just drop in your comics and go • Download comics in the background while you read, directly from your cloud file-storage service or the web • Upgrade to pro, and download from your PC, Mac or NAS as well • Parental controls let you flag specific comics as ok, and passcode-lock everything else out of sight • Single-page or two-up page view • Right-to-left reading mode • Post screenshots directly to Twitter, Facebook, or Reddit Chunky supports CBZ, CBR, CBT and PDF comics, and understands ComicRack and ComicBookLover tags. It can browse and download directly from iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Transporter, Google Drive, OneDrive, Amazon Cloud Drive, Box, Pogoplug, Mediafire and Copy, and you can copy files in and out with iTunes on your computer or download them via the built-in web browser. Upgrade to Pro and it'll also connect to Mac or Windows shared folders, FTP or SFTP servers, ComicStreamer, Calibre or Ubooquity libraries, and run a mini web and webDAV server you can use to copy files in and out.

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
Currently charting
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

Panels4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Panels at 4.8 against Chunky Comic Reader's 4.2. Panels also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (12K vs 485). Chunky Comic Reader's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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. Chunky Comic Reader sells 3 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 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Panels has 12K ratings behind it against 485, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Chunky Comic Reader's written reviews are positive against 70% of Panels's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chunky Comic Reader ships an update every 2 months, Panels every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Chunky Comic Reader versus Panels: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChunky Comic ReaderPanels
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (485 ratings)4.8 (12K ratings) — better
Positive reviews64.2% of reviews70.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings48512K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#188 — better
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS9.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB165 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperMichael FerendurosProdukt Studio

Customer experience

Chunky Comic Reader

All ratings485 ratings
Positive77.9%
Neutral6.4%
Negative15.7%
Written reviews271 reviews
Positive64.2%
Neutral9.2%
Negative26.6%

Panels

All ratings12,369 ratings
Positive95.4%
Neutral1.8%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews1,126 reviews
Positive70.2%
Neutral9.6%
Negative20.2%

User reviews

Chunky Comic Reader

From 485 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Fast and smooth performance
  • 💡 Great organization and sorting options
  • 🔒 Secure and ad-free
  • 👍 Excellent comic reading experience

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and crashes
  • 🐛 Syncing and connectivity issues
  • 🐛 Compatibility problems with newer devices
  • 🐛 Lost reading progress
  • 🐛 Unreliable file management

Panels

From 12K App Store ratings

What 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

Chunky Comic Reader

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes when opening large files
  • Inability to import comics
  • Dropbox and OneDrive integration broken
  • Deleted comics not freeing up storage
  • Slow performance on newer iPads

Requested features

6 requests
  • Vertical scrolling for webtoons
  • Metadata editing capabilities
  • Nested folder organization
  • Keyboard controls
  • Night mode/dark theme
Show 1 more
  • Automatic backup and sync

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

3 purchases

Chunky Comic Reader

One-time3
  • Generous Tip$0.99
  • Super-Generous Tip$2.99
  • Pro Upgrade$3.99
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 Chunky Comic Reader free?
Chunky Comic Reader 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, Chunky Comic Reader or Panels?
Panels is rated higher. Chunky Comic Reader averages 4.2 out of 5 from 485 ratings, while Panels averages 4.8 from 12K ratings.
Do Chunky Comic Reader or Panels have ads?
Neither Chunky Comic Reader nor Panels shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chunky Comic Reader or Panels?
Chunky Comic Reader ships an update every 2 months, and Panels every 8 days. Most recently, Chunky Comic Reader was updated on September 21, 2026 and Panels on October 7, 2026.

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