Manga Capsule vs Penguin
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Manga Capsule
This app is a reader for manga enthusiasts, offering a seamless cross-device experience for collecting and enjoying comics. It supports multiple file formats and storage options, with customizable reading modes and AI-powered image enhancement.
- Cross-device reading sync
- Supports EPUB, MOBI, PDF, ZIP, RAR, JPG, PNG
- Connects to WebDAV, SMB, Aliyun Drive
- Multiple reading modes (RTL, LTR, vertical)
- AI upscaling for low-resolution images
- Smart bookshelf organization
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Manga Capsule is a reader designed for manga lovers, helping you enjoy both collecting and reading manga. We love reading manga, and we also love product design. Our goal is to provide you with the best reading experience: - Continue Reading Across Devices From iPhone to iPad, Manga Capsule works seamlessly across all iOS devices. And yes—it also runs smoothly on M-series Macs. - Multiple Formats, Smooth Reading Supports popular formats including EPUB, MOBI, PDF, ZIP, RAR, JPG, PNG and more. Even large files open quickly. - Local, NAS & Cloud Storage Connect via WebDAV and SMB, or link Aliyun Drive. You can also download cloud files for offline reading. - Reading Modes for All Styles Whether it’s Japanese right-to-left, Western left-to-right, or webtoon vertical scroll, Manga Capsule adapts. Optimized layouts for big screens, plus multiple page-turning modes: panning, continuous scroll, realistic flip and more. - Beautiful Bookshelf Smart cropping and sorting ensure your covers look their best. - AI Upscaling Bring old manga back to life. AI enhances low-resolution images for a clear, sharp reading experience. - Rotate & Pan Easily adjust pages to handle tricky reading situations. Note: Manga Capsule does not provide or host any manga sources or content. We only provide the reading tool—thanks for understanding. Subscription Plans Yearly: $9.99 / year Lifetime: one-time purchase, no subscription (Prices may vary by region.) Subscriptions are charged to your iTunes account. They automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage your subscription anytime in your App Store account settings. Any unused portion of a free trial will be forfeited once a subscription is purchased. Terms of Service: https://wechatobsidian.com/manga_iapagreement_en.html Privacy Policy: https://wechatobsidian.com/manga_privacy_en.html For feedback or questions, please use Feedback in the app. We’d love to hear from you! Made with love by Capsule Studio.
Penguin
This app allows you to read your own comic collection in various formats, with on-device translation for Japanese manga. It offers a customizable reading experience and a smart bookshelf, all while prioritizing user privacy and local data processing.
- On-device manga translation for Japanese comics
- Supports various file formats (CBZ, CBR, PDF, etc.)
- SMB and WebDAV network drive support
- OPDS catalog compatibility
- Smart bookshelf with automatic categorization
- Customizable reading gestures and scrolling
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A comic reader for the books you already own. CBZ, CBR, PDF and EPUB open straight from Files, your Mac, or your NAS — no unpacking, no account, no ads, and no internet needed once a book is on the device. Japanese pages you cannot read? Penguin Viewer translates the speech bubbles on your device and paints the English back into the balloon. ■ Manga and novels in one library - Drop in CBZ, CBR, CB7 (7z), ZIP, RAR, PDF or an image folder. TXT, MD and EPUB novels land on the same shelf. - Auto margin cropping fills the screen with books you scanned yourself. ■ A library in your own folders - Make folders like in Finder, nested at any depth, and drag books between them. - New imports land in the open folder, dozens at a time. Move or delete in bulk, or drag books into your own order. - The folder layout and book order follow you over iCloud. Files are not uploaded and use no iCloud storage. ■ Translation that ends on the device - A manga or webtoon bubble is read sentence by sentence, translated, and painted back where the original lettering was. Vertical Japanese is recognized too. - In novels, translate a sentence or page to read beside the original, or look up words. - Translate a book in advance and pages turn with no wait. Nothing is sent anywhere. ■ Read novels your way - Font, size, line spacing, margins and background change in Text and Layout, live. - Jump chapters from the contents. Position and bookmarks carry between devices. ■ Your NAS and server library - Connect over SMB (NAS), WebDAV or OPDS, compatible with Komga and Kavita. - OPDS-PSE streaming resumes at your page without downloading, so a huge library takes no storage. - Reading position syncs over iCloud, and server credentials stay in the device keychain. ■ Read it the way you want - Single Page, Two-Page, or Smart Two-Page picking by screen ratio, plus right-to-left binding. - Webtoons scroll vertically, or run 120Hz auto-scroll through a binge. Pan sideways while zoomed in. - Multi-gigabyte volumes turn without stutter, and pinch zoom works in spreads too. - A night theme blacks out the reader on your schedule, and Mac turns pages from the keyboard. ■ A library that sorts itself - Smart shelves file books as unread, reading or finished, and ComicInfo groups a scattered series. - Set grid columns and cover size, sort by recently opened, search by title, author or series. ■ A record that grows as you read - Reading statistics, streaks and milestones build the habit. - The reading calendar shows how much you read, iOS widgets show today's, and Face ID locks the app, hiding books from widgets and search. ■ Local AI Translation Benchmark - Measure how fast your iPhone, iPad or Mac translates a manga page. Run it from Translation in Settings. - The result is a single PVScore. A bigger number means a faster device. - The results screen is CRT arcade, scanlines and all. Beat your best and NEW RECORD appears. - Save and share the score as a PNG card, device name and chip included. - Enter a nickname (up to 12 characters) to see the worldwide PVScore top 500. ■ Honest pricing - Almost everything is free. The free library holds 30 books, and sharing the app opens 10 more. - The benchmark and leaderboard are free, with unlimited runs. - An unlimited library is one lifetime Pro purchase, not a subscription. No ads anywhere. ■ Privacy by default - Local first: files, translation, statistics and benchmark results stay on the device. - Leaderboard posts send nickname, score, run log and device info (model, chip, RAM, OS), all shown first. - Linking MyAnimeList sends it your title searches and volumes read. - No account, no sign-up, not a single tracking SDK. Open it and read. - Export your library and reading history, and restore it on a new device. ■ Good to know - Penguin Viewer supplies no manga or novels. It reads files you already own. - The interface comes in 17 languages. Requests left in reviews get built quickly. Novel reading came out of one.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Penguin at free with in-app purchases against Manga Capsule's subscription. Penguin also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.0) and update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly). Manga Capsule's advantage is ratings volume (20 vs 2) and iOS requirement (16.3 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
Both are free to download. Manga Capsule sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Penguin sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Penguin holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Manga Capsule has 20 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 87% of Manga Capsule's written reviews are positive against 100% of Penguin's.
Manga Capsule ships an update fortnightly, Penguin every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Manga Capsule | Penguin |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (20 ratings) | 4.5 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 86.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 20 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.3 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 154 MB | 120 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 景 贺 | HAEDUN KIM |
Customer experience
Manga Capsule
Penguin
In-app purchases
Manga Capsule
- Monthly Plan1 Month trial$0.991 Month
- 连续包季$1.993 Months
- Annual Plan1 Year trial$9.991 Year
- 终身会员·内测专享Free
- 活动买断$4.99
- 活动买断$5.99
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- Lifetime Access$15.99
- Lifetime Access$17.99
- Lifetime Access$19.99
Penguin
- Pro Lifetime — Buy Once$3.99









