# MangaDen vs Halftone

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MangaDen at none against Halftone's 3. Halftone's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and ratings volume (8 vs 2). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Halftone sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. MangaDen asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for MangaDen against 5.0 for Halftone. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 8 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

MangaDen ships an update every 3 weeks, Halftone weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MangaDen | Halftone |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mangaden/id6753993392/reviews) | [5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/halftone-comic-and-manga-reader/id6792478808/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **8** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 7 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Brody Wells](https://appshunter.io/developer/1846173461) | [Bony Yousuf](https://appshunter.io/developer/1080482015) |

## What reviewers say

### MangaDen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mangaden/id6753993392)

This app allows you to build a digital library of manga and comics. Download chapters for offline reading and enjoy a customizable, seamless experience with smart library management and automatic updates.

**Highlights:** Build digital library, Offline reading, Smart library management, Built-in web browser, Smart downloads, Customizable reader, Auto-refresh for updates

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Halftone

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/halftone-comic-and-manga-reader/id6792478808)

This app provides a seamless reading experience for comics and manga from various sources like Komga, Kavita, and cloud storage. It features unique zoom controls for comfortable one-handed reading and supports multiple file formats.

**Highlights:** Connects to Komga, Kavita, and other OPDS catalogs, Hold Zoom for one-handed reading, Page-level progress sync, Supports various file formats (CBZ, CBR, PDF), Webtoon mode for long-strip scrolling, Privacy features like Incognito reading

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $1.49 | per month |
| Premium Yearly | $14.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Unlock | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MangaDen free?

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

### Is Halftone free?

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

### Which has better reviews, MangaDen or Halftone?

MangaDen and Halftone are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 8 ratings respectively.

### Do MangaDen or Halftone have ads?

Neither MangaDen nor Halftone shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MangaDen or Halftone?

MangaDen ships an update every 3 weeks, and Halftone weekly. Most recently, MangaDen was updated on October 30, 2026 and Halftone on November 10, 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.*