# 青空文庫Stella vs Penguin

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: 青空文庫Stella at 13.0 against Penguin's 18.0. On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 青空文庫Stella sells 3 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.

青空文庫Stella ships an update every 4 days, Penguin every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 青空文庫Stella | Penguin |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penguin-cbz-cbr-comic-reader/id6780071705/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **2** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 195 MB | 120 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [kyohei sugita](https://appshunter.io/developer/1850242429) | [HAEDUN KIM](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896506869) |

## What reviewers say

### 青空文庫Stella

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stella/id6754812697)

Discover Japanese literature through intuition and chance. This app uses a unique Tarot feature to suggest passages, allowing you to build a personal bookshelf of resonant literary fragments. It offers tools for language learners, including furigana modes and customizable reading settings.

**Highlights:** Tarot-guided literary discovery, Personalized bookshelf, Furigana (Ruby) modes, Font size and theme customization, Aesthetic quote card creation, Reading profile sharing

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Stellaプレミアム | $0.99 | per month |
| Stellaプレミアム | $0.99 | per month |
| Stellaプレミアム（年間） | $9.99 | per year |


### Penguin

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penguin-cbz-cbr-comic-reader/id6780071705)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Lifetime — Buy Once | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 青空文庫Stella free?

青空文庫Stella is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Penguin free?

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

### Do 青空文庫Stella or Penguin have ads?

Neither 青空文庫Stella nor Penguin shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, 青空文庫Stella or Penguin?

青空文庫Stella ships an update every 4 days, and Penguin every 3 days. Most recently, 青空文庫Stella was updated on October 1, 2026 and Penguin on October 13, 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.*