Comparison

Pocket Library vs Penguin

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

Head to head
About

Pocket Library

Features
Read full description

'Pocket Library' is the most powerful comic and novel viewer that turns your smartphone and tablet into your perfect personal library. Enjoy various document formats like ZIP, CBZ, EPUB, PDF, and TXT quickly and comfortably. No need to hassle with cables to transfer files anymore. With our powerful network explorer, you can connect directly to your personal NAS or PC servers (WebDAV, FTP, SMB, etc.) to download files directly to your device! [Key Features] Ultimate Multi-Format Support • Supports comic archive files (ZIP, CBZ). • Standard EPUB support (Smartly detects comic-style EPUBs and automatically switches to a high-quality image viewer mode!). • PDF support with 'Image Extraction' (Extracts PDFs into high-quality images for comfortable reading like a comic book). • Text file (TXT) viewer support. Powerful Network Explorer & Direct Download (WebDAV / FTP / SFTP / SMB) • Fully supports WebDAV, FTP, SFTP, and SMB protocols. • Safely and quickly download files directly from your personal NAS or server to your device. • Enjoy your downloaded files with a seamless and blazing-fast offline reading experience, without needing an internet connection. Optimized Custom Viewer • Seamless ZIP/CBZ reading via background caching technology. • Supports all reading directions: right-to-left (Manga mode), vertical scrolling, and horizontal swiping. • Fully customizable touch zones (previous/next page areas) to suit your reading style. • Supports an eye-friendly e-paper mode optimized for E-Ink devices. Smart Personal Library Management • Create groups (folders) to neatly categorize and organize your added books. • Automatically remembers your last read position so you can resume exactly where you left off. Premium Benefits • Basic viewer and network features are absolutely free, allowing you to save up to 10 books in your smart library. • With a single, one-time Premium Upgrade, permanently unlock the 10-book storage limit to unlimited and completely remove all in-app banner ads! Now, enjoy your relaxing reading time anytime, anywhere with Pocket Library, without any complicated setups!

About

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.

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
Read full description

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. - Automatic margin cropping fills the screen with books you scanned yourself. ■ A library in your own folders - Make folders as you would in Finder, nested as deep as you like, and drag books between them. - New imports go into the folder you are looking at, dozens at a time, and books move or delete in bulk. - The folder layout follows you over iCloud. Files are not uploaded, so no iCloud storage is used. ■ Translation that ends on the device - A speech bubble is read sentence by sentence, translated, and painted back in where the original lettering was. Vertical Japanese is recognized as it is. - In novels, translate a sentence or a page and read it beside the original, or look up single words. - Translate a book in advance and pages turn with no wait. Nothing is ever 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 or two-page spread (smart spread), right-to-left binding, single page in portrait. - 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. ■ Local AI Translation Benchmark - Measure how fast your iPhone, iPad or Mac translates a page of manga. 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 the score as a PNG card and share it, device name and chip included. - Enter a nickname of up to 12 characters and 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 the leaderboard are free, with no limit on 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. Only a nickname and a score leave, and only when you post to the leaderboard. - 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 does not supply manga or novel content. It reads the files you already own. - Benchmark scores vary with the device and OS state, and move a little run to run. - The interface is available in 17 languages. Requests left in reviews get built quickly. Novel reading came out of one.

Screenshots

Pocket Library4 screens
Penguin4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Penguin at none against Pocket Library's shown. Penguin also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 months). Pocket Library's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Pocket Library sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Penguin sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pocket Library ships an update every 3 months, Penguin every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 5, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Pocket Library versus Penguin: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPocket LibraryPenguin
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB110 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDONGSOO LEEHAEDUN KIM

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Pocket Library

One-time1
  • Pocket Library Premium (Lifetime)$9.99
1 purchases

Penguin

One-time1
  • Pro Lifetime — Buy Once$6.99

Questions

Is Pocket Library free?
Pocket Library is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Penguin free?
Penguin is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Pocket Library or Penguin have ads?
Pocket Library shows ads; Penguin does not.
Which is updated more often, Pocket Library or Penguin?
Pocket Library ships an update every 3 months, and Penguin every 3 days. Most recently, Pocket Library was updated on September 5, 2026 and Penguin on September 21, 2026.

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