Comparison

expt vs Paper Comic Reader

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

Head to head
About

expt

A beautiful, distraction-free reader for all your local files, including EPUBs, PDFs, comics, and text documents. Organize your library, track reading progress, and enjoy a focused reading experience with customizable themes and layouts.

Highlights
  • Read EPUB, PDF, CBZ, CBR, TXT, CSV, code files
  • Customizable reader themes and typography
  • Distraction-free reading mode
  • Library organization with series and tags
  • Reading progress tracking and stats
  • iCloud sync for reading positions
  • 100% local file storage
Features
Read full description

expt is a beautiful, distraction-free reader for all your local files. Import EPUBs, PDFs, comics, text files, and more — everything opens in a clean, focused reading experience designed for deep reading. **Read Everything** • EPUB books with chapter navigation and search • PDF documents with native rendering • CBZ and CBR comic archives with page-turn viewer • Plain text, Markdown, CSV, code files, and HTML • ZIP archives with image grid browser **Designed for Reading** • Six reader themes: Light, Sepia, Dark, Solarized, Nord, Ink • Adjustable font, size, line height, and margins • Distraction-free mode hides all chrome • Reading progress tracked automatically **Organize Your Library** • Create series to group related files in reading order • Label and filter files by type, status, or custom tags • Search across your entire library by title or author • Track reading streaks and daily stats **Built for Apple** • Native iOS design with dark and light mode • iPad support with adaptive layouts • iCloud sync for reading positions across devices • Text-to-speech with language detection **Your Files, Your Device** • 100% local — no cloud storage, no accounts, no tracking • Import via Files app, Share Sheet, or drag and drop • Files stay on your device in the app sandbox

About

Paper Comic Reader

Read full description

Paper Comic Reader is a fast, private, native reader for your CBZ comics. No account, no cloud, no ads, no tracking — just your comics, on your device. BUILT FOR READING • Open CBZ (ZIP) comic archives instantly. • Full-screen, paged reader tuned for smooth, high-frame-rate page turns on ProMotion. • A signature paper reading mode — warm paper texture, grain and show-through you can dial in. • Double-page spreads in landscape, pinch to zoom, tap or swipe to turn. • Jump anywhere from a page grid. YOUR LIBRARY • Discover and Recents carousels put the comic you reach for next front and centre. • Bookmark any page — each bookmark keeps a thumbnail so you find it at a glance. • Reads ComicInfo.xml metadata: series, issue, credits and a story index in a clean detail view. • A home-screen widget brings back the comic you read last. • Light and dark mode. BRING YOUR OWN COMICS • Import from anywhere the Files app can reach — your device, iCloud Drive, or a file server. • Point it at a folder and every comic shows up; each downloads when you open it, and a download can be removed again to save space while the entry stays. • See your CBZ covers as thumbnails right in the Files app. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No sign-in, no analytics, no data collection. Everything stays on your device.

Screenshots

expt4 screens
Paper Comic Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: expt at 15.1 against Paper Comic Reader's 26.0. 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
expt versus Paper Comic Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterexptPaper Comic Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequency—Every 5 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size45 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperArthur ParkUlf Schuster

In-app purchases

None

expt

No in-app purchases

None

Paper Comic Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is expt free?
expt is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Paper Comic Reader free?
Paper Comic Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do expt or Paper Comic Reader have ads?
Neither expt nor Paper Comic Reader shows ads.

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