Comparison

ChibiManga vs Codex Reader Early Access

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

Head to head
About

ChibiManga

Features
Read full description

ChibiManga is a native iPhone reader for self-hosted comic and manga libraries. Use ChibiManga to: - Connect to Komga and Kavita servers - Import local files such as CBZ and EPUB - Read in horizontal or vertical modes - Keep track of chapter progress - Customize reading settings for a comfortable experience ChibiManga is designed for people who manage their own libraries and want a simple, fast, native reading experience on iPhone.

About

Codex Reader Early Access

Features
Read full description

Codex Reader turns the books you already own into one library you can read and listen to. Connect your own sources โ€” Plex, Audiobookshelf, OPDS catalogs, and Storyteller โ€” or bring files straight in from the Files app. Your EPUBs, M4Bs, and MP3 audiobooks all land in a single shelf. READ AND LISTEN, TOGETHER Readalouds keep the text and the narration in sync, highlighting each line as it's spoken. Switch between reading and listening whenever you like and pick up exactly where you left off. BUILT FOR iOS CarPlay for the drive. Siri and Spotlight to jump straight into a book. Home Screen widgets and a Live Activity for what you're in the middle of. Everything works offline once downloaded. MADE YOURS Choose your app icon, tune typography and playback to taste, organize shelves and reading lists, and follow authors or servers to hear about new arrivals. Codex Premium adds iCloud sync so your place in a book follows you between devices.

Screenshots

ChibiManga4 screens
Codex Reader Early Access4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ChibiManga at none against Codex Reader Early Access's 1. Codex Reader Early Access's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Codex Reader Early Access sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ChibiManga asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ChibiManga ships an update every 2 weeks, Codex Reader Early Access weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 3 level
ChibiManga versus Codex Reader Early Access: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChibiMangaCodex Reader Early Access
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad โ€” better
Requires iOS18.016.4 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size7 MB104 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperAryakumar JhaCameron Green

In-app purchases

None

ChibiManga

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Codex Reader Early Access

One-time1
  • Codex Premium$6.99

Questions

Is ChibiManga free?
ChibiManga is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Codex Reader Early Access free?
Codex Reader Early Access is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ChibiManga or Codex Reader Early Access have ads?
Neither ChibiManga nor Codex Reader Early Access shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ChibiManga or Codex Reader Early Access?
ChibiManga ships an update every 2 weeks, and Codex Reader Early Access weekly. Most recently, ChibiManga was updated on September 30, 2026 and Codex Reader Early Access on October 14, 2026.

Other comparisons