Comparison

Zero Reader vs Penguin

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

Head to head
About

Zero Reader

A lightweight and clean local novel reader that imports TXT files for a pure reading experience. Enjoy features like clear formatting, chapter navigation, progress tracking, bookmarks, and customizable themes and fonts without any ads or network permissions.

Highlights
  • Import local TXT files
  • Clean reading interface
  • Chapter navigation
  • Bookmarks and reading progress
  • Reading statistics
  • Customizable themes and fonts
  • Dark mode support
Features
Read full description

Zero Reader 是一款超轻量、纯净的本地小说阅读器,没有任何广告。 导入 TXT 、EPUB、MOBI 文件,即可快速开始阅读。 App 专注于最基础、最重要的阅读体验:清爽排版、目录跳转、阅读进度、阅读状态统计、书签、主题与字体设置。 Zero Reader 不需要任何网络权限,不含任何广告。导入的文件、阅读进度和设置等所有信息均保存在设备本地,不会以任何形式上传到云端。 针对排版进行了超级多的优化!设置项可玩性真的很高!字体随意导入,字重无极调节(可变字体),上下左右边距,justify,以及你可能需要的各种操作,这里都有。 主要功能: - 导入本地 TXT 文件 - 清爽的阅读界面 - 支持目录与章节跳转 - 支持书签、阅读进度和最近阅读 - 支持阅读状态统计 - 支持字体、字号、行距、主题与边距设置 - 支持深色模式 - 支持中英文自适应 Zero Reader 秉持 "Zero Distractions. Just Reading." 的原则,纯净、沉浸的享受吧!

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. - Auto margin cropping fills the screen with books you scanned yourself. ■ A library in your own folders - Make folders like in Finder, nested at any depth, and drag books between them. - New imports land in the open folder, dozens at a time. Move or delete in bulk, or drag books into your own order. - The folder layout and book order follow you over iCloud. Files are not uploaded and use no iCloud storage. ■ Translation that ends on the device - A manga or webtoon bubble is read sentence by sentence, translated, and painted back where the original lettering was. Vertical Japanese is recognized too. - In novels, translate a sentence or page to read beside the original, or look up words. - Translate a book in advance and pages turn with no wait. Nothing is 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, Two-Page, or Smart Two-Page picking by screen ratio, plus right-to-left binding. - 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, hiding books from widgets and search. ■ Local AI Translation Benchmark - Measure how fast your iPhone, iPad or Mac translates a manga page. 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 and share the score as a PNG card, device name and chip included. - Enter a nickname (up to 12 characters) to 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 leaderboard are free, with unlimited 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. - Leaderboard posts send nickname, score, run log and device info (model, chip, RAM, OS), all shown first. - Linking MyAnimeList sends it your title searches and volumes read. - 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 supplies no manga or novels. It reads files you already own. - The interface comes in 17 languages. Requests left in reviews get built quickly. Novel reading came out of one.

Screenshots

Zero Reader4 screens
Penguin4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Penguin at Free against Zero Reader's $0.99. Penguin also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 10 days) and review sentiment (100% vs 83%). Zero Reader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On ads 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

Penguin is free to download; Zero Reader costs $0.99 up front. Penguin sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Zero Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Zero Reader ships an update every 10 days, Penguin every 3 days. Both last shipped on October 13, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Zero Reader versus Penguin: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZero ReaderPenguin
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating—4.5 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews82.6% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS26.018.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB120 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer杰翔 康HAEDUN KIM

Customer experience

Zero Reader

Written reviews23 reviews
Positive82.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative17.4%

Penguin

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Zero Reader

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Penguin

One-time1
  • Pro Lifetime — Buy Once$3.99

Questions

Is Zero Reader free?
Zero Reader costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Penguin free?
Penguin is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Zero Reader or Penguin have ads?
Neither Zero Reader nor Penguin shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Zero Reader or Penguin?
Zero Reader ships an update every 10 days, and Penguin every 3 days. Most recently, Zero Reader was updated on October 13, 2026 and Penguin on October 13, 2026.

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