Zero Reader vs Penguin
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Import local TXT files
- Clean reading interface
- Chapter navigation
- Bookmarks and reading progress
- Reading statistics
- Customizable themes and fonts
- Dark mode support
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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!
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
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
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.
Zero Reader ships an update every 10 days, Penguin every 3 days. Both last shipped on October 13, 2026.
| Parameter | Zero Reader | Penguin |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | — | 4.5 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 82.6% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 2 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 18.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 29 MB | 120 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 杰翔 康 | HAEDUN KIM |
Customer experience
Zero Reader
Penguin
In-app purchases
Zero Reader
No in-app purchases
Penguin
- Pro Lifetime — Buy Once$3.99









