ManiShelf vs CBZ Manga Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
ManiShelf
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I had 20+ tabs and bookmarks for manga, manhwa, and anime scattered across browsers, and a spreadsheet that wasn't pretty or functional. So I made the app I wanted: one place for everything I'm reading and watching. ManiShelf lives on your iPhone and manages your entire collection of manga, manhwa, light novels, and anime. No account, no subscription, no telemetry. Your data lives on your device - not on a server that could disappear tomorrow. KEY FEATURES: β’ Import your existing collections with scores and progress. Add new titles directly from the menu bar, or paste any link and the app will suggest adding it and attach the source so you can find it later. Covers, descriptions, scores, voice actor cast for anime, linked titles - it's all there. β’ Optional iCloud sync between all your Apple devices β’ Set up a custom release schedule for Manhwa and be notified when a new chapter drops. Automatic notifications for new anime episodes with no setup. Pick any notification sound you like, or none at all. β’ Organize your collection with tags and filters: In Progress, Backlog, Dropped, On Hold. Save your custom filter setups and reuse them anytime. Just added 8 seasons of your favorite anime? The app offers to group them under one card while still letting you rate each season individually. Incognito mode hides selected titles from the grid on launch. ;) β’ Browse your statistics and get personalized recommendations based on your taste. Export to JSON, XML, or CSV. Back up or share your library with friends. PS: ManiShelf isn't a reader - it's the cozy shelf where your collection lives. PPS: If you find a bug, please reach out at https://oitoana.dev/contact
CBZ Manga Reader
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CBZ Manga Reader is a local manga and comic reader for iPhone and iPad. Download it free and start reading. No account. No ads. Your books stay on your device. Open CBZ, ZIP, CBR, CB7, PDF, and EPUB without DRM. Password-protected PDFs are not supported. Turn pages by swipe or tap, read right to left or left to right, use two-page spreads on iPad, or scroll a vertical strip. Zoom, fit the page, and continue from the page you left. Keep books in more than one folder. Series sort themselves. Recents, continue, and the next volume are free. The reader gets out of the way. Bars hide after a few seconds. Tap the center of the page to bring them back. Choose Smooth, Balanced, or Sharp scaling. Sharp keeps line art crisp when you zoom. Premium is optional. It does not charge you to open a book or turn a page. On-device colorize includes 20 free pages. Premium removes the cap. Coloring runs on your device. Pages are not uploaded. Premium also includes: β’ Panel reading. Step through one panel at a time. Detection runs on your iPhone or iPad. β’ Volume buttons. Volume up is the next page, volume down the previous. In panel mode the buttons step from panel to panel. Swipe and tap stay free. β’ Favorites and piles. Group books you already have, and add every volume in a folder or series in one step. β’ Library search, unread / reading / finished filters, and a display name for a shelf. β’ Brightness, contrast, saturation, margin trim, and a magnifier. Pinch zoom stays free. β’ Bookmarks and a table of contents. β’ More accent colors. Coral stays free. β’ Discover. Sort, search, and more title suggestions. A short Featured sample, and a few Sequel and Similar titles, stay free. Titles and covers only. Never chapters. β’ Optional iCloud sync of reading progress for the same Apple ID. One Premium purchase works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Premium Monthly is an auto-renewable subscription for 1 month at β¬1.99 per month. Premium Lifetime is a one-time purchase at $9.99 in the United States. The price you are charged is the price shown before you confirm, in your storefrontβs currency. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. The monthly subscription renews unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel subscriptions in your App Store account settings after purchase. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://vytas-industries-web.vercel.app/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
ManiShelf and CBZ Manga Reader are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters β price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them β neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. ManiShelf sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and CBZ Manga Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
ManiShelf ships an update weekly, CBZ Manga Reader every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ManiShelf | CBZ Manga Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Weekly β better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 β better |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 90 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Anastasiia Senkevych | VYTAUTAS SAPRANAVICI |
In-app purchases
ManiShelf
- Small Tip$1.99
- Medium Tip$4.99
- Large Tip$9.99
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- Extra Large Tip$14.99
CBZ Manga Reader
- Premium$9.99
Questions
Is ManiShelf free?
Is CBZ Manga Reader free?
Do ManiShelf or CBZ Manga Reader have ads?
Which is updated more often, ManiShelf or CBZ Manga Reader?
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