Karatu vs Stacks

Karatu is a native iOS reader where you bring your own sources. The app does not ship with a built-in catalog or library. Instead, you install small JavaScript source plug-ins from public repositories — exactly the same model as a media-server client like Plex or Jellyfin. The app is the reader; the content backend is up to you. WHAT KARATU GIVES YOU - A native iOS reader. Vertical (webtoon) and horizontal (paged) modes, pinch-zoom, double-tap to reset, tap-to-toggle full-screen, auto-advance to the next chapter. - Per-page bookmarks, grouped by series. - Offline downloads. Background URLSession keeps fetches running when the app is suspended; per-chapter status lives on the manga detail screen with a one-tap "Download all chapters." - A real library. Sort by recently-read, recently-added, title, or chapters-read. Filter by currently-reading, has-downloads, unread-chapters-available, or by source. - Reading history with per-chapter resume. Pick up exactly where you left off. - Reading-time stats. Daily totals, current streak, longest streak, total time. Stored locally; nothing is sent anywhere. - A clean settings screen with storage usage, per-source breakdown, and one-tap reset. WHAT KARATU DOES NOT DO - Ship sources. You provide them. - Send any data anywhere. Karatu has no accounts, no telemetry, no third-party SDKs, no ads. The privacy manifest declares zero data collection. - Verify, host, distribute, or endorse any source or repository. You are solely responsible for the content you choose to load. FOR DEVELOPERS Karatu's source SDK is a tiny JavaScript runtime: fetch, console.log, and registerSource. Sources implement four async methods (getPopular, search, getMangaDetails, getChapterPages) and return ordinary JSON. Anyone can write a source and host the manifest as a public file. See the project documentation for the full SDK contract. PRIVACY All app state — library, history, bookmarks, downloads, stats — is stored locally on your device. Karatu makes network requests only to URLs you have explicitly configured. There are no analytics, no tracking pixels, no third-party libraries that phone home. Uninstalling the app removes every byte. REQUIREMENTS iOS 17 or later. iPhone only.

Your shelves, in your pocket. Catalog every book you own, then keep track of what you read. Photograph a shelf, scan barcodes, or import your Goodreads or StoryGraph library — your whole collection is with you everywhere, on iPhone and iPad. BUILD YOUR LIBRARY YOUR WAY • Shelf scan: one photo catalogs an entire shelf — 20, 30, 40 books at once • Barcode auto-add: scan, hear the beep, move to the next book — with undo if you catch a wrong one • Import from Goodreads or StoryGraph with a CSV export, and export your library back out any time • Real cover art, page counts, and publication years fill in automatically • Honest AI: spines it can't read are flagged with their position, never guessed TRACK YOUR READING • Mark each book Not started, Reading, Read, or Didn't finish, with start and finish dates • A Currently reading row and a Reading shelf keep what you're in the middle of up front • Set a yearly reading goal and see your pace for the year (Pro) A LIBRARY THAT LOOKS LIKE A LIBRARY • The Shelf view renders your books as actual spines — width from page count, color from the real cover • Sort by author, genre, or color: your shelves as a rainbow • Grid and list views, search, and smart shelves: Unread, Favorites, Lent Out SCOUT SHELVES & BUILD A WISHLIST • Scout mode: point your camera at a bookstore or thrift-shop shelf and see which books fit your taste — before you buy • Librarian's picks (Pro): curated recommendations you can browse by category or search across the whole catalog • Add any book to your Library or your Want list in a tap — from picks, a scout, or a search KNOW YOUR OWN TASTE • Every scan reads your shelf and tells you something true about your taste • "Read next" picks come from books you already own — starting with your unread pile • Insights: pages owned, top genres, most-shelved authors, books added over time DESIGNED FOR IPHONE & IPAD • On iPad: a sidebar, multi-column shelves, and a two-page book view that fills the screen • Portrait or landscape, with Split View and Stage Manager • Your library and Want list stay in sync across devices NEVER LOSE A BOOK AGAIN • Standing in a bookstore wondering if you own it? Search your library in a second • The lending tracker remembers who borrowed what, and since when • Rate, track what you're reading, and keep notes on every book YOUR LIBRARIAN (PRO) • A weekly note on what to start next — from your own unread shelves, with the reasons • Picks chosen for your shelves: real books you don't own yet, tuned to what you've loved • A book-loving AI that knows your entire library: what to read, buy, or gift — grounded in your actual shelves, not bestseller lists • Chat with any single book, in its own voice • Share a Shelfie: your library as a story card — rainbow shelf, reading fingerprint, most-shelved authors Your library is backed up privately and automatically — no account, no sign-up. Free for up to 100 books. Stacks Pro unlocks unlimited books, reading goals, 50 shelf scans a month and the Librarian: $2.99/month or $19.99/year with a 7-day free trial. Stacks is for people whose books are part of who they are. Catalog your shelves and see your library the way it deserves to be seen. — Terms of Use: https://zencodex.io/apps/stacks/terms Privacy Policy: https://zencodex.io/apps/stacks/privacy