Karatu vs Greenlight Publishing
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Karatu
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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.
Greenlight Publishing
Access a vast library of original fiction and audiobooks. Seamlessly switch between reading and listening, with progress syncing across devices. Enjoy offline access and a customizable reading experience.
- Original fiction and audiobooks
- Read and listen on any device
- Offline access
- Sync progress across devices
- Customizable reader themes
- Sleep timer and playback speed control
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Greenlight is original fiction and audiobooks from the Greenlight catalogue — 662 books, 254 audiobooks, and new titles every day. READ, OR LISTEN, OR BOTH Every Greenlight title is born as a book, and many come with a professionally narrated audiobook. Switch between reading and listening without losing your place — your progress follows you. A LIBRARY THAT TRAVELS • Download books and audiobooks for planes, subways, and dead zones — they work fully offline • Your progress, shelf, and purchases sync across iPhone, iPad, and the web • Pick up mid-sentence on any device MADE FOR READERS • A beautiful, distraction-free reader: paper, night, and true-black themes, serif or sans type, adjustable sizes • Table of contents, resume-where-you-left-off, time-left estimates • Sign in with Apple with Face ID — and an optional Face ID lock for the whole app MADE FOR LISTENERS • A dedicated Listen tab for audiobook-first browsing • Sleep timer, playback speed, chapter navigation, background playback • Continue-listening rail so your current book is always one tap away TRY BEFORE ANYTHING The first chapters of every book and every audiobook sample are free — no account needed to browse. GO UNLIMITED, OR BUY ONE BOOK AT A TIME Greenlight Unlimited unlocks every book and every audiobook with a monthly or yearly subscription. Prefer to own? Buy any single title outright — text and audiobook included, yours to keep on your Greenlight account, on every platform. Subscriptions renew automatically until cancelled in your App Store settings. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account. Terms: https://www.greenlight-publishing.com/terms Privacy: https://www.greenlight-publishing.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Karatu at none against Greenlight Publishing's 3. Karatu also leads on update cadence (daily vs weekly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. Greenlight Publishing sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Karatu asks for nothing beyond the download.
Karatu ships an update daily, Greenlight Publishing weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Karatu | Greenlight Publishing |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Daily — better | Weekly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 48 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Umar Rufai | LUC SCHURGERS |
In-app purchases
Karatu
No in-app purchases
Greenlight Publishing
- Greenlight Unlimited Monthly$9.991 Month
- Greenlight Unlimited Yearly$59.991 Year
- Book unlock$4.99









