Comparison

ComicShelf Reader vs Halftone

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

Head to head
About

ComicShelf Reader

Organize and read your digital comic collection with support for multiple formats like CBZ, CBR, PDF, and EPUB. Enjoy various library and reading views, including panel-by-panel zoom and cloud storage integration. Designed for a seamless reading experience on iPhone and iPad.

Highlights
  • Supports CBZ, CBR, PDF, EPUB formats
  • Carousel, Shelf, and Grid library views
  • Paginated, Panel, and Scroll reading modes
  • Right-to-left reading for manga
  • Cloud storage integration (Google Drive, iCloud, WebDAV)
  • Handcrafted dark UI with optional red theme
Features
Read full description

ComicShelf Reader is the ultimate comic reading experience for iPhone and iPad. Whether you're a lifelong collector or just getting started, ComicShelf Reader puts your entire library at your fingertips — beautifully organized and a joy to read. READ EVERY FORMAT CBZ, CBR, PDF, and EPUB — ComicShelf Reader handles them all. No conversions, no workarounds. Just open and read. THREE STUNNING LIBRARY VIEWS • Carousel — Flip through your collection like a physical longbox with a stunning 3D carousel and reflective display • Shelf View — See your comics organized by series on a classic bookshelf • Grid View — A clean, dense layout for collectors with large libraries THREE READING MODES • Paginated — Tap or swipe page by page, just like holding a real comic • Panel View — Zoom in panel by panel for the ultimate reading experience on any screen size • Scroll View — Continuous vertical scrolling, perfect for webtoons and manga MANGA SUPPORT Full right-to-left reading mode for manga fans. ComicShelf Reader adapts to the way you read. YOUR LIBRARY, YOUR WAY Connect your existing cloud storage and read directly from your collection — no re-uploading required. • Google Drive • iCloud Drive • WebDAV servers BEAUTIFUL BY DESIGN ComicShelf Reader features a handcrafted dark UI with an optional Bloodied red theme — built for late-night reading sessions. Every detail, from the animated carousel to the per-panel zoom, is designed to keep you in the story. PRIVACY FIRST ComicShelf Reader does not collect, sell, or share your personal data. Your library stays yours. Support: support@comicshelf.app Privacy Policy: https://comicshelf.app/reader/privacy

About

Halftone

This app provides a seamless reading experience for comics and manga from various sources like Komga, Kavita, and cloud storage. It features unique zoom controls for comfortable one-handed reading and supports multiple file formats.

Highlights
  • Connects to Komga, Kavita, and other OPDS catalogs
  • Hold Zoom for one-handed reading
  • Page-level progress sync
  • Supports various file formats (CBZ, CBR, PDF)
  • Webtoon mode for long-strip scrolling
  • Privacy features like Incognito reading
Read full description

The reader your comic and manga server deserves — and the comfiest way to read on a phone. Halftone connects straight to the places you already keep comics: Komga and Kavita (native, not just OPDS), Audiobookshelf, any OPDS catalog, SMB shares on your NAS, WebDAV, Dropbox, OneDrive, and the files on your device. No account with us. No middleman server. No ads. PANEL VIEW Read one panel at a time, in the right order — manga's right-to-left included. Tap or swipe to step through the page, hold to peek at the whole thing, and pick Overlay or Fade to dim everything but the panel you're on. HOLD ZOOM Press and hold anywhere and the page magnifies; pan with the same finger — one-handed, made for dense pages and small lettering. Rest your thumb at a screen edge and the page keeps moving. Free for everyone — no unlock, no trial, no asterisk. YOUR SERVER, FIRST-CLASS • Komga and Kavita: native API clients — series, collections, page-by-page streaming • Audiobookshelf: your server's comics, with its covers and progress • Two-way, page-level progress sync — stop on your iPhone, and the server's web reader opens on the same page • OPDS for everything else: Codex, Ubooquity, Calibre-Web, Stump, and more • SMB and WebDAV — your NAS, found automatically • Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud Drive, and any Files-app folder • Stream page by page without importing (CBZ and most CBR/RAR), or pin chapters for offline with one tap • Synced folders: point Halftone at a folder on your NAS or cloud drive and it mirrors the whole tree, subfolders and all • iCloud sync carries your place to your other devices through your own iCloud — for imported comics and every source with no sync of its own A READER BUILT FOR COMICS • Apple Books–style page curl that folds at the spine — or a classic slide • Double-page spreads with one-tap pairing fixes, spine shadow, and paper margins • True right-to-left for manga: page order, tap zones, curl, and scrubber all follow • A proper webtoon mode: smooth long-strip scrolling, detected automatically • AI Upscale: low-resolution scans are sharpened on-device as you read • Crop Borders trims scanned margins so the art fills the screen, and can drop credit strips • Tap zones your way: Left-Right, L-Shaped, Top-Bottom, or off • Match Page backgrounds: margins take the page's own color — or Backdrop, a soft blur of the page itself A LIBRARY THAT KEEPS UP • Built for thousands of files: search down to the single comic, collections, merge and move • Folders for loose comics — one-shots and odd issues, no fake series required • Reads ComicInfo.xml on import: real series names, correct chapter order, right-to-left detected • Wi-Fi transfer from any computer's browser • Bookmarks and a farthest-read marker — re-read an earlier chapter without losing your place • One-tap backup to a folder you pick; export as standard CBZ with ComicInfo.xml • Privacy tools: Incognito reading, Face ID app lock, hidden comics READS EVERYTHING CBZ/ZIP, CBR/RAR, CB7/7z, PDF, image-based ePub (DRM-free), and plain folders of images. FAIR PRICING, NO DARK PATTERNS Free is genuinely free: your whole local library, no series limit, full quality, spreads, right-to-left, webtoon scrolling, Hold Zoom, and the Panel View preview — and it never expires. Premium adds the connected half — servers, cloud drives, streaming, synced folders, iCloud sync, backup, privacy tools — plus the full reader: Panel View, AI Upscale, page curl, Crop Borders, spine shadow, and Match Page. Try it free for 24 hours. Lifetime unlock, or a small subscription. Nothing you imported or downloaded is ever deleted if you stop paying. SAMPLE ARTWORK IN SCREENSHOTS "Pepper&Carrot" by David Revoy (CC-BY 4.0, peppercarrot.com) · "Give My Regards to Black Jack" by Shuho Sato (author's free-use declaration) · US public-domain Golden Age comics. Privacy Policy: https://halftonereader.app/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://halftonereader.app/terms.html

Screenshots

ComicShelf Reader4 screens
Halftone4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ComicShelf Reader at none against Halftone's 3. Halftone's advantage is ratings volume (3 vs 1). On price, rating, 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

Both are free to download. Halftone sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. ComicShelf Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for ComicShelf Reader against 5.0 for Halftone. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 3 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
ComicShelf Reader versus Halftone: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterComicShelf ReaderHalftone
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings13 — better
Update frequency—Weekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB61 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThomas EggenbergerBony Yousuf

Customer experience

ComicShelf Reader

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Halftone

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

ComicShelf Reader

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Halftone

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly3 Days trial$1.491 Month
  • Premium Yearly3 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Unlock$19.99

Questions

Is ComicShelf Reader free?
ComicShelf Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Halftone free?
Halftone is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, ComicShelf Reader or Halftone?
ComicShelf Reader and Halftone are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 3 ratings respectively.
Do ComicShelf Reader or Halftone have ads?
Neither ComicShelf Reader nor Halftone shows ads.

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