Paper Comic Reader vs Mango
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side ā with what reviewers say about each.
Paper Comic Reader
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Paper Comic Reader is a fast, private, native reader for your CBZ comics. No account, no cloud, no ads, no tracking ā just your comics, on your device. BUILT FOR READING ⢠Open CBZ (ZIP) comic archives instantly. ⢠Full-screen, paged reader tuned for smooth, high-frame-rate page turns on ProMotion. ⢠A signature paper reading mode ā warm paper texture, grain and show-through you can dial in. ⢠Double-page spreads in landscape, pinch to zoom, tap or swipe to turn. ⢠Jump anywhere from a page grid. YOUR LIBRARY ⢠Discover and Recents carousels put the comic you reach for next front and centre. ⢠Bookmark any page ā each bookmark keeps a thumbnail so you find it at a glance. ⢠Reads ComicInfo.xml metadata: series, issue, credits and a story index in a clean detail view. ⢠A home-screen widget brings back the comic you read last. ⢠Light and dark mode. BRING YOUR OWN COMICS ⢠Import from anywhere the Files app can reach ā your device, iCloud Drive, or a file server. ⢠Point it at a folder and every comic shows up; each downloads when you open it, and a download can be removed again to save space while the entry stays. ⢠See your CBZ covers as thumbnails right in the Files app. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No sign-in, no analytics, no data collection. Everything stays on your device.
Mango
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Your manga, comics and light novels, together in a library that belongs to you. Mango reads the files you already have. Open a folder in Files or iCloud Drive, connect your NAS, or keep books on your device for offline reading. No account, subscription, ads or built-in catalog. Bring your own collection and start reading. READ YOUR WAY ⢠Read manga right to left or switch direction for western comics, with settings for individual books and series. ⢠Enjoy two-page spreads in landscape, with double-page artwork shown together. ⢠Scroll vertically through webtoons and long-strip comics. ⢠Pinch or double-tap to zoom, and tap the edges to turn pages. ⢠Return to your saved place in each volume. LIGHT NOVELS HAVE A HOME TOO EPUB novels get their own shelf, separate from manga even when they belong to the same series. Navigate chapters, adjust text size, and keep your reading position when the layout changes. Chapter illustrations stay part of the story. YOUR NAS IS PART OF YOUR LIBRARY Connect an SMB share to browse your collection alongside local files. Mango can load CBZ pages and EPUB chapters as you read, without first downloading the entire book. Keep your server reachable for streaming, or download books before heading offline. LESS SORTING, MORE READING Mango recognizes series, volumes and chapters from common filename patterns and groups volumes in reading order. Browse your shelves and pick up where you left off. YOUR FILES STAY YOURS Reading leaves your original files in place. Downloads, moves into Mango and uploads to your NAS happen only when you request them. Mango does not include or sell manga, comics or novels. Free and open source. No analytics, donation prompts or rating nags. Source code: github.com/vanities/mango Supported formats: CBZ, EPUB, PDF, and folders of JPEG, PNG, WebP, HEIC, GIF or TIFF images. CBR/RAR archives are not supported.
Screenshots
Verdict
Paper Comic Reader and Mango are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters ā price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them ā neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Paper Comic Reader ships an update every 5 days, Mango every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Paper Comic Reader | Mango |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days ā better | Every 9 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 26.0 |
| Further details ā not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ulf Schuster | AM2 LLC |
In-app purchases
Paper Comic Reader
No in-app purchases
Mango
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Paper Comic Reader free?
Is Mango free?
Do Paper Comic Reader or Mango have ads?
Which is updated more often, Paper Comic Reader or Mango?
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