# Comic Book Viewer vs Panels

The clearest difference is rating: Panels at 4.8 against Comic Book Viewer's 3.8. Panels also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (12K vs 135). Comic Book Viewer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Panels sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Comic Book Viewer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Panels holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Panels has 12K ratings behind it against 135, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 71% and 70% positive.

Comic Book Viewer ships an update every 3 months, Panels every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Comic Book Viewer | Panels |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (135 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/comic-book-viewer/id957475715/reviews) | **[4.8 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/panels-comic-reader/id1236567663/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 135 | **12K** |
| Positive reviews | **71.0% of reviews** | 70.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#196** |
| Size | 8 MB | 165 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sebastian Boettcher](https://appshunter.io/developer/719716635) | [Produkt Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1236567662) |

## What reviewers say

### Comic Book Viewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/comic-book-viewer/id957475715)

A fast and user-friendly application for viewing digital comic books and PDF files. It supports various comic archive formats and common image types, offering library management and metadata display.

**Highlights:** Supports CBT, CBZ, CBR, CB7, and PDF formats, Recognizes PNG, JPG, GIF, TIFF, BMP, and WebP images, Import/export comics via iTunes or third-party apps, AirDrop support for sharing between devices, Displays metadata (CoMet, ACBF, Comic Rack, ComicBookInfo), Library search functionality

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 🔒 No ads or data collection
- 🔒 Lightweight and efficient

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
- 🔍 Lack of advanced organization and management features
- 🔍 Limited customization options
- 🔍 Issues with page scrolling and zooming

**Reported bugs**

- Slider not working after recent update
- Pages randomly skipping ahead when switching orientation
- Inability to import some comic file formats

**Requested features**

- Add ability to rename/reorder comics
- Implement vertical scrolling mode
- Provide more customization settings
- Improve library management with folders/collections


### Panels

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/panels-comic-reader/id1236567663)

**Currently charting:** #196 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

Enhance your comic and manga reading with a clean, customizable interface. Enjoy universal file compatibility, cross-device syncing, and advanced reading presets. Organize your library, secure your content, and import from various cloud services and local networks.

**Highlights:** Universal file compatibility (CBR, CBZ, PDF, ePUB), Cross-device reading progress sync, iCloud Drive integration, Customizable reading presets, Right-to-left reading for manga, OPDS server support, Content security with password/Face ID

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Panels+ Monthly | $1.49 | per month |
| Panels+ Yearly | $14.99 | per year |
| Panels 3 Upgrade | $9.99 | one-time |
| Panels 2 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Panels 3 | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth and responsive
- 👍 Clean and modern UI
- 💡 Useful features like panel view and vertical scrolling
- 🔒 No ads in paid version
- 👍 Good import and organization options

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Useful features locked behind paywall
- 🔒 Subscription model instead of one-time purchase
- 🐛 Issues with page navigation and zoom
- 🐛 Problems with reading right-to-left content

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when opening large files
- Issues with page order and navigation
- Problems with zooming and scrolling
- Syncing and importing bugs
- Compatibility issues with older devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to create sub-folders and nested collections
- Automatic sorting and organization of comics
- Option to lock reading direction
- Double-tap to zoom functionality
- Progress tracking and bookmarking features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Comic Book Viewer free?

Comic Book Viewer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Panels free?

Panels is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Comic Book Viewer or Panels?

Panels is rated higher. Comic Book Viewer averages 3.8 out of 5 from 135 ratings, while Panels averages 4.8 from 12K ratings.

### Do Comic Book Viewer or Panels have ads?

Neither Comic Book Viewer nor Panels shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Comic Book Viewer or Panels?

Comic Book Viewer ships an update every 3 months, and Panels every 8 days. Most recently, Comic Book Viewer was updated on September 23, 2026 and Panels on September 25, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*