Comic Book Viewer vs ComicShelf Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Comic Book Viewer
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.
- 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
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Comic Book Viewer is a lightweight, fast and easy to use reader for your favorite comic books in cbt, cbz, cbr, cb7 or pdf format. Recognized image formats include png, jpg, gif, tiff, bmp and webp. Import and export your comics via iTunes or simply by sharing them in any third-party app on your device. Send them to other devices via AirDrop. Comic Book Viewer supports and shows metadata in CoMet, Advanced Comic Book Format, Comic Rack or in ComicBookInfo format and allows you to search your library. Comics seen in screenshots © 2014-2025 by Ctrl+Alt+Del Productions. Courtesy of Tim Buckley, http://www.cad-comic.com. Comics not included.
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.
- 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
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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
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: ComicShelf Reader at 5.0 against Comic Book Viewer's 3.8. Comic Book Viewer's advantage is ratings volume (135 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ComicShelf Reader holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Comic Book Viewer has 135 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
| Parameter | Comic Book Viewer | ComicShelf Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (135 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 71.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 135 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sebastian Boettcher | Thomas Eggenberger |
Customer experience
Comic Book Viewer
ComicShelf Reader
Bugs and requests
Comic Book Viewer
Reported bugs
3 issues- Slider not working after recent update
- Pages randomly skipping ahead when switching orientation
- Inability to import some comic file formats
Requested features
4 requests- Add ability to rename/reorder comics
- Implement vertical scrolling mode
- Provide more customization settings
- Improve library management with folders/collections
ComicShelf Reader
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Comic Book Viewer
No in-app purchases
ComicShelf Reader
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Comic Book Viewer free?
Is ComicShelf Reader free?
Which has better reviews, Comic Book Viewer or ComicShelf Reader?
Do Comic Book Viewer or ComicShelf Reader have ads?
Other comparisons
