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I like to think that I started reading manga earlier than some others. That is probably because I also had access to a mobile phone much earlier than others. Apart from that flimsy testament to my manga reading legacy, I am actually an avid reader like the rest of us here at Nihonden. So that should give me a little bit of legitimacy when telling you what my picks for the best for reading manga are. In very particular order from good to best, let’s kick this list off with
5. Manga Reader (Available only on Play Store)
Perhaps the most rudimentary of manga reading apps available on the market, Manga Reader does not have any special whistles and bells. It is built in a minimalistic, unrefined experience of reading. Not to say that it is the worst I have seen, or if it is even bad, but the only reason you would download this one over the others in this list is probably that you want to save an extra bit of storage or so. The app is very light, includes manga from all major databases, and provides a good reading experience.
The search system in the app is mediocre at best. If you are using this one, you need to know which manga you want to read before you start, because discovering and reading new manga of particular genres is difficult to do through Manga Reader. The ads are, however, intrusive, as they take up quite a bit of screen space and are not easy to get rid of. It is enough to cut the reading experience short and stop the flow of the story. Here is the real dealbreaker – it is necessary to log into the app to access its content, which is an absolute no-no for me. Couple this with an unappreciative UI, a slow and sluggish experience, and you have an app that does not provide quite the experience that it could have.
As a side note, this app is not synonymous with the manga source also called Manga Reader. It does not have a dedicated website, therefore there is no browser support as such.
4. Manga Zone
This spot was a little difficult to choose considering the quality of apps that follow this one in the list. Manga Zone is a manga reading app of the old. It has been around for quite a bit of time now and has been inconsistently on and off the Play Store and App Store, though it has been on there without hiccups for a while. The app has a neat UI, a good collection of manga, and provides a great experience for any manga reader.
It provides offline reading features and cross-platform support provided that you log in, all of which works very smoothly. There is flexibility offered when you want to read your manga in different ways, and search system is quite smooth. Ads do not make a significant impact on the way you read, and the overall experience in using the app itself is stellar. There is not much to say about it negatively, except I would have liked to see more than a giant advertisement on their dedicated website, which is an unexploited opportunity.
3. Manga AOn
Manga AOn is another app that boasts a pretty UI, a good collection of manga, and a good reader. It is quite flexible in terms of how you want to read, and it does make its own impact on the manga reader market with its app. It basically offers the same features that Manga Zone does, but in its own way. It uses the same sources (as do all of the options on this list, with one exception) as the former, has the exact same categories in the search fields, and also has the same ad space sold. It is actually quite difficult to separate the experiences of the apps.
However, the one thing that really gives Manga AOn a spot above Manga Zone is its stability. I could have given Manga Zone and Manga AOn the same spot on this list, but I personally experienced a smoother “feel” on this app than the former, even though I have actually used Manga Zone way more.
2. ZingBox Manga
ZingBox Manga is up here on this list because it has achieved a state near perfection. This app offers every feature that the above apps offer and so much more. It features a UI far better than the ones listed above, although I must say the sidebar is too cluttered for my liking, so I didn’t go about exploring that. It offers a very smooth experience, and it does so while offering a plethora of content. It has a very in-depth search engine and it features just as many manga as the rest of the options on this list so far. However, what really separates it from the rest is the variety of content it offers and the sheer amount of effort put into this thing. This app has editor’s choices, magazine registrations, artwork databases, genre collections and “best ofs” and so much more, that it is, in one word, impressive. It has a dedicated website, which is equally well made, and also supports logging in to save progress across devices.
However, the only place where ZingBox Manga really falls behind is the amount of screen space it rents out to ads, which is very distracting from the whole manga reading experience of it all. It does have an option to remove all ads behind a paywall, but I am here for free manga, not to pay for it. If you want to pay for manga to support the author, I would suggest reading this article about Legitimate Manga Reading.
1. Manga Rock
Manga Rock is the definitive God of manga reading applications. It offers everything that ZingBox manga does, such as an amazing UI (noticeably better than ZingBox’s), an in-depth search engine, and a motherload of content (again, noticeably better than ZinBox’s). I love the way everything has been organized in the app, the categories are immaculate. The editor’s choice content, artwork, and all extras, in general, are easily available. Manga Rock also has great browser support, which means that logging in saves progress across devices and the website on the go. Ads occupy an average amount of space, which means that the reading experience is not interrupted. Overall, if ZingBox Manga offers a near-perfect manga reading experience, Manga Rock offers the perfect experience.
