You’ve always loved reading comics—but it’s never been easy. There are the long lines at comic book stores, and you don’t have time to sit around and wait. Plus, the stories you really love are usually only in the paper. And if you like to read on the go, finding a place to prop your tablet up is tough.
But now, there’s a new way to read comics: apps! We’ve compiled a list of the best apps for reading comics, so you can get all your favorite comics at your fingertips wherever you are—on your tablet or on your phone!
Table of Contents
Best Apps For Reading Comics
Comic books have been around for a long time. It’s responsible for some of the most magical and amazing stories told in the last century. Everybody knows who Superman and Spider-Man are. The movies have done great at the box office as well. As a result, people are reading more comic books. The good news is that you can read them on mobile. In fact, with how big Marvel has been over the last decade, this is actually a rather crowded market these days. That means you have plenty of options. We can help with that! Here are the best comic book apps and comic book readers for Android!
The best comic book apps for Android
Amazon Kindle
Astonishing Comic Reader
CDisplayEx
CLZ Comics
Comixology
ComicScreen
DC Comics
Google Play Books
Hoopla Digital
Marvel Unlimited
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Amazon Kindle
Price: Free app / Comic prices vary
Amazon Kindle screenshot 2020
Amazon Kindle is one of the largest digital book stores on Earth. It makes sense that it’d be among the best comic book apps. The app itself isn’t amazing for comic book reading. However, you can certainly use it that way. The service has a bunch of comics to buy. You can sync your comics between devices and even your Kindle if you have one. Their selections range from older comics to newer ones. It’s a good, basic source for comic books. It’s also good for casual fans who also want a platform that sells other types of books as well.
See also: The best eBook reader apps for Android
Astonishing Comic Reader
Price: Free / $1.49
Astonishing Comic Reader is essentially an ereader for comic books. You can’t buy comics from this app. However, you can read the comics you’ve already downloaded through other apps. You can also upload the collection to the service for easy syncing between devices. It has Chromecast support so you can read comics from your TV. There is also a manga mode in case those types of comics are more your thing. It supports the CBZ and CBR file types. It’s one of the better comic book apps.
CDisplayEx
Price: $5.99
CDisplayEx screenshot
CDisplayEx is a lightweight CBR reader. It supports various file types, including CBR, CBZ, PDF, and others. You can also access cloud storage via Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive if you prefer to store your comics in the cloud. The UI is clean and there are some neat customizations to the reading experience. An example is the ability to change the white balance or gamma for a better reading experience. Plus, you get the usual stuff like a dark mode. This is a popular comic book reader on PC and the Android version is quite good as well.
See also: The best manga apps for Android
CLZ Comics
Price: Free / $15
CLZ Comics screenshot 2021
CLZ Comics is something a little bit different. It helps you keep track of your physical comic book collection. You simply scan the barcode (or enter manually). The app keeps track from there. There is an option to create an account that allows for online backups, data syncing, and cross-platform support. It doesn’t let you read comics on your device. However, this is an excellent way to catalog large collections to keep track of what you have. You can add 100 comics for free. A single $15 in-app purchase unlocks the app for unlimited additions.
See also: The best anime apps for Android
Comixology
Price: Free / $5.99 per month / Individual comic costs vary
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Comixology is among the most popular comic book apps. It’s also probably the one you should start with. It boasts a collection of over 75,000 comics from DC, Marvel, and other publishers. It also has a decent selection of manga. The app itself is excellent for reading comics. It also features the ability to sync your purchases across multiple devices. There is also an all-you-can-read subscription service for $5.99 per month. It doesn’t feature every comic that you can buy, but the collection is fairly substantial. This is the one we’d recommend first.
ComicScreen
Price: Free app / Up to $2.99
ComicScreen screenshot
ComicScreen is another good comic book reader. It supports most file types and has a variety of reading customizations. You can also do some neat stuff like turning pages with hardware keys. In terms of functionality, the app works fine and we didn’t have any problems with it. Some have complained about it not working with FTP all that well, but that’s a rather niche use case anyway. This is a good offline reader overall.
DC Comics
Price: Free / Comic prices vary / See Comixology
DC Comics screenshot 2020
DC Comics is, well, DC Comics’ official app for its comic books. It works a lot like Comixology because the two apps integrate with one another. We think that’s a smart move because otherwise you’re just reinventing the wheel. In any case, you can even merge your Comixology account if you want to. The app has a vast selection of DC Comics, including every hero you probably know about. The app seems to cost the same as Comixology as well so there is that. It’s a great little comic reader for DC fans.
See also: The best DC Comics games for Android
Google Play Books
Price: Free / Comic prices vary
Google Play Books screenshot 2019 Final
Google Play Books is an excellent source for books, comics, and manga. It’s an all-in-one kind of online book store. Google has also integrated features to make reading comics a little more fun as well. Their selections are top-notch. You can find most of the classics, new comics, and a variety of manga. Plus, your purchases save to your Google account. That makes it easy to sync it onto multiple devices. It has the same perks as the Amazon app. It’s a great place to buy comics while also wanting to dabble with other types of literature.
Hoopla Digital
Price: Free
Hoopla – best comic book apps for android
Hoopla Digital is a neat little app. It integrates directly with a bunch of libraries. You use your library card to check out and consume content. It has movies, TV shows, music, ebooks, and comic books. In fact, the app has reader features specifically for comic books if you want. This option is excellent because it’s completely free and you use the library system to save yourself a few bucks. However, your local library has to be a part of the Hoopla network for it to work for you. The app is a bit buggy, but for the low price of free, we didn’t have much room to complain.
Marvel Unlimited
Price: Free / $9.99 per month
Marvel Unlimited is Marvel’s best effort for an app. It boasts a collection of over 20,000 comics. You subscribe to the service for $9.99 per month. You then have access to all of them. The app lets you download up to 12 issues offline at a time. That should last for most airplane flights. The app itself is still very much a work in progress. It is improving all the time, though. It’s definitely one of the best comic book apps for Marvel fans. However, with the selection and the price tag, we’d probably just recommend Comixology instead.
best comic reader android
Comics are a fantastic and diverse storytelling medium, as capable of exciting readers with thrilling superhero adventures as they are of breaking hearts with mature romances or educating through historical or biographical retellings. Unfortunately, they’re not the most portable of formats – just try lugging a longbox of single issues around. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of options for digital comics now with the best comic readers make sure you’ve got voluminous archives of classic material, brand new releases, and original content designed exclusively to be read on your smartphone or tablet.
Here’s our pick of the best comics readers for taking your comic book collections wherever you go, without breaking your back.
- Comics by comiXology
(Image credit: Amazon / Comixology)
Available on: Android, iOS
Price: Free (Subscription models available in US)
Founded in 2007, comiXology is the granddaddy of digital comics services – and one you probably have an account with even if you don’t realise it. After being acquired by Amazon in 2014, anyone who uses the online retail giant can use the comic book specialist service too. With by far the widest library of titles from close to every publisher – including Marvel, DC, Image, and Boom Studios – and the ability to set up a “Pull List” (automatically buying each issue of your favourite titles so you never miss an issue), it’s practically a comic store in your pocket. Throw in regular sales, a slate of free content, original titles exclusive to the platform, and an optional subscription service called comiXology Unlimited offering an even wider array of comics for $5.99 / per month, and you’ll be spoiled for choice. As an app to read comics on, comiXology remains a pioneer with its Guided View – close-up transitions allowing you to read comics one panel at a time, which proves perfect for reading on your phone, while also allowing creators new storytelling possibilities for digital-exclusive titles. Unfortunately, you can’t import comics bought elsewhere into your library, and iOS users can’t buy comics through the native app. For that, you’ll need to head over to the comiXology store.
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- Shonen Jump
(Image credit: Viz Media)
Available on: Android, iOS
Price: Free; Subscription models available
The Shonen Jump app may be the best deal in comics. The three latest chapters of some of Japan’s most popular manga series are free to read, published day-and-date with Japan, but for the absolute pittance of $1.99 per month, you get access to a frankly ridiculous archive of content to wade through. Fancy reading all of One Piece from the very beginning? All 985 chapters and counting are there for your perusal. Want 235 chapters of Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama’s brilliant earlier series Dr Slump? That’s there too – as for that matter is every chapter of Goku’s adventures, from his debut in 1984 through to the very latest chapter of Dragon Ball Super. There’s also the option to buy collected volumes of each title, though we’re not sure what the incentive would be other than perhaps guarding against titles cycling out of the library in future. The reading experience isn’t quite as sharp as some digital comics apps, with no panel transitions, but it does support landscape views so double-page spreads really pop. Overall though, Shonen Jump is an incredible treasure trove of manga, new and old.
- Marvel Unlimited
(Image credit: Marvel Comics)
Available on: Android, iOS
Price: $9.99 / £8.99 a month
If keeping up with the latest adventures in the Marvel Universe isn’t your top priority, then Marvel Unlimited might be for you. With an archive of 27,000+ comics from across the publisher’s 80+ years, it’s a fantastic way to catch up on the histories of Spider-Man, Black Panther, the X-Men, Fantastic Four, Avengers, Hulk, Iron Man, and many, many more. It also uses a similar panel view to comiXology, here dubbed “Smart View”, allowing users to swipe through panels on their phones, or have a full page view on tablet or desktop browser. However, the price is a little steep – about the same as a Netflix plan – and you can only have a maximum of 12 titles downloaded for offline reading.
- Madefire
(Image credit: Madefire)
Available on: Android, iOS, PC
Price: Free; individual comic purchases
By far the most unique option when it comes to digital comics, Madefire doesn’t just serve as a storefront and reader – it presents a whole new media category with “motion comics”. Embracing the possibilities created by delivering serial stories in a digital medium, Madefire presents comics with in-panel animation, music, and sound effects to bring tales to life, with stories from DC, Valiant, Transformers, and even Blizzard – including Overwatch, Starcraft 2 and World of Warcraft titles – joining exclusive Madefire originals. There’s a wide selection of free and paid content for both motion and static comics, although the UX for reading the latter leaves something to be desired compared to its rivals.
- Crunchyroll Manga
(Image credit: Crunchyroll)
Available on: Android, iOS
Price: Crunchyroll subscription required
Another manga-focused app, but with titles from a wider array of publishers than Shonen Jump. Big titles such as Attack on Titan, Fairy Tail, and Cardcaptor Sakura are joined by buried treasures including Okitenemuru and Father and Son, and many will be published simultaneously with Japan. However, while many titles have at least the first chapter available to read for free, you’ll need a subscription to Crunchyroll’s anime streaming service to access most of the content here. The reading experience is a mixed affair – page-to-page scrolling is smoother than Shonen Jump, but there’s no landscape support. Turn your phone sideways for a double-page spread, and you’ll just get each page, vertically, that must be scrolled top-to-bottom.
- 2000AD
(Image credit: Rebellion)
Available on: Android, iOS
Price: Free; Individual comic purchases
The legendary British sci-fi comic now delivers zarjaz thrills directly to your pocket with its own dedicated app. No idea what “zarjaz” means? No worries – you’ll be able to pick up the publication’s unique slang thanks to a selection of free titles, serving up a best-of platter of titles from publisher Rebellion. There’s also the option to buy individual single issues of 2000AD dating back to 2003, pick up graphic novel collections of characters such as Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, or Sláine, or subscribe to either the weekly 2000AD or the monthly Judge Dredd Megazine. Bafflingly, there’s no library view – you instead need to filter to “purchased” or “downloaded” from the store pages – but the reading experience is clean, with smooth page transitions.
- Dark Horse Comics
(Image credit: Dark Horse Comics)
Available on: Android, iOS
Price: Free
There’s a lot more to publisher Dark Horse’s back catalogue than Hellboy, as evidenced by its dedicated app. Alongside Mike Mignola’s iconic paranormal skull-cracker you’ll find groundbreaking material such as the original The Mask, hard sci-fi including The Massive and video game adaptation EVE, superheroes – both sincere and deconstructions of the genre – and even a host of manga, including the legendary Astro Boy. Accordingly, as a comics reader, it supports both left-to-right and right-to-left progression, covering western comics and manga alike, and has an intelligent panel-zoom option that almost matches comiXology’s for performance. Sadly, there are some regional restrictions on certain content (usually on titles Dark Horse has licensed rather than created independently) that might not be apparent until a series has already caught your eye.
- Chunky
(Image credit: Michael Ferenduros)
Available on: iPad
Price: Free
Moving away from digital comic storefronts, Chunky is a pure reader targeting the iPad exclusively. The lack of iPhone support may disappoint – as might its absence from Android tablets – but this is an app designed to make your digital comics look as good as possible, which means the biggest screen possible. Supporting CBR, CBZ, and PDF formats, Chunky will automatically upscale low-resolution material, with pretty impressive results – as the developer says, it’s “built by graphics-geeks, for comic-nerds”. It will also automatically arrange your collection as you import files, and recognises metadata tags from ComicRack and ComicBookLover. In fact, the more you dig into Chunky, the more features you’ll uncover – such as auto-contrast features, parental controls, western and manga reading modes, and both portrait and landscape display support. Best of all, it integrates with just about every cloud storage option out there, allowing you to easily load your comics into the app.
- CDisplayEx
(Image credit: Progdigy Software)
Available on: Android
Price: Free
Consider this Android’s revenge – a fully featured reader app that’s absent from iOS, and works on both phones and tablets. While it doesn’t have fancy upscaling abilities, it does support practically all public digital comic formats, offers right-to-left reading for manga, integrates folders seamlessly, and allows readers to move files over their home networks. It’s also something of a power user option, with an array of highly specific options to experiment with, right down to the speed of page transitions. Unfortunately, “free” means ad-supported, though an optional one-time purchase removes these and unlocks support for cloud storage integration, plus several other bonus features such as Night Mod
- Astonishing Comic Viewer
(Image credit: Aerilys)
Available on: Android
Price: Free
Astonishing by name, astonishing by nature. At a surface level, this is a reader that again supports CBR, CBZ, and PDF files, curates your collection, offers cloud storage integration, and supports western and manga reading directions. Look a little deeper though and you’ll find it packs in a few other tricks too, such as continuous reading between issues, the ability to share favourite panels or pages, and even support for casting your comics to other screens – reading comics blown up on a 4K TV is a unique experience!
Honourable Mention – DC Universe
(Image credit: DC Comics)
A bonus entry, and somewhat of an oddity for this list, as DC’s answer to Marvel’s dedicated app isn’t just focused on comics – it’s essentially a hub for all things DC, irrespective of medium. It’s ostensibly a streaming service in fact, serving as the home for original DC shows such as Titans, Swamp Thing, Stargirl, and the animated Harley Quinn. Unfortunately, it’s all restricted to users in the US at the moment, but Americans who sign up can also explore a rotating selection of DC’s comic book library. This has real potential if it ever expands outside of the US, but rumours abound that it might instead be folded into HBO Max. For now though, it’s a nice extra digital comics service – if you can get it.
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