ComicVerse vs Panels
Both are OPDS comic readers for iPhone and iPad, and both connect to Komga and Kavita. Here's where they actually differ, so you can pick the one that fits.
Panels details were checked against its App Store listing and panels.app on 2026-08-31 (Panels 3.13.4). The ComicVerse column describes v1.1.8. Apps change. If something here has gone stale, tell us at [email protected] and we'll correct it.
At a Glance
| ComicVerse | Panels | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Price to read your own library | Free, no subscription | Free tier; Premium unlocks advanced features |
| Formats | CBZ, CBR, CB7, CBT, PDF, image EPUB | CBZ, CBR, CB7, PDF, comic ePUB |
| OPDS | Komga, Kavita, Calibre-Web, any OPDS server | Komga, Kavita, and others |
| OPDS versions | 1.2 and 2.0 | 1.2 and 2.0 |
| Page streaming | Yes, via OPDS-PSE and OPDS 2.0 | Yes |
| Automatic panel detection | Yes | Guided view |
| Right-to-left (manga) | Yes | Yes |
| Cross-device sync | Progress and favorites, plus progress written back to your OPDS server | Progress across iPhone, iPad, and Mac; cloud libraries in Premium |
| Comic creation | Built-in studio | Not offered |
| Track record | Newer | 4.8★ from 12,000+ ratings |
Where Panels Is the Better Choice
We'd rather you land on the right app than on ours.
Panels runs on Mac and ComicVerse doesn't, so if desktop reading matters, that decides it. Its Premium tier syncs whole libraries through the cloud, where ComicVerse keeps imported files on-device and syncs only progress and favorites. Panels has also been shipping for years and has the polish to show for it. A newer app has fewer edge cases ironed out, which counts for something on a library you've spent years building.
Where ComicVerse Is the Better Choice
Reading is free and stays free. Importing, OPDS browsing, search, streaming and downloading cost nothing, with no subscription, no ads, and no reader feature behind a paywall.
ComicVerse also writes your reading position back to the server, not just between its own copies. Stop on page 34 on the iPad and every client signed in to that Komga or Kavita knows it, the web reader included. It's a per-server switch, and a shared or family library is a good reason to flip it off.
Beyond that, ComicVerse opens CBT archives, detects panels automatically so dense pages stay readable on an iPhone, and includes a creation studio for generating and lettering your own pages. The studio is optional and separate from reading, and it's the only part that costs anything.
The Honest Summary
If you just want to read a self-hosted library on the most established option, with a Mac app to go with it, Panels is a strong choice and we'd point you there.
ComicVerse makes sense if you want a capable OPDS reader with nothing about reading behind a subscription, and optionally a creation studio in the same app.