Alternatives to Panels
A DRM-free comic reader for iPhone, iPad and Mac with a library and synced reading progress. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Panels
A DRM-free comic reader for iPhone, iPad and Mac with a library and synced reading progress.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Panels.
YACReader
Read digital comics with a dedicated desktop application.
YACReader is a free GPL-3.0 comic reader with library tools on Windows, macOS and Linux, with mobile editions offered as separate products.
Aidoku
A free, open-source and ad-free manga reader for iOS, iPadOS and macOS.
Aidoku is free, open-source and ad-free on iPhone, iPad and Mac, aimed at manga with local file import and media server connections.
Paperback
An ad-free comic and manga reader for iOS with extension sources and progress tracking.
Paperback is a free ad-free iPhone and iPad reader for manga and comics with extension sources and tracker sync, with no Mac version.
ComicRack Community Edition
A community-maintained continuation of the ComicRack comic book reader and library manager for Windows.
ComicRack Community Edition is a free Windows reader and library manager with plugin support, leaving Apple devices behind.
MComix
An open-source GTK image viewer designed for reading comic books and manga from archives.
MComix is free GPL-2.0 open source for Windows and Linux with manga mode and double-page view, but has no macOS or mobile build.
CDisplayEx
A lightweight comic book reader for CBR, CBZ and PDF files, including manga.
CDisplayEx is a free, lightweight Windows reader for CBR, CBZ and PDF comics with manga support, without library management or cross-device sync.
ReadEra
An ad-free reader for Android and iOS that opens ebooks, PDFs, office documents and comics.
ReadEra is a free, ad-free reader for iOS and Android that opens comic files alongside ebooks and documents, without a panel-by-panel view or Mac version.
Koodo Reader
A modern ebook reader for fifteen-plus formats that syncs your library and reading progress through storage you already own.
Koodo Reader is AGPL-licensed and opens comic archives among fifteen-plus formats on iOS, desktop, Android and the web, syncing through storage you configure.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Komga
A self-hosted media server for comics, manga, BDs, magazines and ebooks with a built-in web reader.
Kavita
A self-hosted reading server for ebooks, comics and manga, with readers built for each format and OPDS for everything else.
Marvel Unlimited
A subscription comics reader app with access to more than 30,000 Marvel digital comics.
ComicTagger
A desktop and command-line app that writes metadata into digital comic archives.
Kindle Comic Converter
A desktop and command-line converter that optimizes comics and manga for e-ink ebook readers.
Apple Books
Apple's app for buying, reading and listening to ebooks and audiobooks on iPhone, iPad and Mac.
