Purists may prefer print comic books, but more and more, comic enthusiasts are going the digital route. I won’t debate the pros and cons of print and digital, but if you are buying digital comics and want the best experience, you need a good digital comic book reader.
While you don’t have tons of options, there are enough to choose from, each with its pros and cons. We’ve chosen some of the best digital comic book readers, both for desktop and mobile, for you.
Best digital comic book readers
ComicRack
ComicRack used to be solely for Windows, but it is now available for Android and iOS as well. One of the most popular digital comic book readers, ComicRack is packed with convenient features:
- It can read practically any format, including ZIP and RAR files, in which case you don’t have to unzip them yourself.
- It allows home sharing between devices so that you can use any device and pick up from where you left off. Excellent when you start reading on your laptop and then need to go to the bog and read on your iPad.
- It has an interface with three panes, which allows you to do three things at once: navigate files and folder, browse comics, and read pages.
- It can export your digital comics to other formats (cbz, cbt, cb7, pdf, djvu).
Simple Comic for Mac
Described as “the most intuitive comic reader on the Mac”, Simple Comic really does make things easier and allows you to focus on just reading. Aside from the usual options of one/two page display, L-R/R-L page ordering, and page scaling, Simple Comic allows you to rotate the page to maximize the display area. Compatible formats: .cbr, .cbz, .zip, .rar, tar, 7z, lha.
Comics by ComiXology
No comic book reader is a stranger to ComiXology, and the platform’s app may very well be the most popular reader today. You can purchase your comics directly from the app, removing the hassle of buying from a platform and having to transfer to an app. ComiXology has a huge collection of comics, plus quite a bunch for free as well.
Download for Android.
Download for iOS.
SideBooks
SideBooks is my current digital comic book reader, and it does a great job organizing collections, not to mention that it looks good (although if you’re a vehement supporter of flat design, you won’t agree). It also allows syncing with comics in your Dropbox account. Supported formats: PDF, ZIP, CBZ, ZIP, CBR and RAR.
Download for iOS.
Dark Horse Bookshelf App
While ComiXology is probably the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to digital comic book stores, the Dark Horse app is an option for fans of its comics. Not only do you get to purchase Dark Horse comics directly, you also get lots of freebies. They also are starting to offer content from other publishers, which will make this reader better if the trend continues. One other thing, this reader also allows for cloud storage, so that you can save space on your tablet or phone.
YACReader
YACReader stands for – you guessed it – Yet Another Comic Reader. It does not have an in-store option like ComiXology and Dark Horse, but it does have its perks.
- Use your Dropbox account for synchronizing your comics with YACReader
- iTunes File Sharing support to copy comics between your computer and YACReader
- Organize your comic library creating folders and copy, cut, paste or delete comics and folders – without needing your computer.
- A single tap is all you need to read your comics from start to finish thanks to the built-in YACReader automatic scroll.
The downsides – no support for two-page landscape mode, and for those who only want free apps, YACReader costs $1.99.
Not convinced about digital comics? Read:
5 Big Reasons Comics Had to go Digital
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