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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

WEBTOON vs Manta

WEBTOON 4.8★ · Free + IAP 70
Winner WEBTOON
Manta 4.7★ · Free + IAP 55

WEBTOON offers a larger library and a more accessible free tier, while Manta's subscription model is increasingly criticized for hidden costs and AI translations.

Full reviews: WEBTOON · Manta

WEBTOON boasts a vast collection of comics and a free-to-read model, though it's increasingly plagued by aggressive ads and paywalls. Manta, while praised for its story selection and initial subscription value, has alienated many users with a new 'gems' system and the use of AI for translations.

Head to head

Content Library & Variety edge: WEBTOONR8R11R23R29
WEBTOON WEBTOON is highly praised for its extensive and diverse library, offering a wide range of genres and art styles, including LGBTQ+ friendly content R8R11R23R29. Users appreciate finding new stories and the sheer volume of choices available R11R29.
Manta Manta also offers a great selection of manhwa, manga, and novels, with users finding the stories addictive and well-written . However, some wish for more popular BL titles and note that many desirable stories are now behind additional paywalls R69R79R91.
Pricing & Monetization tieR3R5R9R10
WEBTOON WEBTOON is criticized for increasingly aggressive ads and paywalls, with users complaining about ads between every chapter, full-screen video ads, and ads blocking content R3R5. Many feel the app is no longer truly free, requiring payment for episodes R9R10. The coin system is seen as a 'scam' due to expiring coins and high costs .
Manta Manta's monetization model has become a major point of contention. While it started with a simple monthly subscription for unlimited access, the introduction of a 'gem' system has led to widespread user dissatisfaction R69R70R73. Users feel the subscription is now meaningless as most desirable content requires additional gem purchases, with gem prices increasing drastically .
User Experience & Reliability edge: MantaR1R6R7R12
WEBTOON WEBTOON users report various technical issues, including the app freezing, crashing R6, not opening R12, and problems with account login and confirmation emails R1R7R19. Some experience account resets, losing paid content and coins . Recent UI updates are criticized for poor navigation, burying old comics, and replacing banners with video trailers .
Manta Manta is generally praised for its clean, intuitive, and easy-to-use interface . However, some users report issues with the app not linking web and app profiles , difficulty canceling subscriptions , and problems with age settings . Recent UI updates have also been criticized for changing layouts and making navigation less intuitive .
Translation Quality & Features edge: WEBTOONR2R5R11R14
WEBTOON WEBTOON is generally praised for its story quality and art R5R11R14R23. Some users miss voiced episodes and wish for more watchable content R2. The comment sections are a popular feature R29.
Manta Manta's translation quality has become a significant concern, with multiple users reporting and criticizing the use of AI translations, stating it's unacceptable for a paid service R61R64R67. Users also frequently request a comment section for discussions . Some stories are marked as complete prematurely or removed .
Pick WEBTOON if

you prioritize a vast, diverse, and largely free library of webcomics, are willing to tolerate frequent ads, and appreciate community features like comment sections R11R29.

Pick Manta if

you value a clean interface, enjoy a curated selection of manhwa, manga, and novels, and are comfortable with a subscription model, despite recent changes to its value .

Evidence note: Both apps have significant recent negative feedback regarding their monetization strategies, with WEBTOON's ads and Manta's gem system being major pain points. WEBTOON's larger user base provides a broader range of feedback, while Manta's reviews are heavily skewed by the recent AI translation and gem system changes.

Frequently asked

Is WEBTOON truly free to use?
WEBTOON offers a free tier, but many users report an increasing number of aggressive ads and paywalls that require payment for more episodes or to bypass ads R3R9R22R27.
What are the main complaints about Manta?
The main complaints about Manta revolve around its new 'gem' system, which requires additional purchases beyond the subscription for most content, and the use of AI for translations, which users find unacceptable for a paid service R61R64R67R70.
Does Manta offer unlimited reading with its subscription?
Manta's monthly subscription used to offer unlimited access to most stories, but now many titles, especially newer or 'full version' content, require additional 'gems' to unlock chapters, making the subscription feel less valuable R69R73R79R91.
Are there technical issues with WEBTOON?
Yes, some WEBTOON users report the app freezing, crashing, not opening, and issues with account login and confirmation emails R6R7R12R19.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R8] WEBTOON 5/5 · US I fricking love it: This app got me back into reading and it has different categorys if shorts witch is a great b Plus 😁
  2. [R11] WEBTOON 5/5 · US AMAZING APP: I love this app! I’ve had it for a while now and it never disappoints me with its amazing story’s and artists! There are so many story’s and all kinds of them to. It doesn’t matter what genre and/or art style you like there is always a perfect story for you if you’re willing to read it!
  3. [R23] WEBTOON 5/5 · US Best read manga ever: I love their designs are and I love how they have every single section that you really need and you can pick out whatever one that you really wanna watch and I love how you can play games and coins. I just love it so guys download WEBTOON.
  4. [R29] WEBTOON 5/5 · US Amazing!!!!!!: Absolutely amazing!!! This is one of the best reading ever. I never really read before Webtoon because I never seemed to have the time or energy to get up and get a book. So this helped tons I read everyday now for multiple hours. The amount of genres there are is insane! All are awesome and so cool. I also love the fact it is LGBTQ+ friendly. And also the comments on the end of cha
  5. [R3] WEBTOON 3/5 · US Too many ads: App functions well overall and there are a lot of gems on here (and a lot that aren’t, but that’s okay). However, the ads have been getting more and more aggressive over time, making you jump through lots of different screens to get to the end, popping up on their own so you accidentally click them when trying to advance chapters, etc. I’m considering not using the app anymore due to
  6. [R5] WEBTOON 4/5 · US i really like it BUT: there are ads after you get to a certain point in a comic between every chapter but other than that i really like it! there are lots of great stories and amazing art and such so i highly recommend
  7. [R9] WEBTOON 3/5 · US It’s good but DEFINITELY not free: You have to pay for more episodes😬😬🌝🌝
  8. [R10] WEBTOON 1/5 · US horrible: Horrible para que tengo que pagar por leer? para eso los descargo en telegram , quien va a pagar por leer no me gusto
  9. [R1] WEBTOON 1/5 · US Log in requirement?: Why is there suddenly a requirement to link your account with google / social media after years of not needing one? After all that’s come out about larger sites and social medias tracking and selling user information, im really disappointed to see webtoon trying to also capitalize on user information by forcing users to link an account to save and support their favorite seri
  10. [R6] WEBTOON 3/5 · US The app is very buggy on my iPad: The WEBTOON app is extremely buggy on my iPad. It randomly freezes or crashes, even though I’m using an M5 iPad, which is more than powerful enough to run the app.
  11. [R7] WEBTOON 1/5 · US Annoying sign up process: Signing up for an account is annoying and I didn’t even get the account confirmation email
  12. [R12] WEBTOON 3/5 · US Wont let me open: I was reading super fish but it would not let me enter the app and kicked me out or said that there was no internet when i did have internet but the stories r good
  13. [R2] WEBTOON 5/5 · US Very good: This is very good and you don’t have to read it you can have it in the video now l love it so much
  14. [R14] WEBTOON 5/5 · US I love it: I love this app so much I did see one letter missing but it’s fine I was wondering if I can be in a add if you can make that happen if you can’t I see why but until then email me byeeeee
  15. [R22] WEBTOON 1/5 · US 5/5 comics. 1/5 predatory app.: Webtoons will gate some episodes behind ads. This would be fine, except the ads usually last 30 seconds or more and then roadblock you permanently. You'll get to a screen where you can 1) demo a mobile game, 2) install it, or 3) view it in the app store. There is no button to close the ad and proceed to the comic. No button appears no matter how long you wait.
  16. [R27] WEBTOON 3/5 · GB Ads: Used to be a great app for supporting authors but with the most recent update it seems it’s only ads for everything now with them showing up even on free view chapters as well as daily pass’s complete removal in exchange for ads to get the same chapters.
  17. [R61] Manta 1/5 · US They use Ai: They have switched to using ai to translate. It’s unacceptable. We are PAYING for this service for actual human transmission. F Ai
  18. [R64] Manta 1/5 · US AI translations: They’re charging a lot of money for AI translations for the webtoons and novels and the should be ashamed to replace quality translation work with AI translation.
  19. [R67] Manta 1/5 · US Uses AI Translation: Used to be one of my favorite manhwa apps but when I started to notice errors did some digging and saw they have partnered with an AI translation tool called Rivetta. Why would I pay for AI translations, especially when I can do that myself and pay less for the original? This is going to cause piracy of these titles to rise because no one will want to pay for AI translated slo
  20. [R70] Manta 1/5 · US Predatory Monetization: Predatory monetization: a business model deliberately designed to extract as much money from customers as possible, often through hidden costs, misleading pricing structures, and systems that ensure you never truly "own" what you paid for. That is exactly what MANTA is doing. I've been a subscriber for a while and I genuinely enjoy the stories and artwork on this platform
  21. [R69] Manta 3/5 · US Good stories /steep prices: I started with this app back in 3.99month days and most stories were unlimited but now I think it’s 4.99month but that only gets you a handful of unlimited stories but there’s still some good ones you can read but now most things cost additional jewels (that you need to buy but each chapter is like 40-60 jewels) sooo take that as you will. Also they do have light novels
  22. [R73] Manta 2/5 · US I Miss How Manta Used to Be: I loved this app because all I had to do was pay a subscription and not have to worry about any special currency to unlock chapters. That’s not true anymore since they introduced gems. Even increasing the subscription price a little would be better than having to pay for them if I want access to much of the content.
  23. [R79] Manta 1/5 · US Not what it used to be: I’ve had this app for a long time. I paid for the subscription to unlock the full version and have been paying it for years. Now with this new gem system and the original subscription basically meaningless, honestly I’m over it at this point. Plus, they barely release anything on the “Unlimited” category (that’s what the original subscription is called now) and releasing co
  24. [R91] Manta 2/5 · US Used to be great: Honestly manta was my favorite app for a long time but they got greedy now even with the membership most stories you have to pay extra to read. So the membership feels worthless at this point. There shouldn’t be a never ending paywall I’d rather they upped the membership cost but actually include everything.
  25. [R19] WEBTOON 1/5 · US Can’t read anything!: I want to read the story’s but I can’t because when I try it tells me to login and when I try that IT DOES NOT WORK!

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store