For manga enthusiasts, accessing high-quality titles legally and for free can be challenging. To make it easier, we've curated a list of the best apps to read manga legally for free.
Libby
Libby is a free app to access digital books, manga, magazines, and audiobooks from your local library.
It is accessible via Wi-Fi or mobile data, so you have the option to read your favorite manga online or download it for offline reading.
However, you will need a library card to gain access to Libby’s content gallery.
As of writing, Libby has One Piece, Case Closed, Naruto, Dragon Ball, Demon Slayer, Bleach, and many more popular titles.
The availability of these titles may depend on the number of copies available at your local library.
However, if the manga you want isn’t currently available for free on Libby, you can simply place a hold on it.
Once you do, you will receive a notification when the title becomes available, and it will be automatically borrowed from your account.
Hoopla
Another popular app where you can use your library card to read manga for free is Hoopla.
With Hoopla, you can explore best-selling manga series such as Attack on Titan, Berserk, and Battle Angel Alita online or download them to your mobile device using the Hoopla app.
Hoopla has an ever-expanding collection that would attract both seasoned manga enthusiasts and newcomers.
Apart from the series mentioned before, Hoopla has a wide range of manga titles such as Parasyte, Peach Heaven, Fairy Tail, Ace of the Diamond, A Silent Voice, Fire Force, Blame!, and more.
Viz Manga
Viz Manga offers a digital manga platform where you can enjoy complimentary chapters of the newest series simultaneously published in Japan.
The latest chapters from chosen Viz Manga series such as Komi Can’t Communicate, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Kimi no Todoke: From Me to You, and more are accessible for free reading.
Additionally, you can explore completed series by accessing their first chapters at no cost.
But for $1.99 per month, Viz Manga subscribers can get access to the complete digital catalog with more than 10,000 chapters.
Manga Plus by Shueisha
Manga Plus is the official manga reader app/platform from Shueisha.
If you are a fan of the shounen genre, then Manga Plus is one of the best apps with an exhaustive collection of some of the most popular manga titles.
Manga chapters published on Manga Plus can be enjoyed free of charge, exclusively through the official mobile apps.
However, Manga Plus does offer extra benefits to its Manga Plus Max subscribers such as unlimited access to English chapters.
Currently, the platform is offering two plans to its patrons namely, Standard ($1.99/month) and Deluxe ($4.99/month).
Standard subscribers can read all the chapters of currently serializing titles without ads. If the serialized titles are completed, they will not be accessible in this tier.
Meanwhile, there are no such restrictions for Deluxe plan subscribers.
Manga Plus is home to heavyweight titles such as Spy x Family, Choujin X, Chainsaw Man, and more.
Shonen Jump
The Shonen Jump app is under the Viz umbrella brand. Similar to Viz Manga, the most recent installments of Shonen Jump titles become available on the app at the same time as their Japanese release.
Moreover, these titles are available for free on the Shonen Jump app. The latest three chapters of any ongoing series are available at no cost.
Shonen Jump currently has titles such as Dragon Ball Super, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and more.
In addition to the complimentary chapters, Shonen Jump provides a subscription service priced at $2.99 per month.
With this membership, you gain access to a vast digital vault with over 15,000 manga chapters, allowing you to unlock up to 100 chapters daily.
What are your go-to apps for reading manga? Share your picks with us in the comments section below.