It can be difficult to distinguish official English translations from fan-made translations when it comes to manga (comics and graphic novels originating from Japan), especially since both the quality and quantity of the latter have increased immensely in recent years.
For a long time, manga wasn't officially translated into English nor available digitally. This led to the rise of "scanlations," where fans scanned the pages of manga books and then used image editing programs to replace the original text with their translations.
Things have changed for the better since then. If you're not sure where to read manga for free, we've got you covered. Here are the best apps and websites you can visit to read official English translations of manga online legally.
1. Shonen Jump
- Platforms: Web, Android, iOS
- Cost: Free, $2.99/month, or pay per issue
- Notable Titles: One Piece, My Hero Academia, One-Punch Man
In the world of manga, WSJ doesn't stand for Wall Street Journal; it stands for Weekly Shonen Jump. It's one of the oldest, most popular (and arguably the best) weekly manga magazines available today. And it has a whole new digital avatar you should know about.
Called only Shonen Jump in the digital version, you can access three chapters of any ongoing series for free. Depending on the series, the three chapters you'll be able to read may be the first three chapters of the manga or the three chapters most recently released. If you want to continue reading beyond that, you'll need a Shonen Jump subscription.
For $2.99/month, you can unlock the Shonen Jump vault of over 15,000 chapters across a range of titles. WSJ was the origin of some of the most iconic manga in history, like Death Note, Naruto, and Bleach. It still publishes some classic titles, like Hunter x Hunter, and you'll discover plenty of new gems.
As with the classic WSJ, new chapters of several manga (usually over 20) arrive on the site every week. Shonen Jump has also announced that English translations will be made available at the same time as Japanese chapters.
Download: Shonen Jump for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)
2. ComicWalker
- Platforms: Web
- Cost: Free
- Notable Titles: Neon Genesis Evangelion, High School DxD, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin
Kadokawa is among the biggest manga publishers in Japan. Fed up with the scanlations, the company launched its own official service to read comics online for free. Yes, completely free.
Not all of Kadokawa's popular titles are available here, but many are. Unlike most other alternatives, you can actually use the service without signing up. That said, registering for an account adds some cool features, like creating a library of favorites and getting notifications when a new issue is published.
ComicWalker is notable for its no-nonsense, no-strings-attached approach. This is the place to go if all you want to do is read manga online without hassle. What's more, since it works in-browser, you can read from your office desk, too. If someone asks, just say you're learning how to draw anime and manga comics.
3. BookWalker
- Platforms: Web, Android, iOS
- Cost: Free, or pay per issue
- Notable Titles: Attack on Titan, No Game No Life, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World
Also run by Kadokawa, BookWalker is a one-stop shop for legal and official digital comics from Japan. The service includes all the popular publishers, including Viz, Kodansha, and Yen. It's like shopping on the Kindle store, except specifically for manga.
BookWalker features different free titles every month, but sadly there's significantly more paid content than free content. Nevertheless, you can download the BookWalker app on your mobile device or visit the website on your PC browser. You can browse by categories, genres, publishers, or authors.
When you purchase BookWalker, it's added to your catalog for eternity, and you earn coins that can be used to make future purchases. There are also membership rankings, which are determined by how much you spend. The higher your ranking is, the more coins you can earn per purchase.
Download: BookWalker for Android | iOS (Free, offers in-app purchases)
4. Crunchyroll
- Platforms: Web, Android, iOS
- Cost: $7.99/month, 14-day free trial
- Notable Titles: Genshin Impact, Orange
Anime and manga often go hand in hand. Now, there are websites to watch anime legally and for free. But how about getting both mediums in the same package? As an overall deal for a Japanophile, Crunchyroll is amazing.
Apart from several of the major anime series (that make it one of the best anime streaming apps), you get plenty of manga titles too. All for a pretty good deal at $8/month. It's completely ad-free, and the manga chapters are available as soon as they are published in Japan.
Crunchyroll is among the most widely recommended all-you-can-eat services for manga lovers. The collection has some major titles, and as with buffets of this kind, you'll discover new comics to fall in love with. Because the site is more than just a place where you can read manga online, it might be a little bit overwhelming for a beginner. If you need some help using the site, here's a guide on reading manga on Crunchyroll.
Download: Crunchyroll for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)
5. ComiXology
- Platforms: Web, Android, iOS, Windows, macOS
- Cost: $5.99/month, or pay per issue
- Notable Titles: Lone Wolf and Cub, Attack on Titan, Fairy Tail, The Seven Deadly Sins, Love Hina, Sherlock Bones
ComiXology is one of the best manga apps for Android and iOS. And the ComiXology Unlimited subscription service gives you access to a large collection of comics for a one-time, flat fee, much like Crunchyroll.
Additionally, in February 2022, Amazon integrated Comixology into Kindle, replacing Comixology’s browser-based store and reader. Moving forward, you can now read your mcanga online inside Kindle, which is another great reason why you should buy a Kindle. That has brought about some advantages, for instance, using your already existing Amazon account to read Comixology's vast manga library.
As a one-stop shop for all your manga needs, ComiXology is perhaps the best option. It offers both a subscription model and the ability to purchase individual issues that aren't in the subscription. Plus, since Amazon owns ComiXology, you can rest assured that your subscription isn't going to die without notice. But if you despise the platform due to its recent changes, you can check out the best Comixology alternatives.
So, should you get ComiXology Unlimited or buy individual issues separately? Check the full list of ComiXology Unlimited titles and see if it's worth $6/month. And remember, you also get access to a large collection of other comics from DC, Marvel, and so on.
Download: ComiXology for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)
How Do You Read Manga Online?
These websites are the best places to read manga online today. But it's worth considering how you want to consume your favorite books. Manga is generally black and white, so you don't need a color screen to get the most out of the art form. This makes the Kindle an ideal device, but the low storage may prove to be a problem.
