Enjoy the captivating storylines, memorable characters, and unexpected twists of manga from the comfort of your own home. No matter where you are located, you can access some of the best manga titles online for free or at a low cost on top-rated websites. With so many options, finding the right site to read manga online has never been easier. The best part is that many websites let you read much of it for free.
What Is Manga?
Think of manga as a comic book/graphic novel version of anime. Both share exaggerated artwork, but manga can have more adult themes. To read manga online, use websites that offer English translations or your preferred language. Most of the sites suggested here are in English, with a few exceptions.
1. Mangamo
Price: Free (limited) / Premium $5 per month
Mangamo, a recent addition to manga resources, launched in 2020 and has quickly gained popularity globally. With over 400 high-quality titles from licensed publishers, Mangamo provides a secure and reliable service for manga fans. The app offers a limited free version and a premium option for $5 per month. No worries about piracy, just enjoy the manga.
2. MangaDex
Price: Free
MangaDex is likely the most well-known manga platform on the internet. After the closure of popular site Batoto, it emerged as the top choice, offering a vast collection of manga. The site’s advanced filters make it simple to find your desired manga. It features both user-uploaded “scanlations” and official titles from publishers. While its legality may be questionable, publishers can request removal of their content at any time.
Price: Free
MANGA Plus by SHUEISA is a leading website for online manga reading. Owned and operated by Japanese publisher SHUEISA, it ensures that artists are properly compensated for their work. As part of the same company as the popular manga magazine Weekly Shonen Jump, readers can access new magazine content on the website as soon as it’s published. With a diverse selection of legally obtained titles, MANGA Plus is the ideal choice for manga enthusiasts.
4. ComicWalker
Price: Free
To combat scanlations, manga publisher Kadokawa created ComicWalker as a free platform to read manga online. Although not all of Kadokawa’s manga is available, there is still a good variety to choose from. Reading is free and doesn’t require registration, but keep in mind that titles are subject to addition or removal. Some titles have a limited availability, but any title can be taken down at any time. So, if you find something you like, don’t hesitate to read it.
Price: Free / Premium plans start at $8 per month
Crunchyroll is a must-include in any list of the top sites to read manga online. With a vast collection of manga, it also offers anime streaming. A drawback is that most titles are only accessible through a subscription, with only a few being free. However, the site is trustworthy and does not rely on scanlations or user-generated content. Instead, it offers high-quality content and quick access to new releases.
6. Shonen Jump
Price: Free / Premium – $3 per month
Shonen Jump, the digital version of the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, provides access to recent chapters of its popular manga titles for free. Although, as a free user, you cannot access previous chapters. This is a fantastic opportunity to stay updated on new manga without paying. To save your favorite manga, you need to create an account on Viz (the home site of Shonen Jump). The reading experience is smooth with high-quality graphics and easy navigation on both desktop and mobile devices.
7. ComiXology Unlimited – Premium
Price: $6/month
ComiXology, an Amazon-owned company, specializes in comics, graphic novels, and manga. The main site offers the option to purchase individual titles. However, the most cost-effective solution is ComiXology Unlimited, which provides unlimited access to its library for a fixed monthly fee. With over 2,400 manga titles included in the subscription, some may only be available for individual purchase. Although the Kindle reading app is user-friendly, the ComiXology app is less so.
8. MangaKakalot
Price: Free
MangaKakalot offers a wide range of manga series, including both well-known and obscure titles. The user-friendly layout allows for easy browsing by genre, popularity, latest releases, or completed series. While the site operates in a legal grey area, no artists have taken legal action against it and it is considered safer as all content is streamed, not downloaded.
9. MangaHere
Price: Free
MangaHere offers a vast collection of over 10,000 manga series, covering various genres including supernatural, comedy, and more. It’s simple to discover new titles based on popularity, genre, latest updates, and releases. The site claims that all its content is licensed under fair use, but the legality of some content may be questionable. Despite this, the user-friendly interface and consistent quality make it a popular choice for manga readers.
10. Readm
Price: Free
Readm offers a wide variety of manga for online reading. Its comprehensive genre list makes it easier to find what you’re looking for. All content on the site is free and falls under the fair use provision of the Copyright Act. However, the updates section can be difficult to navigate on desktop. The site has a clean layout and offers good resolution quality for most titles.
Are free manga sites legal?
The legality of online manga reading sites varies. Sites that legally license content from publishers, such as MANGA Plus, are deemed to be legal. Meanwhile, many free sites that gather content without paying licensing fees to the creators are considered illegal. Such sites may be subject to shutdown if they receive a DMCA notice. It’s important to note that sites that merely provide links to other sites are not necessarily illegal, whereas sites that host or store the content are considered to be in violation of copyright laws. Nevertheless, these sites may continue to operate until they are legally required to shut down.
Leave a Reply