Manga popularity has skyrocketed over the years due to the large viewership anime garners worldwide. Fans' reasons for reading manga or manhwa range from discovering the complete storyline for an anime with slow releases to discovering the original art style and plot presented by a mangaka. For light novel readers, it can be the perfect opportunity to see their favorite characters depicted in a stylish manner, satisfying their curiosity.

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As an anime fan, at some point, you may have read ad-filled scanlations; fan-translated manga that are shared on different online platforms, which are questionable in terms of legality. Pursuing these options may be a ‘cheaper’ option for you, but it undermines the content furnished by manga artists. So, if you want to contribute greatly to the anime franchise you love, there are legal, awesome sites, some of which are free to read manga or other related comic types like manhwa or manhua.

Updated October 18th by Emedo Destiny: Finding the right website to read manga online can be quite the task for individuals new to the medium. Going through the printed version of Shonen classics or isekai titles can be thrilling if done the right way, and that can only happen with the right website. Reading manga online on illegal websites with ad-filled scanlations isn’t an ideal option, as there are free legal manga-related websites readers can enjoy without having to face evading unnecessary ads. With the sites listed in this piece, even newcomers to the manga medium can find the perfect option to suit their needs.

15 ComiXology

comixology website
  • Pricing: $5.99 Monthly
  • Genre: Shonen, Shoujo, Action, Fantasy, Comedy & others.

Comixology is the perfect library for fans of anything comic-related. This Amazon-owned site is a good place to cultivate the manga-reading culture for individuals who are new to the medium. In addition, the site hosts thousands of manga titles available for fans to purchase.

One can either choose to buy a specific manga from the site or subscribe to the Comixology monthly, which is a more beneficial option in the long run. In the manga section of the site, readers can check out various manga published in North America.

14 Mangamo

mangamo website
  • Pricing: $4.99 monthly
  • Genre: Action, Romance, Thriller, Comedy & others.

Mangamo is a solid option for veteran manga readers looking for a quality site with unrestricted access to different manga. The Mangamo site will redirect readers to their app, which is the channel for reading their content. Although this may not be the best option for manga readers who prefer reading directly on sites, the Mangamo app is worth the purchase.

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After subscribing to the app, you gain access to over 10 popular publishers. Unfortunately, Mangamo is unavailable in Japan, China, and some Asian countries, which is a minus for Mangamo developers since most manga readers are from the home country of anime: Japan.

13 INKR Comics

inkr comics websites
  • Pricing: $4.99 Monthly
  • Genre: Action, Adventure, Horror, Romance, Comedy & others.

INKR Comics is a relatively new manga website that runs on a quid-pro-quo agreement between the publishers and the comic developers. Apart from just reading manga, individuals who are interested in joining the manga industry as a mangaka can use this site to start their journey.

In other words, if you are a growing Mangaka, INKR comics is just right for you. On the other hand, INKR Comics also publishes manhwa, & manhua-related titles, which is a plus for fans of these mediums. Furthermore, the site can be accessed on Android or iOS devices.

12 Manga Club

manga club site
  • Pricing: Free
  • Genre: Romance, Horror, Seinen, Shonen & others.

Manga Club is another legal site to read manga. One can even say that getting content to read on the site is free, considering the renting process Manga Club uses. Some chapters on Manga Club can be accessed for free; however, purchasing a full copy of a manga requires one to register on the site.

After this registration, readers can acquire tickets, which can be used to rent a manga free for 72 hours. The website can be accessed on any device, and it features a vast library with different genres of manga.

11 Yen Press

yen press
  • Pricing: $2.99 Monthly
  • Genre: Action, Fantasy, Comedy, Adventure & others.

Yen Press is arguably one of the biggest manga-publishing websites based in North America. Launched as far back as 2006, Yen Press is the product of the collaborative efforts between Kadokawa Corporation and the Hachette Book Group.

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As a result, yen Press is well-stocked with numerous manga volumes and even light novels for fans of the medium. Even more, one can choose to buy the digital versions of their favorite manga or get the hard copy. Undoubtedly, Yen Press is a great place to check out enjoyable manga series.

10 J-Novel Club

j novel site
  • Pricing: $4.50 Monthly & Pay-Per-Purchase.
  • Genre: Fantasy, Slice of Life, Action, Romance, Isekai, Comedy & others.

Among this list of manga-oriented websites, J-Novel Club stands out in terms of uniqueness since the online site features both manga and light novels for fans. Using J-Novel Club, readers can subscribe to follow their favorite series as soon as they are posted on a weekly basis. Also, J-novel Club isn't restricted regarding genre options, so you can read any manga type you prefer ranging from action-based ones to slice-of-life-oriented reads.

As a non-member, you can read Part 1 of the stories on J-Novel Club to get a feel for the site and its quirks. However, to access the J-Novel store fully, they run a fixed subscription price monthly, which gives you access to their manga and light novels.

9 Coolmic

coolmic website interface
  • Pricing: $0.50 - $2.00 Per Chapter.
  • Genre: Shoujo, Shonen, Seinen, & Romance.

Coolmic is another quality manga website with minimal restrictions that allow only mobile-based browsers to access the site. In August 2020, the website partnered with Kodansha USA Publishing for the company to transfer their comics to the site, allowing readers to feast their eyes on more content within the website. Looking past Coolcomic’s browser restriction, the site has interesting content to offer.

On Coolcmic, you can access the first chapter of your favorite manga freely. Readers can access other chapters using four to seven tickets. On Coolmic, readers can go through both romance-based titles, and mature seinen reads.

8 Bookwalker

bookwalker logo
  • Pricing: $1-$8 Per Purchase.
  • Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Shoujo, Seinen, Supernatural & others.

Bookwalker is the official online bookstore for the famous animation studio Kadokawa. The store can be accessed through its website or app, depending on your preference. Readers can check out both light novels and manga series on the site, making it the go-to online platform for printed works in the anime community.

The website design is categorized in such a way that readers can easily determine new releases, award-winning series, and manga that are headed toward the anime franchise. Further, Bookwalker is accessible using any social media-oriented device, such as Android-based devices or MAC gadgets.

7 Manga Plus

manga plus interface
  • Pricing: Free.
  • Main Series: One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, Haikyuu, My Hero Academia, Black Clover, among others.

Most anime fans have probably heard of the Japanese Publishing company, Shueisha. Regardless, you can check out the company site for manga: Manga Plus. Manga Plus is a great online site to read manga since it publishes titles produced by Shonen Jump and North American manga.

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Manga Plus has an attractive, easy-to-use user interface, so there’s no doubt that you will have issues maneuvering the site offerings on your first attempt. Readers can access Manga Plus using any solid browser on an IOS and Android devices. Manga Plus greatest feature is that despite the absence of ads and site glitches, the site is completely free for fans to access.

6 ComicWalker

ComicWalker interface
  • Pricing: Free.
  • Genre: Action battle, Fantasy, Parallel World, High School, Comedy & others.

If Kadokawa’s Bookwalker is not to your liking, you can check out their free online website, ComicWalker, or a different experience. One of the site’s interesting features is that it allows readers to go through various manga ranging from action-packed titles to comedy in both English and Japanese. The online site can also be accessed through any goof browser on IOS devices or Windows products.

ComicWalker site is easily-maneuverable, so manga fans can easily find their favorite stories and settle down to read. The site also has another pretty useful feature depicted as Calendar, which allows readers on the sites to know the release dates for their favorite manga titles.

5 Tapas

original comics on tapas
  • Pricing: $50 For 600 Episodes.
  • Main Series: The Beginning After The End, Adonis, Magical Boy, Perfect Blend & others.

Tapas features manhwa, Korean-based comics, a sub-genre under the manga franchise. The site also has different web novels to check out. Even though Tapas has a solid website, the app is a better tool to fully experience what the company offers. Tapas allows readers to check manhwa or novels they are interested in up to a certain point, usually six chapters.

After going through the free chapters, readers can unlock new episodes using inks, points, coins, and free episode tickets. However, there are also series under the 'Premium' umbrella, which you have to purchase. On the site, you can read different genres of manhwa, such as action, comedy, adventure, reincarnation, and more. Classic stories you can check out are The Beginning After The End, Second Life Ranker, and Bastard.

4 Viz Media

viz media site
  • Pricing: $2.99 Monthly.
  • Top Series: The Legend of Zelda, One-Punch Man, One Piece & Dragon Ball

Viz Media is a leading publisher of hit manga series, and most seasoned manga readers are acquainted with the site. If you aren't, it is a good place to start cultivating a manga reading culture. Viz manga site holds a vast catalog of manga titles, spanning over 4000 titles. Some popular manga from Shonen Jump are also published on the site, proving the platform's popularity.

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Interestingly, Viz Media offers free selected chapters and previews of new manga releases, allowing curious readers to have an idea of a story's content. On the Viz manga site, titles you can read range from new releases to classic reads like One Piece, Naruto & OnePunch-Man.

3 Webtoon

webtoon outlook
  • Pricing: Pay-Per-Chapter (500 coins for $49.99)
  • Main Series: unOrdinary, God of High School, Tower of God, Lookism & others.

Webtoon deserves a spot on this list since it is one of the most popular websites for manhwa-based stories. Popular reads like The God of High School, Tower of God, and unOrdinary are closely associated with this site. Webtoon presents an online library holding different manhwa, ranging from adventure-based series to horror stories.

Like Tapas, Webtoon employs the "one free episode a day" process, which readers can ignore by purchasing more episodes using a payment entity “coins.” Readers can buy 10 coins for $0.99 and 100 for $9.99. If this site isn’t satisfactory, the Webtoon app, notable for its offline usage and easier navigation, is another great option.

2 Shonen Jump

the shonen jump
  • Pricing: $1.99 Monthly Subscription & Pay-Per-Volume.
  • Main Series: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, One-Punch Man, One Piece & others.

The Shonen Jump is an excellent site to read manga of different genres. The Shonen Jump weekly is arguably one of the biggest manga communities in Japan. If most Shonen Jump releases are your favorites, give the site a try; it's worth it. With a monthly subscription fee of $1.99, readers can access 100 chapters on a daily basis. Shonen Jump can be navigated using browsers on IOS and Android-based platforms.

Despite the site’s vast library, containing over 10,000 chapters, it is restricted to only Shonen Jump Series, such as My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, One Piece, etc.

1 Crunchyroll

crunchyroll website
  • Pricing: $7.99 Monthly.
  • Genre: Action, Psychological, Slice of Life, Comedy. Adventure, Shounen & others.

Crunchyroll is reputed as an authority in the anime franchise, and their range of influence also spreads to the manga community. The site uploads manga titles immediately after they are publicized in Japan. On Crunchyroll, you can discover a collection of different manga hailing from renowned publishers like Kodansha, Seven Seas Entertainment & more.

Readers can find popular manga like Attack on Titan, Naruto, Fairytail, and less popular titles on the site. Crunchyroll is quite pricey; however, readers can try the 14-day free trial option to access manga for free within that timeframe to discover if Crunchyroll is worth the payment.

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