Japanese comic books and cartoons have found their way into the mainstream thanks to worldwide distribution on the internet and have grown rapidly in popularity over the years.
Manga are also Japanese comic books that tell stories in the form of still images with accompanying text that can range from simple phrases to complex sentences.
They are extremely popular these days. In fact, they continue to grow as more people are introduced to them through online reading sites.
If you’re interested in learning more about manga, then this article will introduce you to 15 different websites where you can read manga for free.
Best Free Manga Reading Websites
1. Mangapark
You can read all sorts of different comics for free on Mangapark including many well-known titles like “Fairy Tail” and “Naruto Shippuden” as well as some lesser-known ones such as “Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou” which translates into Everyday Life with Monster Girls.
The great thing about it is that you don’t have to register in order to read and you can even browse the manga by genre.
What also makes them stand out from other websites or apps is that there’s an option for offline viewing, which means that you don’t need WiFi access to read anything on their servers. In addition, all the comics are free and staff-curated.
2. Mangadex
Mangadex is a free database of manga, anime, and manhwa. It’s also the name for a project which aims to provide an open platform that anyone can use to read or write about comics in different languages (currently Spanish).
Mangadex provides tools over social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, or YouTube with functions such as: creating reading lists from your favorite comic authors; creating summaries for new readers; writing reviews on any published work, and sharing it among fans who are looking for similar titles.
The word “Mangadex” refers collectively both to comics created in Japan or by Japanese creators outside of Japan. The term applies when either the text is written in Japanese language script or the story originates from Japan.
It has been translated to English as meaning either pictures in hand or drawn images and text, but the term is also used for comics from other countries.
This site has a lot of different genres, as well as an easy search engine that will help you find what you’re looking for. What’s also great is that there are forums in which artists from all over the world gather to share their knowledge with others through tutorials on how they make it happen and more.
3. MangaFox
Though the MangaFox website looks dated now, don’t let its appearance fool you because it still has plenty of interesting content available at your fingertips – including “Sailor Moon” or any of the other classic series out there.
You’ll just have to create an account first before being able to continue reading anything.
Although they do have some ads, this isn’t one of those sites that charge money for reading content. They also offer fast loading speeds so you can enjoy all your favorite manga almost instantaneously.
There’s something new every day with plenty of genres as well as titles available including Korean comics (Korean webtoons).
This site is good for those who want to find manga with a specific genre. They have an index of all the different genres and sub-genres you can search through so it’s easy to find what type of story you’re looking for.
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4. Mangareader
This is one of the most popular websites on this list due to its design that makes navigation easy and quick, plus it has a large library with over 50 series for you to choose from.
What’s also great about this site is that there are no ads at all – just pure reading pleasure. There’s even a button labeled “Favorite” where you can put your favorite manga in order so they’ll be easier to find later on.
This site may not offer a lot of information about their series other than the genre and number of volumes in the story and you also can’t create an account if you’re looking for one to track your progress on what you’ve read, but Mangareader is still worth checking out because they do have over 50 different anime/manga titles available with more added every month.
This website will be perfect for people who want something simple but effective in order to find manga without all the bells and whistles.
It is perfect for people who want something simple with good results when looking for an anime or manga title.
5. Batoto
If you want something new every day, then Batoto might not be the website for you because it only updates once or twice per month (depending on whether their staff finds any interesting projects). However, if monthly releases work better for your schedule, then Batoto would be perfect for you.
What makes them so amazing? Well, they have an easy-to-use search engine which means no more wasting time scrolling through page after page trying to find something interesting. That also includes being able to download/read entire chapters offline if needed.
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6. Manga Rock
There are a lot of different genres to choose from (including romance, comedy, and horror) on this site. What sets it apart is that all the content can be downloaded so if you want something offline – Manga Rock is the place to go.
There are some titles on here that I wasn’t able to find anywhere else. The only downside is that you can only read one chapter at a time as far as I could tell, but if it’s enough for your needs then this site should be perfect. If not, head over to the next on our list.
The navigation panel is easy enough once you get used to how Manga Rock works so there will likely be no complaints in regards to functionality or good design either way.
All in all Manga Rock provides excellent service with something for everyone who loves reading manga online.
7. KissManga
This website has a very large library with over 100 series for you to read. The best thing about KissManga is that it is free and doesn’t have any ads which means there will always be some manga ready for you when you’re bored or just need an escape.
If you love reading manhwa or webtoons, this website has everything that you need such as full chapters, translations, and even download options in case your internet isn’t reliable enough. With over 500 titles available on their site, they’ve got something no matter who longs for some comics.
You can read any of their popular series’ such as One Piece, Bleach, Fairy Tail, Naruto, and many others all in one place without needing an account. They have some exciting features like being able to switch between Japanese speech bubbles (left) and English translation text (right).
For iOS devices, there are different apps out there but the best app is probably the KissManga App. This is because it has a clean interface that is quick and easy to navigate plus there are no advertisements.
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8. Mangago
If what caught your attention was “free” then Mangago might not disappoint since everything here is free. Plus, you can read manga in English or in the original Japanese language.
Mangago is a service that offers free access to an extensive library of the best-selling Japanese comics for English-speaking audiences, making it one of the most popular webtoons apps out there.
The interface lets readers choose from various options like reading mode (for those who want to read through their favorite series without any interruptions), animation mode (where each panel follows sequentially with one another), or auto-play video playback by clicking on the button at the bottom right corner).
It also has other cool features such as learning guides about drawing anime and flower arrangements.
The manga or manhwa, as it is called in Korea, can be found by either browsing the latest chapters or searching for a particular title.
To start reading your chosen chapter all you have to do is click on the page and enjoy. If you want to quickly read through the whole story without any interruptions just hit the “play” button below each panel of pictures that follow sequentially with one another.
The images are accompanied by captions describing what’s happening so there won’t be any confusion about context even if this isn’t your first time going down this route.
However, Mangago offers more than just an opportunity to explore new worlds and stories: it also gives readers access to free manga lessons such as how-to guides on drawing manga.
9. MangaPanda
This site has a huge amount of content for readers to enjoy with over 3000 series and millions of volumes available on their website. If what you’re looking for is free then it’s possible you will find it here since this is one site that doesn’t charge its users anything at all.
The site has a variety of features that make it an enjoyable reading experience. For starters, there’s plenty to read. The large selection is its biggest draw and understandably so since one can find whatever they’re looking for in this expansive library of manga comics.
If you want something new then just search through their many series with different genres and difficulties to suit your preference. You’ll be able to categorize what you see by genre as well which makes finding the right fit easier than ever before.
There are also exclusive stories available on MangaPanda when you subscribe at no cost whatsoever making the costs negligible altogether if not free. Just remember though, they do have advertisements popping up from time to time but all in all, it’s a great site to enjoy your favorite manga.
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10. ReadManga
ReadManga has a huge selection of manga for you to read with over 100 not counting “in translation”. You can even choose your favorite genres so it’ll be easy to find what type of story is right for you.
The ReadManga app offers a variety of manga to choose from. It currently has over 50,000 titles in its library with more being added daily.
You can search for your favorite manga by name or author and filter them based on genre as well as the language: English, Japanese, Chinese (simplified), Korean, and Vietnamese are the available options at this time.
If you happen to find an interesting title that doesn’t have an official release date yet then we recommend following it so when they do become available you will be notified right away.
This is also helpful if you want to know what new releases are coming next week or which series just got updated today without having to scroll through all of them yourself. The list is also ordered by release date, so it is easy to see what will be coming out in the future.
If you want more information on an individual series, then click on the title and a new tab will open where all of that manga’s data will be shown.
There are four options under “More Info”:
- Chapters: Which shows how many chapters there are for this specific series as well as how many volumes it has (with links to read them)
- Stats: Where you can see aggregated stats about readership, views, and ratings across ReadManga.
- Volume Overview: Shows which volume is releasing next if applicable with links to purchase or pre-order it from your preferred vendor
- Synopsis & Review: A brief overview and review of the series.
11. MangaHere
This website has some features that make them stand out from other websites or apps such as being able to bookmark pages (so if you finish reading one chapter but want another later on there’s no need to search through).
It also includes English translations which make this an app worth trying out especially since they’re constantly adding more titles every day.
The only drawback is that the app doesn’t have a way to refresh or download new chapters automatically. This means you’ll need to manually check for updates which can be tedious if you’re reading through multiple titles at once.
It’s also missing some of the more popular categories such as gender-bender romance manga, but this may change in the future depending on how development with their servers goes.
Overall I would recommend trying out MangaHere after downloading it and seeing its features yourself. If anything changes then we will update our review accordingly, but until then enjoy your favorite manga.
12. Mangakiss
Find out everything about new releases, your favorite titles, the latest chapters, and more with this app.
Mangakiss is an application with a lot of potential for manga lovers. Mangakiss offers various aspects that could be useful to anyone from the casual reader to the person who has read every single one there is; these include:
- Latest Updates
- Recently Released Manga (Includes genres and recommendations)
- Favorites, including genre filters (Mystery, Shounen/Shoujo, etc.) as well as alphabetized lists based on author names or a number of releases in order to quickly find what you are looking for. This section also includes favorite titles by popularity rank, which can help people decide if they want something new or old depending on their tastes. There are even release dates so readers know when it will air in their country.
The manga is grouped into categories for ease of reading, such as Action or Drama. The list includes all genres to make it easier to find the kind you want but also a general description so readers know what they are getting themselves into if they choose that manga title.
The reviews get more detailed and in-depth with each release, which can be helpful when deciding what series to read next based on your tastes.
Mangakiss Review is useful for any reader from casual readers who want recommendations and descriptions up through those who have read every single one there is; this includes latest updates, recently released manga (including genre), favorites including author lists (alphabetized), or popularity based on the number of votes from readers.
13. Comico
Comico provides manga challenges and It also has a variety of tools and resources for artists that want to become better at drawing their own manga or improve the process by learning from other professionals.
Some of these features include thumbnail galleries, critiques, lesson plans, artist interviews, and more, so there are plenty of opportunities for you to get feedback about your work.
This website will help you learn how to create manga drawings. If you’re interested in learning more about the types of artworks all you have to do is check out some examples and follow instructions that cover topics like sketching techniques, perspective guidelines, and more.
There’s no limit on what type of style or technique can be taught here since it caters specifically to those who want to learn how to create manga drawings.
The best things about this site are the posts from other professionals. They offer product reviews that can help guide what tools might be a good fit for your needs. This makes it easier than ever before if you’re trying to figure out which materials or platforms will be right for your project goals.
14. MangaStream
This website gives you fast loading speeds when reading manga pages which is definitely a plus for anyone who’s used to having to wait on other websites or apps that take forever to load the page.
One of the best features of this website is that you can scroll horizontally to read different manga pages. I personally love horizontal scrolling because it makes reading manga feel less like a chore, and more enjoyable than vertical scrolling which just feels too constricting.
Overall MangaStream deserves five out of five stars for their awesome feature set.
I would recommend visiting MangaStream if you are looking for an extremely user-friendly way to find new and good mangas without having to go through any ads or annoying popups.
This site also has plenty of genres available so no matter what your taste in comics there will be something on here for you – even if those tastes happen to include yaoi.
15. Manga Dogs
If you’re looking to read manga on your mobile phone, Manga Dogs is a good choice for you. They have tons of popular series such as One Piece, Attack On Titan, and many more that are all free to view without needing an account from them.
The site is easy to use and has a simple, clean interface. It’s not too crowded with ads either so reading the manga can be done without distraction.
The only downfall would be that it doesn’t have as many series as some other sites do but for someone looking for an app-based experience, this is worth checking out.
Last Words
The online world has provided many new opportunities for entertainment and leisure. With the rise of manga, it’s no surprise that people are looking to find ways to read their favorite series without paying a dime or using data.
The 15 websites listed above offer free manga reading in various formats. You can go with any of them that interest you the most.
Scott L. Macarthur is a marketing consultant and an online author. He is mostly engaged in providing his expertise to startups and SMBs. He is also an author on TheNextWeb.