Manta vs Tappytoon

Manta and Tappytoon are the two cleanest licensed manhwa stores in English, and both sell 18+ editions of romance and BL series through the browser. Their money models differ. Manta (RIDI Corporation) is a membership with Gems on the side; Tappytoon (Contents First, Inc.) is points per episode with an optional Club. Our other platform comparisons cover the rest of the field.

Catalog and formats

Manta's comics come in tabs for Romantasy, Romance, BL, Fantasy/Sci-Fi, GL, Drama, Thriller and Nonfiction, with web novels alongside and manga added in April 2026. Its membership library holds "300+ titles" and its Free Pass covers "over 400 comics titles" (Manta's figures). Some series are Gem-only, outside the library. Manta runs in English and Spanish, with a smaller Spanish catalog.

Tappytoon filters by Romance, Action, BL, Fantasy, Drama and GL, sells web novels too, and publishes comics in English, French and German. It gives no catalog size. Every title is licensed and credited.

18+ editions and how they are labelled

Manta calls its adult editions full versions, marked "[Full ver.]": A full version is the complete form of a series, including all original story elements. Full versions include mature content and are available only to readers aged 18 and older. The app shows a version tailored to be more suitable for its age rating. Manta never uses the word uncensored, so the safe reading is that a full version is the complete series as published. Some full versions are Gem-only even for members.

Tappytoon has two adult labels. [Steamy] editions are censored but keep adult themes, with "partially censored imagery". [Uncut] editions are unabridged and contain the full work, and may include explicit or adult themes and depictions. Steamy and all-ages versions are separate purchases. Of the two stores, Tappytoon is more explicit about where a given edition sits; Manta's "complete form" wording is closest to Tappytoon's Uncut.

help.manta.net

Free reading

Both open the first few episodes of each series and both run a daily free unlock:

Manta's Free Pass may not apply to the newest episodes. Tappytoon's ad-for-points route is the one free option that brings advertising into the app.

Prices and what an episode costs

Manta changed its Gem scale on March 31, 2026: every figure was multiplied by 10, so comic episodes that typically cost 3 to 6 Gems now cost 30 to 60, with Manta's own examples at 40 and 50 Gems. Non-member bundles start at 200 Gems for $1.99 and run to 12,500 for $99.99.

A 50-Gem Manta episode costs a quarter more than the 40-Gem figures (about $0.40 on the $9.99 bundle). Tappytoon's per-episode price also varies by title, and it takes 10% off unlocks of 20 or more episodes. Members on Manta get extra Gems on every bundle (Premium buys 1,420 Gems for $9.99 in the app, 1,500 on the web).

The subscriptions are where the two really differ. Manta Standard costs $4.99 a month in the App Store ($12.99 for three months, $49.90 for twelve, both app-only) and opens the whole Unlimited Library. Premium costs $9.99 a month in the app or $8.99 on the web, with a $4.99 first month for new web members during a promotion, and adds 1,420 Gems a month, about 35 episodes at 40 Gems. Tappytoon Club Standard costs $4.99 a month or $47.99 a year and gives points: 4,400 a month plus 30 a day, and a 12-hour Time Till Free. A VIP tier with 8,000 points and 30-plus free series exists, at a price Tappytoon does not publish.

So for $4.99 Manta gives you a shelf of series to binge, and Tappytoon gives you about 14 episodes of whatever you choose. If the series you want sits in Manta's library, Manta wins by a distance. If it does not, you are paying in Gems either way. Full price lists: Manta subscription prices and what Tappytoon costs.

help.manta.net

App or website: where the 18+ editions are

Both put adult editions in the browser only. Manta: Due to app store policies and regulations, we're limited in how certain series can be offered, so readers open Manta in a web browser for full versions. Tappytoon: Due to Apple and Google platform policies, steamy comics are available only on our website and mobile website. Both apps are rated 17+ in the App Store and 13+ on Google Play. If an iPhone is your main reader, expect to use Safari for the adult side of either service.

Offline reading

Manta's Download feature is open to every user, member or not, inside the app. Since full versions are web-only, offline reading covers the app editions. Tappytoon's help center does not document offline downloads. Readers who need offline adult reading should look at platforms with offline reading.

Age check

Manta asks for your age when you create the account, and Once you submit your age, you will not be able to change it. Content rated 18+ stays locked to accounts that did not verify as adults. Tappytoon asks you to log in, confirm you are 18 or older, then switch from "All-ages" to "mature mode". Neither says publicly whether anything beyond a declared age is involved. Manta's terms set a floor of 13, with supervision under 18; Tappytoon's set 16.

Refunds, ownership and privacy

Neither refunds. Manta: all payments are final and are not eligible for a refund. Tappytoon: all purchases and unlocks are final. Both renew subscriptions automatically, and both are cancelled where you subscribed (app store or, for Manta, the web account).

Manta makes the stronger promise on what you keep: Series unlocked with Gems will stay in your library to revisit whenever you like, even if the series leaves Manta. Tappytoon says point unlocks are "permanently added to your unlock history". Library-only reading on Manta ends when the membership does.

Both Google Play data safety labels say the apps may share email, user IDs and device IDs, including for advertising. Neither publishes a card statement name.

For creators

Manta accepts submissions for publishing contracts "in all genres, including both all-ages and mature content", from people 18 or older, and opens a self-publishing section for independent creators on November 16, 2026. Tappytoon has no open submissions, only an inquiry form. Neither publishes a revenue share.

Which one should you pick?

Pick Manta if you binge. $4.99 a month for a 300-plus series library is the cheapest way into licensed manhwa on either service, the Free Pass covers 400-plus titles, and downloads work for everyone. Check that the full versions you want are not Gem-only before you count on the membership.

Pick Tappytoon if you follow specific series, want to know whether an 18+ edition is censored before you pay, or want several free routes running at once. Its Club is good value if you would spend $5 a month on points anyway.

Readers comparing more widely can try other stores like Tappytoon or the best adult webtoon platforms.