In short
- Manta is licensed Korean manhwa (and since April 2026, manga) in English from RIDI Corporation, sold as a membership plus Gems.
- The 18+ editions are called "[Full ver.]" and open only on Manta web; the apps carry versions
tailored to be more suitable for its age rating
. - Standard is $4.99 a month. Premium is $9.99 in the app and $8.99 on the web, with 1,420 Gems a month included.
- Gem prices were multiplied by 10 on March 31, 2026. A 40-Gem episode costs about 32 cents on the 1,250-Gem bundle ($9.99), a 50-Gem one about 40 cents.
- Downloads for offline reading are open to every user, members or not.
What Manta is
Manta is an English webtoon store run by RIDI Corporation, a Korean company. It launched on iPhone in November 2020 as a subscription-only app and has since grown into a hybrid: a membership with an all-you-can-read Unlimited Library, plus Gems for unlocking single episodes. Some series are Gem-only. The terms say Manta Content is licensed by the copyright owner to us
, and the library mixes licensed titles with Manta Originals.
The home page has COMIC, MANGA and NOVEL tabs. The manga tab is new: it went live on April 7, 2026 with Kodansha titles, and RIDI announced it to the press on April 8, along with a Kodansha promotion that ran to April 20. Genre tabs are Romantasy, Romance, BL, Fantasy/Sci-Fi, GL, Drama, Thriller and Nonfiction. There is a Spanish catalog too, smaller than the English one. For the wider picture of Korean adult comics in English see adult manhwa, and for every store we cover, the platforms index.
Who Manta suits
Readers of romance and BL manhwa who like to binge. The Unlimited Library is the draw: 300+ series for a flat fee. Add the free daily Free Pass, the downloads and the cheaper web Premium, and Manta is the store for someone who reads a lot and wants the 18+ editions in a browser.
It suits a reader who wants everything in one app much less. The full versions are web only, some of them cost Gems even for members, and an age typed in at sign-up cannot be changed afterwards.
Full versions: Manta's 18+ editions
Manta does not use the word "uncensored". It calls its adult editions full versions and marks them "[Full ver.]" in the title. The definition from its help centre:
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 same series in the app carries a note: This series version is tailored to be more suitable for its age rating.
In other words the app edition is the edited one, and the full version restores what was cut. How much was cut differs by series, and Manta does not describe it.
Two practical details. Full versions are not all in the Unlimited Library: some are Gem-only, so members pay for them episode by episode. And Content rated 18+ is not accessible to users who have not verified their age over 18
, which leads to the age check below.
Why the app does not carry them
Manta's own explanation is short: Due to app store policies and regulations, we're limited in how certain series can be offered
, followed by an instruction to open Manta in a web browser. The US App Store listing rates the app 16+ with advisories that include "Infrequent/Mild Sexual Content and Nudity". Google Play rates it 13+. A phone browser reaches the full versions fine; the app does not.
The age check
Manta verifies age during account creation
, and Once you submit your age, you will not be able to change it.
From the outside it looks like a typed birthdate; whether anything more happens behind it would take an account to find out. A reader who entered a wrong date at sign-up has to contact support. The terms let people from 13 use the service, under a guardian's supervision until 18; the gate in front of the full versions is there for that reason.
What is free on Manta
The first few episodes of each series are free. The Free Pass adds more: it unlocks one episode on 400+ titles, the episode stays readable for 72 hours, and the pass resets every 24 hours. It may not apply to the newest episodes. Read every day and a long series opens up at a pace of roughly one episode a day without paying. Where the Free Pass sits among other stores' free models is on free adult webtoons.
New web members can also start Premium at $4.99 for the first month during the current promotion, then $8.99 a month.
Manta membership prices
The membership comes in two tiers. Standard is the Unlimited Library and extra Gems on every bundle. Premium is the library plus 1,420 Gems a month. These are the prices on the US App Store and Manta's help centre:
- monthStandard 1 month$4.99Unlimited Library, extra Gems on bundles (up to 400)
- monthStandard 3 months$12.99billed every 3 months; app only
- yearStandard 12 months$49.90Unlimited Library, extra Gems on bundles (up to 900); app only
- monthPremium (app)$9.99Unlimited Library + 1,420 Gems a month
- monthPremium (web)$8.99same as app; $4.99 first month for new members during promotion
- once200 Gems$1.99200 Gems (Premium: 280 app / 290 web)
- once600 Gems$4.99600 Gems (Premium: 710 app / 720 web)
- once1,250 Gems$9.991,250 Gems (Premium: 1,420 app / 1,500 web)
- once2,500 Gems$19.992,500 Gems (Premium: 2,850 app / 3,000 web)
- once6,250 Gems$49.996,250 Gems (Premium: 7,150 app / 7,500 web)
- once12,500 Gems$99.9912,500 Gems (Premium: 14,300 app / 15,000 web)
Source: apps.apple.com. Prices change with region, promotions and the store you buy through.
Standard's 3-month ($12.99) and 12-month ($49.90) plans can only be started in the app; the 12-month plan works out at about $4.16 a month. Manta's help centre does not state a web price for Standard.
Premium is cheaper on the web: $8.99 a month against $9.99 in the app. On the web that $8.99 buys more Gems than the $9.99 non-member bundle (1,420 against 1,250) and the library on top. For a reader who already buys a $9.99 bundle every month, web Premium costs a dollar less and adds the library.
How Manta Gems work after the March 2026 change
On March 31, 2026 Manta multiplied every Gem figure by 10. Before, Comic episodes typically cost 3–6 Gems
; now Manta's own examples are "4 Gems -> 40 Gems" and "5 Gems -> 50 Gems", so episodes run 30 to 60 Gems. Old screenshots and reviews quoting single-digit Gem prices are now misleading, and the App Store list still shows old-scale names such as "25 Gems" for $0.99 and "71 Gems" for $4.99.
The arithmetic on the current non-member bundles:
| Bundle | Price | 40-Gem episode | 50-Gem episode |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200 Gems | $1.99 | about $0.40 | about $0.50 |
| 1,250 Gems | $9.99 | about $0.32 | about $0.40 |
| 12,500 Gems | $99.99 | about $0.32 | about $0.40 |
Members pay less per Gem because every bundle carries extra Gems. A Premium member gets 1,500 Gems for $9.99 on the web, which brings a 50-Gem episode down to about 33 cents. Bundles above $9.99 add no discount for non-members: 12,500 Gems for $99.99 is the same rate as 1,250 for $9.99.
What you buy with Gems stays yours in a useful way: Series unlocked with Gems will stay in your library to revisit whenever you like, even if the series leaves Manta.
The trade-off between the two models is set out in subscription vs pay per chapter.
Manta on iPhone, Android and the web
- iPhoneYesManta - Manga, Manhwa, Novels, rated 17+; full versions not offered in the app
- AndroidYesPlay Store app (RIDI Corporation), Play rating 13+
- BrowserYesfull versions (18+) are read on Manta web
The apps hold the all-ages and edited editions, the membership purchase (including the app-only 3 and 12-month plans) and the downloads. The website holds the full versions and the cheaper Premium. Manta's Download feature is now available to all users, regardless of Membership status
, so episodes can be read offline in the app; there are no files to keep outside it. Other stores that allow it are on adult comics with offline reading.
Manta's page data flags some countries as unsupported, but Manta publishes no list.
Privacy, billing and cancelling
Memberships renew automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing period
. Cancel where you paid: in the App Store, in Google Play, or in your Manta web account. Manta warns that signing out of your account or deleting the Manta app does not cancel your Membership.
On an iPhone, Apple's route is Settings, your name, Subscriptions. More detail on every store's route is in our guide to cancelling comic subscriptions.
Refunds: all payments are final and are not eligible for a refund.
Google Play's Data safety section says the app may share crash logs, app interactions, installed apps, email, user IDs and device IDs, advertising among the purposes. Manta publishes no billing descriptor.
Publishing on Manta as a creator
Manta has two routes, and one of them is brand new. The existing one is a submission form for publishing contracts: Manta is currently accepting webcomic submissions in all genres, including both all-ages and mature content.
Submitters must be 18 or older. Contracted titles earn through a "Hybrid Model" (subscription engagement plus episode purchases) or a pay-per-episode model where readers buy episodes with Gems. Manta publishes no revenue share.
The second route opens on November 16, 2026: an independent section where creators upload episodes in the creator studio, and publish right away
. Manta says earning will come later, and it has not yet said how the open section will treat mature uploads. Until it opens, where to publish adult comics covers the routes that pay.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Unlimited Library of 300+ series for a flat monthly fee.
- Free Pass on 400+ titles, one episode a day.
- Downloads for offline reading for everyone.
- Premium is cheaper on the web ($8.99 against $9.99).
- Gem-bought series stay in your library even if they leave Manta.
Cons
- 18+ full versions only on the website.
- Some full versions cost Gems even for members.
- No refunds on memberships or Gems.
- The age entered at sign-up cannot be changed without support.
Manta alternatives
Tappytoon is the obvious comparison: also licensed Korean manhwa with web-only 18+ editions, but pay per episode with a points Club, and labels that say plainly whether an edition is [Steamy] (partially censored) or [Uncut]. Lezhin suits readers who came to Manta for BL and GL, since both have their own genre tabs there, and its R-rated titles open on the web or in its Android PLUS APK. Readers who like Manta's flat fee more than its catalog can look at Toomics, sold mainly as a VIP subscription with its 18+ series on the website. Manta's new manga shelf is mainstream; for adult romance manga in a browser, MangaPlaza has a large Adult Romance shelf and a $6.99 Premium plan, for US readers only. The wider field is ranked on NSFW webtoon sites.
FAQ
How do I read full versions on Manta?
Open manta.net in a browser, log in with an account whose age is 18 or over, and pick the series marked "[Full ver.]". The apps show only the edited versions because of app store policies.
How much is Manta Premium?
$9.99 a month in the app and $8.99 a month on Manta Web, with 1,420 Gems a month included. New web members can get the first month for $4.99 during the current promotion.
Why did Manta's Gem prices change?
On March 31, 2026 Manta multiplied every Gem figure by 10, so an episode that cost 4 Gems now costs 40, with bundle sizes rescaled to match. Old Gem prices in screenshots no longer apply.
Can you download Manta comics for offline reading?
Yes, in the app. Manta says the Download feature is available to all users regardless of membership. There are no files to keep outside the app.
Does Manta give refunds?
No. Manta says all payments are final and not eligible for a refund.
Is Manta uncensored?
Manta does not use that word. Its "[Full ver.]" editions are "the complete form of a series", 18+ only and web only. The app editions are edited for their age rating.
Final verdict
Verdict
For a heavy reader of romance and BL manhwa, Manta's numbers are hard to argue with: a 300+ series library for $4.99, Premium at $8.99 on the web with 1,420 Gems a month, a daily Free Pass and downloads for everyone. The 18+ full versions are a browser-only affair and nothing is refundable. Read the series page for "[Full ver.]" before you pay, and buy Premium on the web, not in the app.