The comic reader for Mac

Panels is a native macOS app for reading your own comics on Mac. Open files from a folder, an external drive, iCloud Drive or an OPDS server, and read them in a reader built around comics, not a generic PDF viewer or a browser tab. If you also use Panels on iPhone or iPad, the same library and reading progress follow you across devices.

One library across Mac, iPhone and iPad

Panels is a Universal app on the App Store. Buy or install once and use it on Mac, iPhone and iPad with the same account. With a cloud library in iCloud Drive or Dropbox, your content and reading progress sync automatically between your Mac and your iOS devices, so where you stop on the desk is where you pick up on the couch.

Local files, iCloud Drive folders or your own server

Point Panels at a folder on your Mac, at an iCloud Drive or Dropbox folder, or at a self hosted OPDS server like Komga, Kavita or Calibre Content Server. All three library types use the same reader and the same library UI on macOS, so you can mix local files with a server without thinking about it.

Reads the formats you already have

CBR, CBZ, 7z, PDF and comic EPUB all open in the same reader. On a Mac display you get single or double page spreads for wide comics, right to left reading for manga, and the same page filters and reading modes available on iPhone and iPad.

Native macOS, no browser, no account to read your files

Panels on Mac is a real macOS app from the App Store, not an Electron wrapper around a website. You can open a CBZ from Finder and start reading. Reading local files or an iCloud Drive library needs no Panels account at all.

Frequently asked questions

What comic formats does Panels for Mac support?
Panels reads CBR, CBZ, 7z, PDF and comic EPUB, which are the standard formats for digital comics and scanned books. Comic EPUB means image based EPUB, the kind used for comics and manga, not reflowable text EPUB or light novels.
Do I need to be online to use Panels on Mac?
No. If your comics live on your Mac or in an iCloud Drive folder that has been downloaded locally, Panels reads them with no network. OPDS libraries from Komga, Kavita or Calibre need a connection to the server when you stream or download, but once a book is downloaded you can read it offline.
Do I need a Panels account?
Not to read your own files. Opening local files or browsing an iCloud Drive or Dropbox library needs no account. A free Panels account is only needed to sync reading progress from OPDS servers that do not expose a progress API, like Calibre Content Server, where Panels syncs progress through its own servers. Komga and Kavita sync progress back to the server directly with no Panels account.
Does Panels on Mac sync with my iPhone and iPad?
Yes, when your library is a cloud library. With comics stored in iCloud Drive or Dropbox, both your content and your reading progress sync automatically between Mac, iPhone and iPad. OPDS libraries from Komga and Kavita sync progress back through the server, so the Mac and iOS apps agree on where you stopped.
Where do I get Panels for Mac?
Panels for Mac is on the App Store. It is free to download and try, with optional Premium for advanced features. Download Panels on the App Store

Ready to read your comics on Mac?

Panels is free to try on Mac, iPhone and iPad.

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