Comi vs WEBTOON: Vietnamese comics paid in XU, or a global library with many free episodes?
By AppDuo Editorial Team · Updated
Quick verdict
Comi is Vietnamese-only, with local artists' work and premium chapters in XU. WEBTOON has a global library and many free episodes but no Vietnamese UI.
Comi is published by Comicola Joint Stock Company. According to the publisher, it licenses international webtoons and has commissioned dozens of titles from Vietnamese artists. XU can be earned through daily tasks or bought, and buying on the website costs less than in the app. Its refund terms contradict themselves.
WEBTOON belongs to NAVER WEBTOON of South Korea. The store listings advertise millions of free episodes. Early-release episodes open with Coins or turn free after a wait. According to The Outer Haven (June 2025), Daily Pass has ended, so some episodes now need Coins or ads.
Head-to-head
Comi leads on 3, WEBTOON on 3, 4 even
| Feature | Comi | WEBTOON |
|---|---|---|
| Where the comics come from[5],[4],[9],[10] | Per the publisher: licensed international webtoons (the terms mention Korean comics) and dozens of exclusive titles commissioned from Vietnamese artists. | Calls itself the world's largest comics and manhwa community; home of the originals behind Tower of God, True Beauty and Sweet Home. |
| → Readers after work by Vietnamese artists find commissioned titles on Comi; those following globally known manhwa find the originals on WEBTOON. | ||
| Vietnamese language[3],[5],[6],[9],[10] | Content and interface are Vietnamese-only (though the App Store language field lists English). | Interface languages are English, French, German, Indonesian, Korean, Chinese, Spanish and Thai, with no Vietnamese. The sources AppDuo read do not mention Vietnamese translations. |
| → Readers who only read Vietnamese will find Comi easier; those who read English or Korean are not held back on WEBTOON. | ||
| How much is free[2],[5],[7],[9],[10] | Free to download, but premium chapters need XU; some XU comes free through daily tasks. | Millions of free episodes per the store listings. Fast Pass episodes open with Coins or turn free after an unspecified wait. |
| → WEBTOON advertises millions of free episodes and lets readers wait for Fast Pass episodes. Comi does not say how much is free; reading premium chapters without paying means collecting XU through daily tasks. | ||
| Smallest top-up (personal)[2],[5],[9] | 180 XU for 29,000 VND (≈ $1.13) in the app on the Vietnam App Store; on the website the smallest pack is 500 XU for 50,000 VND (≈ $1.94). | 20+5 Coins for 19,000 VND (≈ $0.74) on the Vietnam App Store; the largest pack is 299,000 VND (≈ $11.62). |
| → XU and Coins are different units and the sources AppDuo read give no per-chapter price for Comi, so the entry price says little about which is cheaper to read. | ||
| VIP and Premium plans[2],[5],[7],[9] | VIP 1: 69,000 VND/month (≈ $2.68/month) (2,080 XU a month), renewing through the Apple account. VIP 2: 419,000 VND (≈ $16.28) for 6 months (16,600 XU). VIP 3: 809,000 VND (≈ $31.44) for 12 months (36,900 XU). | The Vietnam App Store lists two "WEBTOON Premium" items at 99,000 VND (≈ $3.85) and 249,000 VND (≈ $9.68). The help pages do not explain what they include or whether they renew. |
| → Comi states how much XU each VIP plan includes; with WEBTOON Premium, check the in-app description before paying. | ||
| Price by channel and payment methods[2],[4],[5],[7],[9] | XU costs about 70% more per XU in the app than on the website. Pay via App Store, Google Play, bank transfer, PayPal or MoMo. | Coins are bought in the app. Some packs carry a [US] label, and the same 100+8 Coins pack appears at 199,000 VND (≈ $7.73) and 299,000 VND (≈ $11.62). |
| → On Comi, topping up on the website is a clear way to pay less, with MoMo and bank transfer available; on WEBTOON, read the Coin list closely to avoid the pricier duplicate. | ||
| Ads[3],[5],[9],[10],[14] | The sources AppDuo read do not say whether ads appear while reading. The privacy policy names serving relevant ads as a purpose, and the App Store label lists advertising data for third-party advertising. | Google Play lists the app as containing ads. Since Daily Pass ended, some episodes open with Coins or by watching ads. |
| → On WEBTOON, watching ads is one way to read without paying. Comi states it uses data to serve ads; WEBTOON's store disclosures list tracking and data sharing with third parties. | ||
| Refunds[2],[4],[7],[9],[10] | The terms allow a refund request within 10 days for unused XU, yet also say no refunds in any case. No VIP refund process is described. | The pages AppDuo read say nothing about Coin refunds; payments follow App Store or Google Play rules. |
| → Neither offers a clear refund promise, so starting with small top-ups carries less risk, even though Comi's larger web XU packs cost less per XU. | ||
| Publishing your own comics[1],[9],[10] | The website has a guide to uploading your own stories; the sources AppDuo read describe no further process. | CANVAS, a dedicated platform for independent creators to self-publish. |
| → Artists aiming at readers in many countries have a better-documented route on WEBTOON. Comi has an upload guide, but its process is not described in detail. | ||
| Ratings and updates[5],[6],[9],[10] | 4.04/5 from 2,334 ratings on the Vietnam App Store. Latest version 3.2.4, released 24 May 2025. | 4.8/5 from 5,652 ratings on the Vietnam App Store; 4.7/5 from about 4.64 million on Google Play. |
| → WEBTOON is rated higher on both stores, from far more ratings. Comi has had no update since 24 May 2025. | ||
Prices marked ≈ are converted to USD at the reference rate of Nov 14, 2026 (ExchangeRate-API) so they can be compared. What you pay follows the vendor's price and exchange rate.
Choose Comi if…
- You read only Vietnamese and want an all-Vietnamese app
- You want comics drawn by Vietnamese artists
- You pay with MoMo or bank transfer and will top up on the website
Choose WEBTOON if…
- You read English and want plenty to read without paying
- You follow popular manhwa and accept waiting or watching ads
- You draw comics and want to post them on CANVAS for an international audience
What a chapter actually costs
Both apps sell top-up units rather than chapters, so the cost of a whole series is hard to know in advance. On Comi, XU costs 85 to 100 VND (≈ $0.00) each on the website depending on the pack, while in the app 580 XU costs 99,000 VND (≈ $3.85), about 171 VND (≈ $0.01) each. The largest web pack is 20,000 XU for 1,700,000 VND (≈ $66.06) instead of 2,000,000 VND (≈ $77.71). The sources AppDuo read have no per-chapter price list, though, so the cost of one chapter cannot be worked out. On WEBTOON, The Outer Haven reports that series once covered by Daily Pass now cost three Coins per episode, but the price of a single Coin is hard to infer when the list shows packs with the same Coin count at different prices.
Waiting to read free: what has changed
On WEBTOON, patient readers can pay nothing: Fast Pass episodes turn free after a while, although the help page does not say how long. In June 2025, The Outer Haven reported that WEBTOON had quietly ended Daily Pass. Episodes it used to unlock now cost Coins or an ad view. An older help page still describes Daily Pass, so trust the rules shown in the app. For Comi, the sources AppDuo read mention no wait-for-free mechanism; the route they describe is doing daily tasks to collect XU. The sources AppDuo read do not say how much XU a day of tasks earns.
What happens to your data
Comi's privacy policy is fairly explicit: account details, card and bank information, IP, cookies and usage history, and one stated purpose is serving relevant ads. Some information is kept for up to 5 years, but the policy gives no way to request deletion of data or the account. WEBTOON's privacy policy page could not be loaded when AppDuo compiled its record, so only the store disclosures are available: identifiers and usage data may be used for tracking, the app may share personal info and device IDs with third parties, and it may collect location. For children under 13 in the US, parents can ask to review, correct or delete their child's data.
Who runs them, and how actively
Comicola received its business registration in Ho Chi Minh City on 21 January 2015, and the Comi app reached the App Store on 16 August 2018. Version 3.2.4 of 24 May 2025 fixed a bug in VIP subscriptions and is still the latest. WEBTOON is a large company's product: according to Anime News Network, WEBTOON Entertainment had 156.9 million monthly active users and 7.5 million paying users in Q2 2026, yet still posted a US$15.6 million operating loss. The Q1 2026 figure of about 145 million users came after the company changed how it excludes automated traffic, so it is not directly comparable with the Q2 number.
Frequently asked questions
Does Comi have text novels?
Yes. Besides comics, Comi carries novels.
Is Comi the only licensed comics platform in Vietnam?
That is how Comi's website describes itself. AppDuo found no independent source confirming it.
Can children use these apps?
Comi's terms set a minimum age of 13, with guardian consent below that; the App Store rates it 12+. WEBTOON requires parental consent for US children under 13 and switches off comments, creating series and personalised ads for them.
Can I watch video on WEBTOON?
Yes, the app has a Watch tab for video episodes.
Sources
Numbers in the table refer to these sources, read on the dates shown.
- 1.Comi official website · Vendor-provided · Nov 13, 2026
- 2.Comi XU store · Vendor-provided · Nov 13, 2026
- 3.Comi privacy policy · Vendor-provided · Nov 13, 2026
- 4.Comi terms of use · Vendor-provided · Nov 13, 2026
- 5.App Store listing (Vietnam) · store · Nov 13, 2026
- 6.iTunes lookup API (Vietnam) · store · Nov 13, 2026
- 7.WEBTOON Help: Coins and Fast Pass · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
- 8.WEBTOON Help: WEBTOON for Children · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
- 9.WEBTOON on the App Store (Vietnam) · store · Nov 10, 2026
- 10.WEBTOON on Google Play (Vietnam) · store · Nov 10, 2026
- 11.Wikipedia: Webtoon · Community-reported · Nov 10, 2026
- 12.Anime News Network: Q2 2026 results (2026-08-31) · press · Nov 10, 2026
- 13.Anime News Network: Q1 2026 results (2026-05-19) · press · Nov 10, 2026
- 14.The Outer Haven: Daily Pass ends (2025-06-05) · press · Nov 10, 2026
Prepared by the AppDuo Editorial Team from the sources cited in this article. AI assists with organising and cross-checking data; editorial responsibility remains with AppDuo.
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