WEBTOON vs Wattpad: comics or prose reading?
By AppDuo Editorial Team · Updated
Quick verdict
WEBTOON vs Wattpad: comics or prose reading.
WEBTOON: Mobile readers of webcomics and manhwa.
Wattpad: Readers who like novels, fanfiction and genre fiction such as romance, fantasy and mystery.
Choose for your main task, existing devices and plan limits; the overall score cannot replace your requirements.
Head-to-head
| Feature | WEBTOON | Wattpad |
|---|---|---|
| Best suited to | Mobile readers of webcomics and manhwa | Readers who like novels, fanfiction and genre fiction such as romance, fantasy and mystery |
| Approach | Naver's vertical-scroll comics platform; free to read, early access with Coins | Read and publish community-written stories, with an ad-free Premium tier |
| Notable strength | Millions of episodes free to read per the store listings | Free to read, write and build a library, with offline downloads |
| Trade-off | Coin prices on the App Store are hard to compare: the same 100+8 Coins pack appears at both 199,000 ₫ and 299,000 ₫ | Google Play shows only 3.7/5 (5.02M reviews); Trustpilot 1.9/5 from 221 reviews on an unclaimed profile |
| Free access and limits | Fast Pass episodes can be unlocked with Coins or become free after a waiting period the help page does not specify. According to The Outer Haven (June 2025), Daily Pass has ended: episodes it used to cover now need Coins or ads. | Per the Google Play description, reading stories, building a library, offline downloads, comments and votes are free. The app shows ads and sells Coins and paid plans in-app. |
| Recorded plan price | Paid prices depend on plan and purchase channel; see the product review. | Premium: 5.99 USD/user/month, as recorded in the review. |
| Platforms | web, ios, android | web, ios, android |
| Data and privacy | WEBTOON's privacy policy page could not be loaded while this review was compiled (the server reset the connection), so this section relies on the developer's store disclosures and a help page. The App Store says data that may be used to track you includes identifiers and usage data; data linked to you includes purchases, contact info, user content, identifiers, usage data and other data. Google Play says the app may share personal info, app activity and device IDs with third parties, may collect location, and encrypts data in transit. For children under 13 in the US, the help page says information is collected only with parental consent and some features such as comments and personalised ads are switched off; parents can ask to review, correct or delete their child's data. | According to the privacy policy (last revised 2 November 2023), creating an account requires an email address, date of birth, username, whether you are a reader, writer or both, and at least one preferred genre; real name, gender and location are optional. Wattpad also records IP address, cookies, device details and actions such as votes. Data is used to run accounts, personalise story recommendations, show tailored ads and prevent spam and fraud. Wattpad says it will not rent or sell personal information unless anonymised; it may share data with affiliates and service providers, and may give Google your email address to check eligibility for Google AdSense for Platforms. Closing an account deactivates it for six months, during which it can be restored; after that personal information is permanently deleted while anonymised comments and contributions remain. Children under 13 (under 14 in Quebec) may not use the service. In June 2020, per Wikipedia, a data breach exposed almost 270 million records including names, emails, birth dates and bcrypt-hashed passwords. |
| Not suited to | Readers who want whole series without paying or watching ads: many episodes need Coins | People who want edited fiction of consistent quality, like published books |
Choose WEBTOON if…
- Mobile readers of webcomics and manhwa
- Creators who want to self-publish on CANVAS
Choose Wattpad if…
- Readers who like novels, fanfiction and genre fiction such as romance, fantasy and mystery
- Writers who want a ready readership and comments on individual passages
How the products differ
WEBTOON: WEBTOON suits people who read comics on their phone and mainly want a large free library. Points to note: many episodes need Coins or ads, Coin pricing is hard to compare, and the full privacy policy could not be verified.
Wattpad: Wattpad suits readers of community-written novels and fanfiction, and writers who want to publish for free. The trade-off is uneven ratings (4.7/5 on the App Store, 3.7/5 on Google Play, 1.9/5 on Trustpilot), with Trustpilot reviewers often citing ads, paywalled stories and slow support.
Choose around your use case
WEBTOON: Fits Mobile readers of webcomics and manhwa; Creators who want to self-publish on CANVAS. Strengths: Millions of episodes free to read per the store listings; High ratings: 4.7/5 on Google Play (about 4.64 million ratings) and 4.8/5 on the Vietnam App Store.
Wattpad: Fits Readers who like novels, fanfiction and genre fiction such as romance, fantasy and mystery; Writers who want a ready readership and comments on individual passages. Strengths: Free to read, write and build a library, with offline downloads; Large catalogue across genres, with comments placed directly on passages.
Costs and limits to check
WEBTOON: Paid prices depend on plan and purchase channel; see the product review. Trade-off: Coin prices on the App Store are hard to compare: the same 100+8 Coins pack appears at both 199,000 ₫ and 299,000 ₫.
Wattpad: Premium: 5.99 USD/user/month, as recorded in the review. Trade-off: Google Play shows only 3.7/5 (5.02M reviews); Trustpilot 1.9/5 from 221 reviews on an unclaimed profile. Prices retain the currency and billing units recorded in the source profiles; no currency conversion or plan equivalence is assumed. Check official prices, limits and terms before payment.
When to consider another option
WEBTOON is not aimed at: Readers who want whole series without paying or watching ads: many episodes need Coins.
Consider alternatives to Wattpad if you are: People who want edited fiction of consistent quality, like published books. Read these limitations alongside the feature table before deciding; a single strength cannot compensate for a missing requirement.
Frequently asked questions
Should I choose WEBTOON or Wattpad?
WEBTOON vs Wattpad: comics or prose reading. WEBTOON: Mobile readers of webcomics and manhwa. Wattpad: Readers who like novels, fanfiction and genre fiction such as romance, fantasy and mystery. Choose for your main task, existing devices and plan limits; the overall score cannot replace your requirements.
Does a higher score always mean a better fit?
No. Overall scores are editorial judgements across several criteria. Your task, allowance and existing ecosystem may matter more; the table separates those differences so you can decide.
Where do prices and limits come from?
From each product’s researched profile, with source links and check dates in the review. This comparison reuses that evidence; its compilation date does not mean every price was rechecked that day.