Business Model: Lezhin Comics uses the industry-standard freemium model. They have works available for free and behind a paywall. Like other webtoon sites, they use app-based currency coins to unlock chapters—in which the creator and the platform share revenues.
Availability: Lezhin Comics is available on Android, iOS, and browsers. So far, Lezhin has expanded its business in the Japanese and English markets.
3. Manta Comics
Manta Comics is one of the latest digital comic platforms to join the manhwa craze. It’s been on the rise lately because of its highly popular titles, such as Under the Oak Tree, Lady Devil, Cheoulsu Saves the World, and Semantic Error.
Business Model: Manta is a rarity among the legit manhwa sites. Unlike its counterparts, it’s the first subscription-based webcomic platform in the market. Something most manhwa readers who know the pain of a paywall (like me) can appreciate.
They work with an in-house studio to produce content while also partnering with other creators to build a well-balanced content list.
Availability: Manta Comics runs in your browser. It has a manhwa app available on iOS and Android. Aside from catering to the Korean market, this webtoon site is also now building forward toward the English and Spanish market.
4. Tapas
Tapas is downright one of the most famous legit manhwa websites on the web. It has hosted a bunch of hard-hitting translated Korean manhwa and webtoons such as Solo Leveling, Villains Are Destined to Die, Positively Yours, and many more.
It’s also known for its huge fantasy and romance manhwa catalog. In the past few years, it has also expanded its original titles (both webtoons and web novels) by partnering with various creators around the world.
Business Model: Tapas follows a freemium business model—the current industry standard. There are some web series that are free to read, while others work with a paywall to the benefit of their creators.
To unlock such chapters, you must have the platform’s in-app currency called Ink. You can either buy ink with money or earn it by simply doing a task such as watching advertisements or playing affiliated mobile games.
Availability: Tapas owns a manhwa app available on Android and iOS. They also have a browser for PC and Mac readers. Its target audience is mainly the English market.
5. Webtoon
Webtoon stands out as a major manhwa platform on a global scale. It has turned a lot of content titles into successful film adaptations and animations, such as My ID is Gangnam Beauty, Along with the Gods, True Beauty, Sweet Home, etc.
Its parent company Naver has also bought Wattpad. Together with its subsidiaries, they’re striving to convert more of its textual content into movies, manhwas, games, and animations.
Business Model: Webtoon is a freemium manhwa website. It shares revenue with creators through a contract-based page profit share model.
Manhwa readers can access this webtoon platform for free up to a certain point. To continue reading, you’ll need to buy their digital currency and unlock more chapters.
Availability: Webtoon is available on Android, iOS, and browsers. This platform has also extended its reach to the English, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, German, Indonesian, Thai, and French markets.
6. TappyToon
TappyToon is one of the most popular manhwa apps on the web. It’s currently hosting a bunch of trending manhwa on its platforms, such as Who Made Me a Princess, Father I Don’t Want this Marriage, A Villainess for the Tyrant, and more.
Business Model: TappyToon is freemium. You buy their in-app currency called Points. And through those points, you can unlock chapters you want to read. Easy.
This digital platform has collaborated with other webtoon publishers, such as Kakao Entertainment and Comico, to run some translated titles in their apps.
Availability: TappyToon is available on Android and iOS. It also runs a manhwa site. Currently, its primary markets are English, French, and German.
7. Toomics
Toomics is a webtoon platform that is rapidly gaining popularity with an extensive selection of titles. Its webtoon site is famous for its mature romance manhwa and several indie webtoons.
In 2022, Terapin Studios bought Toomics for a whopping $160 million. Just look at its value, and you’ll know how big is its market share.
Business Model: Toomics runs a freemium digital content platform. So far, this manhwa site is also turning its intellectual properties into films with its Netflix adaptation of Black Knight (aka Delivery Knight).
Availability: Toomics operates a manhwa app available on Android and iOS. But if you’re reading on PCs, they also have an active browser.
Toomics has also branched out into multiple languages—French, English, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, and German.
8. Netcomics
Netcomics is a legend of its own. It’s South Korea’s first internet comics publisher. This webtoon website is also popular for its wide-range of good romance manhwa, popular novels, and free-to-read titles. Yes, free!
Business Model: Yes, Netcomics is freemium. You try a few free chapters. If you like it, you buy digital coins, then you can now kill the paywall, as simple as that.
Availability: Netcomics is available on Android, iOS, and browsers. They also distribute and license their digital content to various affiliated medium-to-large size manhwa sites such as Tencent, Copin, Lezhin, Tapas, Webtoon, etc.
9. Pocket Comics
Pockets Comics (also known as Comico) is a Japan-based webtoon platform popular for its well-mixed catalog of manhwa, manga, and webtoon originals. Most of its content covers romance and slice-of-life.
Business Model: Pocket Comics has a coin-based freemium mode. And like most of the legit webtoon sites, they’re rapidly expanding to the overseas market. Most of their titles are available in English, Korean, Japanese, German, Taiwanese, and French.
Availability: Pocket Comics has a good manhwa app available on Android and iOS. If you’re a browser guy, they also have a nice website for you.
10. ComiXology Unlimited
Yes, that’s right. Amazon’s Kindle & ComiXology is also rushing to take a bite of the giant manhwa pie. Unlike its Kindle Unlimited, ComiXology focuses more on the self-publishing side of the comics industry.
It has taken under its wing a staggering 45,000 comic originals, graphic novels, and manga. Now, it’s also expanding on the manhwa front.
Business Model: If you’re reading through a Kindle Unlimited (KU) subscription, ComiXology’s business model is the same but zeroes more on manga, manhwa, and original comics.
Availability: ComiXology is a cloud-based comic distribution platform available in browsers, iOS, Android, and Kindle Fire. However, it’s currently only running on US shores.
