Alternatives To MangaStream? Check them out!
Despite its origins in Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun, Manga is a medium of art and storytelling that is enjoyed all over the world by different kinds of people. Popular because of its unique Japanese art style that lends itself so well to so many different genres – from Action, to Romance, to Coming-of-Age stories aimed at audiences of all ages and of all walks of life, to more mature themes like Gore, Violence, and Political Satire – Manga has become even more widespread because of its availability online.
What is MangaStream?
MangaStream is one of the most popular sites where you can read and download Manga for free. With millions of visits regularly, MangaStream houses one of the largest collections of Manga “scanlations” – a portmanteau of scan and translation, which is basically the process by which Japanese manga is made available to a global audience. Legitimate copies of popular Manga are scanned into a digital format and then the champions of Manga fans around the world – the translators – edit these digital copies to replace the Japanese text into translations into other languages, most commonly English, but also Chinese, French, Korean, and more.
However, because of its popularity, MangaStream has also come under fire for violating copyright laws and distributing Manga – the intellectual property of Manga artists, authors, and publishers – unlicensed, online, and for absolutely free. With copyright enforcement laws getting stricter and stricter, MangaStream may no longer be the most reliable source of free-to-read and free-to-download Manga.
In that regard, here are some of the best sites to download and consume Manga online and for free. MangaStream remains one of the most popular sites for Manga, with one of the widest Manga selections available, too, but in case MangaStream is down – either temporarily or permanently – or if it otherwise unavailable due to restrictions in your region, these great alternatives should offer plenty of Manga to keep your cravings satisfied.
Top 10 MangaStream Alternatives
MangaFox
A perennial favorite, MangaFox is one of the oldest Manga streaming platforms that’s still alive today. Although it came up at around the same time as MangaStream, the latter rose much higher to become the most popular Manga site out there, with MangaFox not too far behind.
MangaFox is one of the most famous manga scanlation sites out there, so if you’re looking for a popular alternative to MangaStream, this one is probably your best bet. This platform has a huge selection of manga titles, including some hard-to-find genres like shotacon and smut.
One of the best reasons to check out MangaFox is its intuitive and super easy-to-use mobile application that you can download directly onto your smartphone, whether you’re running Android or iOS. Read MangaFox titles easily through the MangaZone app.
MangaFreak
Far from being the most popular Manga streaming website, MangaFreak is still a great place to read and download Manga online for free. It has a wide selection of Manga available across multiple genres, and the intuitive site navigation makes it a breeze to sort and browse through the catalog to find Manga that can scratch your itch, whether you’re up for some action, romance, or just a little slice of life to help you unwind.
One of the best things about MangaFreak is that it lets you easily download Manga onto your device. The site layout makes it great for mobile or desktop viewing online, but the added option to download manga for offline reading is a great feature that you don’t often see on Manga streaming platforms.
Manganelo
Manganelo is a crowd favorite when it comes to manga scanlations, but it might be immediately apparent why that’s so. Unlike MangaFox or KissManga, Manganelo doesn’t boast a super-wide selection of manga titles (although you’ll find hundreds of thousands of popular to obscure titles here too), and the site navigation isn’t absolutely perfect – but it does offer something few others do.
Manganelo offers one of the best manga reading experiences you can get online. Unlike most other manga scanlation sites that let you load in each page one at a time as an image, and then you press a button to take you to another webpage where you’ll find the next page of your manga, Manganelo has vertical scrolling. That means that every image gets loaded on a single mage, so that you can browse freely and without interruption, similar to popular online web toons.
If you want the most popular titles and put an excellent reading experience at a premium, then Manganelo will definitely not disappoint. Fans of the site love Manganelo for its more modern take on reading manga, and web toon lovers frequent Manganelo for a similar visual novel experience but with the unique stories and art styles only manga can bring.
TenManga
A relative newcomer to the world of free online manga, TenManga is an up-and-coming manga site that’s gaining popularity because of its easy-to-use interface and wide selection of popular titles.
MangaDex
If you’re looking for the manga site with the largest collection of Shonen manga, as well as an impressive catalog of Josei, Sheinen, and webtoon-style comics, MangaDex is one of the best places to go, especially for international manga lovers.
MangaDex is one of many manga scanlation sites that offers multiple language scanlations, including Italian, German, French, and Chinese, but it is unique in the sheer variety of manga it has on offer. Each Manga comes with alternative endings based on fan-fictions, colored versions, and even official crossovers.
MangaPark
MangaPark is a manga scanlation site that has earned the favor and acclaim of manga lovers around the world for its user-centric navigation and minimal advertising. Manga scanlation sites often resort to very aggressive advertising since ads are typically their main revenue source, but MangaPark prides itself in providing a truly excellent user experience.
First, the manga titles are displayed neatly on the front page to help you find the latest and greatest series with ease, including a featured list of the most-read manga today. If you’re looking for something a little older or off-beat, MangaPark also lets you sort through its catalog by genre so you can find manga that’s just your style and taste. One excellent new feature from MangaPark is that it lets you view your manga reading history, making it much easier to pick up where you left off.
MangaHere
MangaHere doesn’t have a super wide selection of manga comics – there’s about 10,000 titles available on the site at the time of writing – but it does have a very varied catalog with a lot of obscure and hard to find titles thrown into the mix.
MangaOwl
MangaOwl is another popular MangaStream alternative that offers a wide selection of manga categorized over 51+ genres to help users browse and navigate the catalog more effectively. With a large user base and a user ratings system for each manga series as well as individual episodes, MangaOwl is a great way to read your favorite manga or discover new titles that might tick all the right boxes for your manga cravings.
One of the best things about MangaOwl is that – somehow – they manage to release Weekly Shonen Jump issues even before they officially launch. If you’re a big fan of Weekly Shonen Jump, and want to get the debut premiere of the latest episodes, then MangaOwl has you covered.
KissManga
A sister site of the popular streaming websites KissAnime, KissCartoon, and KissAsian, KissManga features a similar layout and design to its anime and TV counterparts, with a great search function and an amazing selection of manga titles to choose from.
Just like KissAnime- arguably the most popular anime streaming site online – KissManga boasts an impressive index of manga titles, with over a million comics available for your manga cravings. KissManga hosts all kinds of manga – from action-packed shounen to romantic josei – and there’s literally over a million titles available to sink your teeth into no matter the genre you’re looking for.
KissManga borrows the KissAnime formula and adapts it really well for the medium. The search functionality is top-notch, the site itself lets you browse through the million-strong manga catalog with ease. Plus, since it’s one of the most popular manga streaming sites out there, KissManga also gets regular updates with the latest issues uploaded almost immediately after their official launch.
MangaPanda
If you love MangaStream and miss its sleek user interface with a ton of features to help you navigate the platform and find exactly the kind of manga you’re looking for, then MangaPanda might just be your best bet for a true MangaStream alternative.
MangaPanda has a great selection of Manga – from the latest titles to more celebrated classics, although it may be difficult to find more obscure, off-beat titles that were never too popular. MangaStream users love MangaPanda for the similar, sleek interface and easily navigable menus, even though it doesn’t have as wide or as varied a selection of manga to read.
Unfortunately, MangaPanda doesn’t let you download entire issues all at once, so offline reading might not be possible on this website, which is something to consider if internet connection isn’t something you want to need to have to enjoy your favorite manga.
