I still remember trying to explain webtoons to a friend who only read paper comics. She kept asking which shop she should go to. None — that's the whole point. The thing I love most about Korean webtoons is how absurdly easy they are to start. No store, no shipping, no hunting for the right volume. Most of the big series are officially translated into English, free to read, and sitting in an app you can install in about thirty seconds.
But "easy to start" doesn't mean "obvious." There are half a dozen platforms, each with its own currency, its own strengths, and its own quirks, and nobody hands you a map. So here's the map. I'll walk you through every platform I actually use or recommend, tell you honestly what each one is good and bad at, explain how the free-versus-paid side works so you don't accidentally burn money, and finish with the tips I'd give a friend over coffee.
Download the Webtoon app (run by LINE/Naver). It's free, legal, has thousands of titles in English, and it's where almost everyone should start. Everything else on this page is a supplement for when you want something Webtoon doesn't have.
First, the one thing every platform has in common
Before the individual apps, understand the model, because it's the same idea almost everywhere. A webtoon releases new episodes on a schedule — say one a week. The back catalogue (everything except the newest handful of episodes) is usually free. The freshest episodes are locked for a short window. You can either wait for them to unlock at no cost, or pay a small amount to read them right now. You're paying for speed, not for the story.
That single rule explains 90% of the confusion new readers feel. The lock icon isn't a paywall on the whole series — it's a "this one's hot off the press" tag. Wait a week or two and it almost always opens up for free. I go much deeper on coins and passes in a separate guide, but keep this in your head as you read about each app below: free if you're patient, paid if you're impatient.
The main platforms
This is the big one — the platform most people mean when they say "I read webtoons." It's run by Naver, Korea's largest tech company, and outside Korea it usually goes by LINE WEBTOON. The English catalogue runs to thousands of titles across every genre you can imagine, from action and fantasy to romance, horror, slice-of-life and comedy. New episodes drop weekly, and the official translations are solid. The free tier is genuinely generous: you can read enormous amounts without ever spending a cent, as long as you don't mind waiting for the newest episodes.
What I love about it for beginners is that it does the hand-holding. The home feed surfaces popular series, there's a clear "Completed" filter so you can binge a finished story with no waiting, and the Daily Pass section lets you read one episode of certain completed series free each day. If you only ever install one webtoon app, make it this one.
Tapas is the friendly second home a lot of readers keep alongside Webtoon. It carries plenty of Korean titles but it's also a big platform for original English-language comics and web novels from independent creators, so the flavour is a little different — more indie, more variety, occasionally more rough around the edges in the best way. The interface is clean and the free tier is reasonably forgiving.
It uses two kinds of currency, which trips people up: ink, which you can earn free by checking in and watching ads, and keys, which unlock locked episodes. The system sounds fiddly but it boils down to the same "wait or pay" idea as everywhere else. I reach for Tapas when I've heard about a specific title that lives there, rather than as my everyday browse.
Manta took a refreshingly different approach: one flat monthly subscription, and everything in the library is unlocked. No coins, no passes, no per-episode math. If the constant unlocking on other apps drives you up the wall, this is the antidote. It's run by Ridi, a major Korean digital-content company, and it leans heavily into romance, fantasy-romance and the villainess/regression genres that webtoon fans devour.
The trade-off is that the catalogue is curated rather than endless — you won't find every series here — and you're paying whether you read a lot that month or not. But for a binge reader who hates being nickel-and-dimed, the all-you-can-read model is a genuine pleasure. Most readers get a free trial, so it's easy to test before committing.
Tappytoon is where I send friends who've fallen hard for romance and fantasy-romance and want titles the free apps don't have. It specialises in licensed manhwa, and the translations tend to be careful and faithful — you can feel that someone who loves the genre worked on them. You can buy points to unlock episodes, or subscribe for a monthly allowance.
It's not where I'd start as a total beginner, because you're more likely to spend money to read the good stuff. But once you know you love romance webtoons, the quality and the catalogue make it worth a look.
Lezhin built its name on more mature, adult-oriented webtoons, and it's still the place people go for content the family-friendly apps won't carry — including a strong BL (boys' love) catalogue and edgier drama and thriller titles. It runs on a coin, pay-per-episode model, and there's age verification on the grown-up material.
Be honest with yourself about cost here: because it's mostly pay-per-episode with a smaller free tier, a long series can add up. I treat Lezhin as a specialist shop, not a default. If a title you want only lives there, it's worth it; just go in knowing you're paying.
Inside Korea, Kakao's platforms are Naver Webtoon's biggest rival, and a lot of huge hits originate there. The catch for English readers is that the English-facing experience is more limited and varies by region, so it's less of a reliable first stop than Webtoon. Still, it's worth knowing the name: when you read that a popular series "started on KakaoPage," this is what people mean. Kakao uses its own "wait to free" style system, where episodes unlock for free on a timer if you're willing to be patient.
My honest take: don't worry about Kakao on day one. File it away as context for where many famous webtoons came from, and check whether a specific title you want has an English home there.
Platform comparison at a glance
| Platform | Cost | Catalogue size | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📱 Webtoon | Free (coins optional) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Huge | Everyone — start here |
| 📖 Tapas | Free (ink & keys) | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium | Indie & original content |
| 📚 Manta | Flat subscription | ⭐⭐⭐ Curated | Romance binge-readers |
| 🌸 Tappytoon | Points / subscription | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium | Romance fans |
| 🎭 Lezhin | Pay per episode | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Large | Mature & BL readers |
| 🟡 Kakao | Free tier (region varies) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Large | Specific hit titles |
A note on the prices in that table: I've kept them deliberately general, because subscription costs and coin bundles change all the time and vary by country. Always check the current price in your own app store before you commit — don't take any number you read online (including here) as gospel.
How to choose the right platform for you
If you're staring at that list feeling paralysed, here's how I'd actually decide.
- You just want to start reading tonight, for free. → Webtoon. No question. Install it, pick a completed series, go.
- You hate the constant unlocking and would rather pay one flat fee. → Manta, especially if you love romance. The all-you-can-read model is bliss for binge-readers.
- You're deep into romance and fantasy-romance and want premium titles. → Tappytoon for licensed quality, Manta for volume.
- You want indie, original, or English-language comics, or web novels too. → Tapas.
- You're after mature content or BL that the family-friendly apps won't carry. → Lezhin, going in aware of the pay-per-episode cost.
- You read that a specific famous series lives somewhere unusual. → Follow the title. Sometimes that means Kakao or a platform you'd otherwise skip.
Most committed readers I know end up with two apps: Webtoon as the everyday home, plus one specialist app for whatever genre they love most. You don't need all six. You probably don't need more than two.
A few honest money-saving tips
Webtoons can stay almost entirely free if you read with a little patience. A few habits that have saved me real money over the years:
- Read completed series. A finished webtoon usually has its whole run unlocked, so you can binge it start to end with zero waiting and zero coins. This alone covers years of reading.
- Lean on the Daily Pass. On Webtoon, certain completed series give you one free episode a day. Keep two or three of these going at once and you always have something to read.
- Just wait a week. The newest locked episode of an ongoing series almost always unlocks for free shortly after. Unless you genuinely can't stand the suspense, patience is free.
- Collect free coins. Apps hand out free currency for daily check-ins, special events, and watching short ads. It accumulates faster than you'd think.
- Only pay for your one obsession. Most readers have a single series they truly can't wait on. Spend your coins there and stay patient with everything else.
- Stick to official apps. Pirated "free" webtoon sites hurt the creators and often come loaded with sketchy ads and malware. The legal apps are free enough that there's no reason to risk it.
How to get started (step by step)
- Download the Webtoon app from the App Store or Google Play
- Create a free account (email or social login)
- Browse by genre or search for a specific title
- Tap a webtoon → start reading from Episode 1
- Subscribe to get notified when new episodes drop
That's it. Honestly, the hardest part is choosing a first series, not figuring out the app. If you tap a completed romance or fantasy title with a high view count, you've basically guaranteed yourself a good time.
Frequently asked questions
Are Korean webtoons actually free, or is that a trick? Genuinely free, for the most part. The back catalogue of nearly every series on the big platforms costs nothing, and completed series are usually free start to finish. The only thing you pay for is reading the very newest episodes of an ongoing series before they unlock — and even that you can wait out. You can read for years on Webtoon without spending a single cent.
Do I need to read these on my phone, or can I use a computer? Both work. The apps are designed phone-first — the vertical scroll feels natural with your thumb — but Webtoon, Tapas and most others also run in a regular web browser, so you can read on a laptop or tablet. Your place is synced to your account, so you can switch between devices freely.
Is it legal to read webtoons in English on these apps? Yes. Webtoon, Tapas, Manta, Tappytoon, Lezhin and Kakao are all official, licensed platforms — the translations are authorised and the creators get paid. The only thing to avoid is unofficial piracy sites, which are both illegal and a security risk. Stick to the named apps and you're completely fine.
Check out our guide to Best Romance Webtoons for Beginners or try our Webtoon Finder AI tool for personalised recommendations.