Is Shonen Jump Worth It? Why Cheap Isn’t Always Good

Viz Media’s Shonen Jump subscription is one of the cheapest subscription services out right now. It only costs about $2 / month afterall. However, just because something is cheap doesn’t necessarily mean it’s worth the money, so let’s take an in depth look before you buy.

Shonen Jump is worth it because it is one of the only places to read Shonen Jump’s huge catalog of manga online for a reasonable price. A Shonen Jump subscription is very cheap compared to other subscription services and lets users read up to 100 chapters of any manga they want every single day.

It’s hard to beat the $2 price point of a Shonen Jump subscription, but there is a limit. Viz does a good job of hiding the fact that you can only read 100 chapters everyday. Most subscribers end up thinking they can read as much manga as they want, but that’s just not true. You may be surprised at what all you actually get with a Shonen Jump subscription.

In short, you can read 100 chapters every single day with the Shonen Jump app. 100 chapters may not seem like a lot at first glance, but it actually ends up being the equivalent of 8 - 12 manga volumes (what you would find physically in a store.) Most manga fans are not going to read 8 - 12 manga everyday and will never hit that limit. I read a ton of manga, both physically and digitally, and have not hit the limit yet (although I’ve come close during these winter months.)

Overall, Viz’s Shonen Jump app is the best legitimate way to read manga digitally. The Shonen Jump app is completely legit and legal, and while having a limit is a bit of a bummer, it is a very generous limit, especially for $2 / month. No other app or subscription service will let you read this much manga for this cheap, which is why Shonen Jump is 100% worth subscribing to.

Shonen Jump costs $2 per month for a subscription. A subscription to Shonen Jump lets users read up to 100 chapters per day of any and all manga on the Shonen Jump app. Without a subscription, users can still read Shonen Jump manga, but will be limited to the first and last 3 chapters of each manga.

That’s right, even though the subscription is so cheap, Viz still gives away a little bit for free on their Shonen Jump app. You can’t read through entire series, of course, but if you’re caught up with one of Shonen Jump’s series you’ll be able to read every single new release without paying a dime (unless you end up over 3 chapters behind.)

Shonen Jump costs $2 per month (and has for quite a while now), and in return you can read 100 chapters everyday. If your read 100 chapters, you’ll have to wait until the next day to read more. 100 chapters is about 10 volumes of manga, though, and I’ve never reached that limit so the subscription is well worth the price.

Why is Shonen Jump so cheap?

Shonen Jump is so cheap in order to combat digital manga piracy. Viz Media has decided that charging a low price for a Shonen Jump subscription is worth it because it ensures that the manga artists are still being supported. A low subscription cost encourages readers to use a legitimate source to read manga.

I’m sure everyone reading this knows at least two or three websites to read and download manga for free. Viz Media (the American publishers of Shonen Jump and the company selling the subscription) know that we know, so they decided to entice us with an affordable and fair subscription price.

Manga isn’t like streaming services. The reason most people won’t pirate shows and movies is because it’s a bit difficult to do and usually isn’t as high of quality. Finding pirated manga is fairly easy (no I won’t share any sources), and Viz Media knows that so they decided to give us a cheap, legitimate option to use instead.

Some pessimistic readers say that Viz Media is keeping the prices so low in order to draw us all in and eliminate competition before they raise the price. This is a really popular business strategy nowadays, so I wouldn't’ be surprised if this is their end goal. However, all we can do is live in the moment and take advantage of the cheap price while we can!

The Shonen Jump app is not better than the Viz Manga app. The Shonen Jump app can only be used to read Shonen Jump manga, while the Viz Manga app can be used to read Shonen Jump manga and other manga published by Viz Media (although you will need to purchase non-Shonen Jump manga separately to read them.)

The Shonen Jump app and the Viz Manga app are practically the same app. If you download both of them you will see that they have the exact same layout and practically the same functionality.

Both apps will let you use your Shonen Jump membership to read Viz Media’s catalog of Shonen Jump manga (including My Hero Academia, Chainsaw Man, etc.) The major key difference, and why Viz Manga is better than Shonen Jump, is the fact that Viz Manga can be used to read manga that are not Shonen Jump related. You’ll have to pay for these manga, of course, but it’s still one of the best ways to read Junji Ito’s works and other great manga digitally, and more importantly, legitimately.

I’m going to go over three of the best manga on Shonen Jump right now. Keep in mind, these aren’t in any order - I chose three manga from “different” genres so that everyone can have something to read.

These are all on Shonen Jump, but you can also find them on Amazon (I’ll put a link to the first volume in each manga title.)

Chainsaw Man

Chainsaw Man has been gaining a ton of traction this year and for good reason. You’re doing yourself a huge disservice if you haven’t checked it out yet. Chainsaw Man is a shonen manga, but it subverts pretty much every expectation you have. Characters die (a lot), it has a ton of gore, and it’s overall just super weird.

Chainsaw Man’s story telling is beautiful and the conversations feel so realistic even in the a-typical setting that is Chainsaw Man. If you’re a fan of gore, fantasy, and an overall dark / gritty theme then definitely check out Chainsaw Man on the Shonen Jump app.

Spy x Family

Spy x Family is another insanely popular manga (and anime), so I had to throw it on this list at number two. Spy x Family is pretty much the perfect foil to Chainsaw Man. Spy x Family is much more light hearted and casual friendly, and more of a slice of life / action / comedy manga. There are a ton of reasons why Spy x Family has gotten so popular, but it basically boils down to having everything; romance, comedy, action, espionage, psychics, you name it. Watching three strangers hide their secrets from eachother while slowly becoming a loving family is beautiful, and Spy x Family executes the concept perfectly.

Death Note

I’m sure everyone has heard of Death Note and while I didn’t necessarily want to put two dark manga on here, I couldn’t resist. Death Note is an absolute classic and will probably still be read and discussed decades from now. I was actually pleasantly surprised when I saw deathnote in the catalog of manga on the Shonen Jump app.

Basically, if you like detective / cat and mouse stories, you’ll love Death Note. It’s one of the most suspenseful and thrill manga that I have ever read and, as I mentioned before, it’s a classic. It’s something all manga fans should check out because it’s one of the best manga to have ever been written.

Alright I hope this article cleared everything up for you. Overall, Shonen Jump is 100% worth the $2 / month as things stand. 100 chapters per day is more than enough for most readers, so as long as Viz keeps this up, I'll keep recommending the Shonen Jump app!