Viz Manga Or The Shonen Jump App: Ultimate Comparison (VIZ Manga Subscription Service Update)

Viz Media has recently overhauled their Viz app and added a brand new subscription service making it very distinct from the Shonen Jump App.

The main difference between the Viz Media app and the Shonen Jump app is that the Viz Media app is for reading non Shonen Jump manga (published by Viz), while the Shonen Jump app is specifically for Shonen Jump. Both apps have their own subscription service that can be used for reading many different manga.

The Viz app used to be a reskin of the Shonen Jump app which could be used to read Shonen Jump manga like One Punch Man, Dragon Ball Super, etc. However, as of May 08, 2023, Viz Media has launched their own manga-reading subscription service!

Now, for a small monthly fee, you can use the Viz app to read pretty much anything published by Viz Media (as long as it is not Shonen Jump.) This means you can read the works of Junji Ito and exclusive manga like Komi Can’t Communicate and Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead.

On the other hand, Shonen Jump also has a subscription service that can be accessed via their own Shonen Jump app. The Shonen Jump app will give you access to any manga created under the Shonen Jump name. So, with the Shonen Jump app and subscription, you can read manga like One Punch Man, Dragon Ball Super, Chainsaw Man, etc.

In short, both apps are for reading manga, but each app has a unique subscription service with its own library of manga available for reading. You can also permanently buy manga on the Viz Media app, if subscriptions aren’t your thing.

The Viz and Shonen Jump apps are not the same. Both apps are used for reading and both apps have a subscription service, however the subscription service and the manga available are completely different. The Viz app is for Viz Media manga (except SJ), and the Shonen Jump app is for Shonen Jump manga.

Since Viz decided to split the Shonen Jump subscription from their app and create their own subscription service, the two apps have been completely separated. Viz media publishes Shonen Jump manga, however Viz also publishes a ton of other manga, including the works of Junji Ito, and many other fan favorites.

While the apps look really similar and are both used for reading manga, the Shonen Jump app is specifically for Shonen Jump manga (My Hero Academia, Dragon Ball, One Punch Man, Chainsaw Man, etc.)

The Viz app, on the other hand, is for reading any manga published by Viz that does not fall under the Shonen Jump umbrella. As mentioned, this includes Junji Ito manga, as well as many other great manga like Inuyasha and Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead. Even with a Viz subscription, not every single manga on the Viz app can be read, unfortunately, but they have a huge library of great manga available with their subscription.

Both apps require a subscription service to actually read the manga available through them, but they both also offer the first and last 3 chapters of any manga for free.

Shonen Jump and Viz are not the same. Viz Media is the American publisher of Shonen Jump and has the right to publish Shonen Jump manga digitally and physically. So, while all Shonen Jump in America will be published by Viz Media, not everything that Viz Media publishes will be a Shonen Jump manga.

If you take a look at Japanese manga, you’ll see that Shueisha is the publisher of Shonen Jump manga in Japan. So, Shonen Jump and Viz Media are two very different things. Viz Media is a publisher, while Shonen Jump is a manga anthology that encapsulates many popular manga like Spy x Family, Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, Chainsaw Man, etc.

A Shonen Jump Subscription lets subscribers read up to 100 chapters of any Shonen Jump manga every single day using the Viz website or Shonen Jump app. The subscription also allows subscribers to download up to 100 chapters of any manga available in the Shonen Jump catalog.

Viz Media boasts that Shonen Jump has well over 15,000 manga available for subscribers to read with a Shonen Jump subscription. Of course, a lot of these manga aren’t going to be amazing, similar to how not all the Anime on streaming services like Hulu and Netflix are going to be worth watching. Still, there are a ton of hidden gems hiding in Viz Media’s library which make a Shonen Jump subscription almost certainly worth it.

The Shonen Jump subscription has been well-worth it in my experience, but you should definitely know exactly what you’re getting with a Shonen Jump subscription before you sign up!

You won’t be able to read all of the Manga published by Viz Media with a Shonen Jump subscription. So you won’t be able to read Junji Ito, Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, or anything like that. However, you will be able to read pretty much every Shonen Jump series, including Chainsaw Man, Spy X Family, Dragon Ball (all of them), Naruto, Bleach, My Hero Academia, and many more.

If you do want to read Junji Ito or Zom 100, then you’ll be happy to hear that there is also a Viz Media app and subscription available! It’s about the same price as the Shonen Jump subscription service and it has its own unique library of awesome content! Well-worth the monthly price for fans of Ito, and manga fans in general.

A Viz subscription allows subscribers to read many different manga published by Viz Media via their Viz Manga app. A Viz subscription is different from a Shonen Jump subscription, as it doesn’t give access to Shonen Jump manga, just specific Viz Media manga like the works of Junji Ito and more.

Simply put, a Viz subscription lets you read Viz manga (like a manga Netflix). The best way to find out what manga is available on Viz is to download the app and take a look (or try their free trial.) They have a ton of manga available, but I’m mostly planning on using my Viz subscription as a Junji Ito subscription!

While I love buying and reading physical manga, it can get very expensive. This is especially true when it comes to Junji Ito books, which are huge and cost a ton of money. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still going to buy and collect every Ito book I can get my hands on (because they look sick on my shelves), but it’ll be nice to be able to read his stories that I either can’t afford at the moment, or can’t find in store!

If you’re looking to read manga like Dragon Ball (Z, Super, etc.), One Punch Man, Food Wars, etc, then you’ll want the Shonen Jump app instead. These manga are published by Viz Media, but they’re not available with a Viz Subscription. They’re only available with a Shonen Jump subscription.

Side note, it should be noted that a Viz Subscription is one of the safest ways to read manga digitally. They are 100% legitimate and everything they do is completely legal. Purchasing a Viz subscription is one of the best ways to support manga artists, especially nowadays when there’s so much piracy going on. In fact, combating manga piracy is one of the main reasons that a Viz subscription is as cheap as it is.

A Viz subscription is not the same thing as a Shonen Jump subscription. A Shonen Jump subscription only gives access to Shonen Jump manga like One Punch Man and Chainsaw Man. A Viz subscription gives subscribers access to manga published by Viz Media (but does not give access to Shonen Jump manga.)

In the past, a Shonen Jump and Viz Manga subscription were synonymous. However, Viz Media has launched a unique manga subscription service specifically for reading their catalog of non-Shonen Jump manga! So now, they are far from the same.

With a Shonen Jump subscription, you’re going to pay monthly to read Shonen Jump manga. This includes One Piece, Spy x Family, Sakamoto Days, Kaiju, JOJO’s Bizarre Adventure, and many more awesome titles.

With a Viz Media subscription, you’re going to pay monthly to read titles like Junji Ito’s Gyo and Uzumaki. Of course, there are plenty of other non-Ito titles available like Case Closed and Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead.

The apps and subscriptions are used for the same purpose, have a similar concept, and look about the same. The major difference is what manga is available through each app / subscription.

Pros

• Affordable
• Slightly cheaper than Shonen Jump (for now)
• Very easy to use and read with
• Has Dark mode
• Can be used to permanently purchase books (not just for the subscription.)
• Offers first and last 3 chapters of readable manga for free
• Manga can be downloaded

Cons

• Does not have many popular manga that are under the Shonen Jump umbrella
• Not every manga on the app can be read
• Catalog is not as big as the Shonen Jump catalog

Pros

• Every manga shown on the app can be read
• First and last three chapters of every manga can be read
• Easy to use, great user interface, and quick download
• Lets you download up to 100 manga
• Light / Dark mode + other quality of life features

Cons

• Cannot see any non-Shonen Jump manga, even if they’re published by Viz
• Limits the number of chapters that can be read per day (100)

The Shonen Jump subscription has a wider variety of manga titles available to read than the Viz app, so it is the better choice for most readers. However, a Viz subscription lets subscribers read very popular books (such as Junji Ito’s works) that makes it the better option for many manga fans.

Both subscriptions cost about the same price and are quite affordable. I’m subscribed to both, as they give me a huge catalog of manga to read. However, if you can only choose one, you’ll have to ask yourself what kind of manga you like more. If you’re unsure, then Shonen Jump probably has the most accessible manga and the better catalog. However, I love Ito, so if I had to choose one, I’d choose Viz anyday.

I hope I’ve cleared up any confusion about Viz and Shonen Jump. Their apps and subscription services are really similar in concept and even in looks. However, each service has its own unique library of manga, so you should be well-aware of what you’re getting before you subscribe!

Most manga fans will find some joy in one app or the other. If you’re like me, you’ll probably end up with them both!