Shonen Jump is one of manga’s most notable brands, and its app is one of the most popular places to read manga online. However, is the Shonen Jump app's subscription service worth it for manga fans, both new and old?
Manga is getting more popular each year. With so much demand and an incredible amount of great manga out there, many subscription services have popped up in the last twelve months.
However, is it worth paying a monthly price for your manga when there are still free and legal options available?
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What is Shonen Jump?
Shonen Jump is a manga publishing brand and online manga service provided by North American publisher Viz Media.
The title itself is a reference to Weekly Shonen Jump, one of the most popular manga magazines in Japan. That magazine is published by Shueisha, co-owners of Viz Media.
Viz’s Shonen Jump provides officially translated versions of the many popular manga published in Weekly Shonen Jump and affiliated Shueisha platforms, like Shonen Jump+.
Popular series published by Shueisha include Bleach, Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, Spy x Family, Chainsaw Man and many more.
The Shonen Jump online service is available in most app stores and online through Viz Media’s website.
Note that Shonen Jump is separate from MANGA Plus, a similar service operated by Shueisha that specialises in publishing their latest manga.
Learn More: Shonen Explained: Definition, Meaning & Examples
Is Shonen Jump Free?
Shonen Jump allows you to read some chapters of most manga titles for free. However, reading the whole library requires a monthly subscription.
On Shonen Jump, you can usually read the first three chapters of any manga series on the platform for free. You also have access to the latest 3 chapters that have been published.
The middle chapters of manga series, however, are usually behind a paywall. To read a full series, you’ll often need to pay a small monthly subscription.
Occasionally, Shonen Jump will run limited promotions and make more chapters available. Some new manga may have all chapters available, while manga related to big anime – such as Jujutsu Kaisen's Shibuya Incident – are sometimes free for a limited time.
Is a Shonen Jump Subscription Worth It?
Currently, a subscription to the Shonen Jump app costs around $2.99 per month.
With that subscription, you get almost unlimited access to every chapter on the app (there's a technical limit of 100 chapters per day, but most regular readers will never reach that).
Whether the price is worth it largely comes down to what kind of manga reader you are and what you want to read:
Service | Shonen Jump (Free) | Shonen Jump Membership |
|---|---|---|
Good for... | Trying lots of different series.
Reading the latest chapters. | Trying lots of different series.
Reading the latest chapters.
Reading complete series. |
Bad for... | Reading complete series. | Your wallet... |
If you’re just getting into manga and want to try different titles, then Shonen Jump is the place to start, as there is no better service that offers as big a library.
Whether you want to get into the most popular titles or discover something new, Shonen Jump will usually have what you want.
Shonen Jump is also a pretty good app to use. Everything is laid out cleanly, and there are simple features like favourites and ‘continue reading’ sections that make it easy to follow your favourite series.
When it comes to subscribing, it's only really worthwhile if you plan to read multiple series from beginning to end, particularly if you're a speedy reader. If you can get through a whole series in a month, or even two, that would be a fraction of the cost of buying the equivalent manga volumes.
Legal Alternatives to the Shonen Jump App
Of course, Shonen Jump isn't the only option you have. Nowadays, many Japanese publishers offer their own English-language reading services.
The first place you'll want to check out is MANGA Plus. Run by Shueisha, it has an almost identical library with more of the latest hit titles, such as Dandadan and Oshi No Ko.
MANGA Plus also allows you to read the entirety of stories for free, albeit only once. So, if you want to speedrun a particular series or chapter, this might be a better option.
MANGA Plus also has a subscription service offering unlimited reading, similar to Shonen Jump. While slightly cheaper (currently $1.99), it only includes currently serialised titles. Unlimited reading of classic manga requires a more expensive subscription ($4.99).
If you’re only interested in one series, you also have the option of purchasing copies, either physical or digital. If you’re a slow reader, this might provide a better option for enjoying your favourite series without worrying about a subscription.
Many rival publishers have their own manga services, such as Kodansha's K-Manga and Manga UP! by Square Enix. While certain titles are only available on these services, their complicated token purchasing systems and app designs mean they're generally not recommended for casual readers.
Overall, for the majority of fans, Shonen Jump is a great option. With plenty of great series and friendly features, it's the best manga-reading app available right now. Whether its extras are worth paying for, that's up to you.
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