# MapleRead CX vs ShortBook²

The clearest difference is rating: ShortBook² at 4.6 against MapleRead CX's 3.4. MapleRead CX's advantage is monetization model (paid vs subscription) and review sentiment (62% vs 40%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MapleRead CX sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and ShortBook² sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ShortBook² holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 24 and 13 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 62% of MapleRead CX's written reviews are positive against 40% of ShortBook²'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

MapleRead CX ships an update every 5 weeks, ShortBook² every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MapleRead CX | ShortBook² |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.4 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapleread-cx/id1128582526/reviews) | **[4.6 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shortbook/id1499866684/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **24** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | **61.5% of reviews** | 39.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Paid** | Subscription |
| Size | 26 MB | 67 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Maplepop LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/798017700) | [Jury Shortki](https://appshunter.io/developer/295094305) |

## What reviewers say

### MapleRead CX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapleread-cx/id1128582526)

This app offers a unique audio-visual reading experience for EPUB ebooks. Customize book styles, generate pseudo audiobooks with various voices, and enjoy immersive reading with synchronized audio and text. It also functions as a powerful library management tool with extensive customization options.

**Highlights:** Audio-visual EPUB reader, Pseudo audiobook generation, Immersion reading (sync audio/text), Customizable book styles and themes, Word lookup and translation, Library management and organization, User-defined fonts and highlight colors

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Upgrade | $6.99 | one-time |


### ShortBook²

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shortbook/id1499866684)

This reader app offers a unique approach to text display on smaller screens, optimizing comfort and reducing eye strain. It allows extensive customization of text layout and includes decorative elements to enhance the reading experience. Supports FB2 format and provides reading statistics.

**Highlights:** Optimized text layout for small screens, Customizable text placement options, Decorative elements for atmosphere, FB2 format support (contents, footnotes, figures), Rich settings with dozens of parameters, Reading statistics and monitoring, Quick restart after breaks

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MapleRead CX free?

MapleRead CX is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is ShortBook² free?

ShortBook² is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, MapleRead CX or ShortBook²?

ShortBook² is rated higher. MapleRead CX averages 3.4 out of 5 from 24 ratings, while ShortBook² averages 4.6 from 13 ratings.

### Do MapleRead CX or ShortBook² have ads?

Neither MapleRead CX nor ShortBook² shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MapleRead CX or ShortBook²?

MapleRead CX ships an update every 5 weeks, and ShortBook² every 2 months. Most recently, MapleRead CX was updated on October 13, 2026 and ShortBook² on October 17, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*