Comparison

Lazy FB2 Reader vs ShortBook²

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Lazy FB2 Reader

This app offers a hands-free reading experience for FB2 books, allowing you to turn pages with eye movements. It features a clean interface with customizable fonts, layouts, and page-turning animations, all without intrusive advertisements.

Highlights
  • Hands-free reading with eye control
  • Customizable fonts and text layout
  • Page-turning animations
  • Recent books list
  • Dynamic book and page loading
  • Skins and themes
Features
Read full description

It is simple reader app for fb2 and ePub book formats. It's lightweight, fast and elegant. There is no annoying ads in this app because, in my opinion, this is the most unpleasant thing that can be in the reading app. Current features list: * Hands free reading. Just blink with your right eye for switch to the next page or with left for switch to the previous page! This feature works only for user with true depth cameras. * Recent books list * Dynamic book loading (It makes books opening faster) * Dynamic page generation (It makes text formatting faster) * Skins (Predefined and user defined) * Support for scrolling and per page book reading * Custom animations for pages switching * Customizing fonts & Text Layout * Lanscape mode For any questions or suggestions send email on the lazy.sprt@gmail.com

About

ShortBook²

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
Read full description

Reading books on portable devices is always a compromise between comfort of reading and text availability. ShortBook² offers an original way of solving this problem with its careful approach to text makeup on the limited screen area of iPhone or iPad. A lot of experiments with various text compositions and interface layouts have jelled the unique match for convenient reading. If you need to read for a long time, with comfort and without any considerable damage to the sight take advantage of the ShortBook² program — a high-end reader. ShortBook² focuses on the layout process, allowing the user to control virtually all text placement options. Moreover, the program analyzes the text and places decorative elements in various places, which not only decorate the book and bring their atmosphere into it, but also simplify the reading process. Thus, in ShortBook², even "picture-free" books look attractive and do not tire with the external monotony while reading, which not only increases reader comfort, but also reduces eye fatigue from the reading process. The program fully supports FB2 electronic books format including contents, footnotes and figures. Any electronic book can be easily converted to this format with free utilities though using a variety of web libraries with books already in this format is much more simple. To meet personal preferences, the application has rich settings, including several dozens of customizable parameters. The book index has several sorting modes allowing to find a required writing easily. Reading can be quickly restarted after a break with one touch of the screen. The reader keeps reading statistics and offers developed means of monitoring the reading process. The application was developed using the latest technologies, therefore it is not available for users of iOS 12 and below. These users can use the classic ShortBook application. ShortBook² is available by subscription. The subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Subscribers gain access to all Short Review materials that will be published during the subscription period. Short Review materials contain reviews of the book market of electronic publications in Russia, book ratings and recommendations for organizing reading. Terms of use of the subscription: http://www.shortki.com/ShortBook/terms.html

Screenshots

Lazy FB2 Reader4 screens
ShortBook²4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Lazy FB2 Reader at 86% against ShortBook²'s 40%. Lazy FB2 Reader also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (12 vs 14.0). ShortBook²'s advantage is rating (4.6 vs 3.3) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. ShortBook² sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. Lazy FB2 Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ShortBook² holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 13 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 86% of Lazy FB2 Reader'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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lazy FB2 Reader ships an update every 4 months, ShortBook² every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 13, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Lazy FB2 Reader versus ShortBook²: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLazy FB2 ReaderShortBook²
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (3 ratings)4.6 (13 ratings) — better
Positive reviews86.2% of reviews — better39.7% of reviews
Number of ratings313 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS12 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB67 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperDanila GusevJury Shortki

Customer experience

Lazy FB2 Reader

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews58 reviews
Positive86.2%
Neutral3.4%
Negative10.3%

ShortBook²

All ratings13 ratings
Positive84.6%
Neutral15.4%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews73 reviews
Positive39.7%
Neutral6.8%
Negative53.4%

In-app purchases

None

Lazy FB2 Reader

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

ShortBook²

Subscriptions1
  • Annual1 Month trial$9.991 Year

Questions

Is Lazy FB2 Reader free?
Lazy FB2 Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ShortBook² free?
ShortBook² is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Lazy FB2 Reader or ShortBook²?
ShortBook² is rated higher. Lazy FB2 Reader averages 3.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while ShortBook² averages 4.6 from 13 ratings.
Do Lazy FB2 Reader or ShortBook² have ads?
Neither Lazy FB2 Reader nor ShortBook² shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lazy FB2 Reader or ShortBook²?
Lazy FB2 Reader ships an update every 4 months, and ShortBook² every 2 months. Most recently, Lazy FB2 Reader was updated on September 13, 2026 and ShortBook² on September 21, 2026.

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