Comparison

AristoBook vs ShortBook²

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

Head to head
About

AristoBook

This augmented reality app enhances specific books by overlaying hidden content when you point your device at special text. It requires the physical book to unlock interactive elements and deepen your reading experience.

Highlights
  • Augmented reality content
  • Enhances specific book editions
  • Interactive text overlays
  • Requires physical book purchase
  • Unlock hidden content
Features
Read full description

AristoBook - приложение дополненной реальности для книг Бориса Акунина "История Российского Государства, том 7. Первая сверхдержава" и "Доброключения и рассуждения Луция Катина". «Аристобук» это «улучшенная книга» (от греческого слова «аристос» - «лучшее»). Для того, чтобы получить скрытый в книге контент, вам нужна сама бумажная книга Бориса Акунина, а также приложение AristoBook. Наведите видоискатель вашего мобильного устройства на текст с аристо-сносками, выделенный жирным и подчеркнутым и удачных вам доброключений! Борис Акунин и eBook Applications LLC

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

AristoBook4 screens
ShortBook²4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: ShortBook² at 4.6 against AristoBook's 3.0. ShortBook² also leads on review sentiment (40% vs 27%) and ratings volume (13 vs 2). AristoBook's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads and device support 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. AristoBook asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ShortBook² holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ShortBook² has 13 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 27% of AristoBook's written reviews are positive against 40% of ShortBook²'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AristoBook ships an update every 5 days, ShortBook² every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
AristoBook versus ShortBook²: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAristoBookShortBook²
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (2 ratings)4.6 (13 ratings) — better
Positive reviews26.7% of reviews39.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings213 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS11.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size114 MB67 MB
Age rating4+17+
DevelopereBook ApplicationsJury Shortki

Customer experience

AristoBook

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive26.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative73.3%

ShortBook²

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

In-app purchases

None

AristoBook

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

ShortBook²

Subscriptions1
  • Annual1 Month trial$9.991 Year

Questions

Is AristoBook free?
AristoBook 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, AristoBook or ShortBook²?
ShortBook² is rated higher. AristoBook averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while ShortBook² averages 4.6 from 13 ratings.
Do AristoBook or ShortBook² have ads?
Neither AristoBook nor ShortBook² shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AristoBook or ShortBook²?
AristoBook ships an update every 5 days, and ShortBook² every 2 months. Most recently, AristoBook was updated on November 2, 2026 and ShortBook² on November 11, 2026.

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