# Shortboxed vs Collectrade

The clearest difference is monetization model: Collectrade at free against Shortboxed's free with in-app purchases. Collectrade also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 89%). Shortboxed's advantage is ratings volume (858 vs 21). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Collectrade holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shortboxed has 858 ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 89% of Shortboxed's written reviews are positive against 100% of Collectrade's.

Shortboxed ships an update every 10 days, Collectrade every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shortboxed | Collectrade |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (858 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shortboxed/id1497091986/reviews) | **[5.0 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/collectrade/id6751524084/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **858** | 21 |
| Positive reviews | 89.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 56 MB | 89 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.5.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Shortboxed LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1497091025) | [Collectrade LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1834025950) |

## What reviewers say

### Shortboxed

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shortboxed/id1497091986)

This app is a trusted marketplace and auction platform for buying and selling comic books. It offers tools like a price guide, portfolio manager, and community resources to facilitate safe and easy transactions for collectors.

**Highlights:** Buy and sell raw or graded comic books, Quick and easy submission process, Customer support handled by the app, Fair market value data and sales history, Portfolio manager for inventory and personal collection, Free price guide with extensive sales data, Community content and resources

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy buying experience
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly app
- 🔒 Secure and trustworthy platform
- 💡 Helpful features like price guides and census data
- 👍 Great customer service and responsive team

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional app crashes
- 💰 Shipping costs can be high
- 🤔 Sellers can cancel orders after winning bids

**Reported bugs**

- Network issues causing failed uploads
- Glitches with payment processing

**Requested features**

- Ability to ask sellers questions
- Separate page to view auctions bid on
- Cheaper shipping options
- Feedback/community section


### Collectrade

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/collectrade/id6751524084)

A secure online marketplace for comic book collectors to trade verified items. Manage your collection, discover new books, and trade with confidence through a protected middleman process.

**Highlights:** Verified middleman trades, Collection management, Trade hub for discovering collectibles, Real-time trade tracking, Transparent fee structure

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shortboxed free?

Shortboxed is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Collectrade free?

Collectrade is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Shortboxed or Collectrade?

Collectrade is rated higher. Shortboxed averages 4.8 out of 5 from 858 ratings, while Collectrade averages 5.0 from 21 ratings.

### Do Shortboxed or Collectrade have ads?

Neither Shortboxed nor Collectrade shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shortboxed or Collectrade?

Shortboxed ships an update every 10 days, and Collectrade every 2 weeks. Most recently, Shortboxed was updated on October 24, 2026 and Collectrade on October 24, 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.*