# Shortboxed vs ArbLab

The clearest difference is monetization model: Shortboxed at free against ArbLab's freemium. Shortboxed also leads on ratings volume (865 vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). ArbLab's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 10 days). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

ArbLab holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shortboxed has 865 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Shortboxed ships an update every 10 days, ArbLab every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shortboxed | ArbLab |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (865 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shortboxed/id1497091986/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arblab-tcg-arbitrage/id6791635299/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **865** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 89.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 58 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shortboxed LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1497091025) | [CHASE JAMES WIDNER](https://appshunter.io/developer/6789984968) |

## 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 and portfolio manager to facilitate easy, safe, and fun transactions within a community of collectors.

**Highlights:** Buy and sell raw or graded comic books, Quick and easy listing submissions, Customer support handled by the platform, Fair market value data and sales history, Portfolio manager for inventory and collection, Free price guide with extensive sales data, Community content, guides, and giveaways

**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


### ArbLab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arblab-tcg-arbitrage/id6791635299)

This app analyzes graded Pokemon card listings from eBay, instantly comparing them to market value to show potential profit and ROI. It helps users track their investments, including the potential benefit of re-grading cards.

**Highlights:** Instant profit/ROI analysis on graded card listings, Market value comparison for graded cards, Watchlist for tracking card values over time, Portfolio management for investment tracking, Analysis history for past decisions

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shortboxed free?

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

### Is ArbLab free?

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

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

ArbLab is rated higher. Shortboxed averages 4.8 out of 5 from 865 ratings, while ArbLab averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Shortboxed or ArbLab have ads?

Neither Shortboxed nor ArbLab shows ads.

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

Shortboxed ships an update every 10 days, and ArbLab every 4 days. Most recently, Shortboxed was updated on November 11, 2026 and ArbLab on November 10, 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.*