# i2Reader vs ShortBook²

The clearest difference is rating: ShortBook² at 4.6 against i2Reader's 4.1. i2Reader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (6.1 vs 14.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ShortBook² sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. i2Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

ShortBook² holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 13 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 47% of i2Reader'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.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | i2Reader | ShortBook² |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/i2reader/id322680924/reviews) | **[4.6 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shortbook/id1499866684/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **15** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | **47.1% of reviews** | 39.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Size | 25 MB | 67 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.1** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Yuriy Melyushin](https://appshunter.io/developer/943454788) | [Jury Shortki](https://appshunter.io/developer/295094305) |

## What reviewers say

### i2Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/i2reader/id322680924)

This app is an award-winning eBook reader supporting a wide range of formats including EPUB, PDF, and MOBI. It offers customizable styles, dictionary integration, and convenient ways to upload books via FTP, web server, or Calibre.

**Highlights:** Supports EPUB, PDF, RTF, HTML, FB2, MOBI, DOC, text, Customizable styles and dictionary support, Built-in FTP and Web servers for book uploads, Calibre integration for book management, Custom PDF reformatting engine, Autoscroll and auto-hyphenation, Integrated web browser for book downloads

**In-app purchases:** none


### 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 i2Reader free?

i2Reader 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, i2Reader or ShortBook²?

ShortBook² is rated higher. i2Reader averages 4.1 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while ShortBook² averages 4.6 from 13 ratings.

### Do i2Reader or ShortBook² have ads?

Neither i2Reader nor ShortBook² shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, i2Reader or ShortBook²?

i2Reader ships an update every 2 months, and ShortBook² every 2 months. Most recently, i2Reader was updated on October 11, 2026 and ShortBook² on October 12, 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.*