Comparison

Shortcat vs Annotated Web

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

Head to head
About

Shortcat

Experience romance and fantasy anime in a new way with this streaming app. It offers short, vertical episodes designed for mobile viewing, featuring exclusive series and addictive plots. Discover a growing catalog of engaging stories anytime, anywhere.

Highlights
  • Short vertical anime episodes
  • Exclusive romantasy series
  • Mobile-optimized viewing
  • Fast-paced storytelling
  • Notifications for new releases
Features
Read full description

WATCH ROMANTASY ANIME DIFFERENTLY. Shortcat is a new streaming app dedicated to short vertical romantasy anime, designed specifically for mobile viewing. Discover world-famous romance stories crafted to be binge-watched anytime, anywhere. ANIME, REIMAGINED FOR MOBILE Forget long episodes and horizontal screens. Shortcat brings you short-form vertical anime, with full-screen immersion, fast pacing, and stories that hook you from the very first seconds. STORIES MADE TO MAKE YOU FEEL Fall in love. Uncover mysteries. Get revenge. Explore new worlds. Repeat. From romance and fantasy to thrillers, enemies-to-lovers, vampires, and more… OVER 100 EXCLUSIVE ANIME COMING IN 2026 Discover a growing catalog of exclusive anime series, released regularly throughout the year. WHAT YOU’LL LOVE ON SHORTCAT - MADE FOR MOBILE — full-screen vertical anime - SHORT EPISODES — perfect for quick sessions or long binges - EXCLUSIVE SERIES — only on Shortcat, 100 originals to be released this year - ROMANCE-FIRST STORIES — strong emotions, addictive plots - STAY UPDATED — get notified when new episodes and seasons drop Terms of Use (EULA): https://getshortcat.com/legal/tos Privacy Policy: https://getshortcat.com/legal/privacy_policy Subscription details: - Shortcat Yearly: 12-month auto-renewing subscription - Shortcat Yearly LImited: 12-month auto-renewing subscription - Shortcat Yearly Discount: 12-month auto-renewing subscription - Shortcat Monthly: 1-month auto-renewing subscription Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription auto-renews unless turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in Account Settings on the App Store after purchase.

About

Annotated Web

Features
Read full description

Annotated is a social platform for people who read like it matters. Highlight a 90-second YouTube clip. Pull a passage from an article. React to a tweet or Reddit post. Clip a moment from a Spotify podcast. Then write your take — a margin note, a reaction, a thought worth sharing. Every annotation links back to the original content. Your friends see the source and your thinking side by side. HOW IT WORKS Share any URL to Annotated from Safari, YouTube, X, Reddit, Spotify, or any app. We'll detect the content type and walk you through creating your annotation: - For YouTube videos: scrub through and clip up to 90 seconds, then add your title and annotation - For tweets and Reddit posts: the full post is embedded alongside your annotation - For articles: highlight a passage, give it a title, write your take - For Spotify podcasts: set clip timestamps, then annotate the moment Your annotation gets a title, your handwritten note, and a link to the original — all in one card. WHAT MAKES ANNOTATED DIFFERENT This isn't a bookmarking app. It's not a read-later queue. Annotated is for people who want to do something with what they consume — mark it up, respond to it, share it with context. - No algorithmic feed. Just annotations from people you follow. - No infinite scroll. Every piece of content is something someone thought was worth annotating. - Annotations are the content. Not likes, not reshares — your actual thinking.

Screenshots

Shortcat4 screens
Annotated Web3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Annotated Web at none against Shortcat's 10. Shortcat's advantage is chart position (#191 vs unranked). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Shortcat sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Annotated Web asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
Shortcat versus Annotated Web: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShortcatAnnotated Web
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (724 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews43.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings724 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#191 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB30 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperFlagcatJoseph Cowles

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Shortcat

Subscriptions5
  • Monthly Membership$19.991 Month
  • Yearly Membership$24.991 Year
  • Yearly Membership Limited Offer$36.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Yearly Membership$49.991 Year
  • Yearly Premium Membership$79.991 Year
One-time5
  • One-time Purchase$2.99
  • One-time Purchase$3.99
  • One-time Purchase$4.99
Show 2 more
  • One-time Purchase$5.99
  • One-time Purchase$12.99
None

Annotated Web

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Shortcat free?
Shortcat is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Annotated Web free?
Annotated Web is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Shortcat or Annotated Web have ads?
Neither Shortcat nor Annotated Web shows ads.

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