# i2Reader Cloud vs ShortBook²

The clearest difference is monetization model: i2Reader Cloud at free with in-app purchases against ShortBook²'s subscription. i2Reader Cloud also leads on ratings volume (74 vs 13) and review sentiment (48% vs 40%). ShortBook²'s advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. i2Reader Cloud sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and ShortBook² sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ShortBook² holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: i2Reader Cloud has 74 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 48% of i2Reader Cloud'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.

i2Reader Cloud ships an update every 3 months, ShortBook² every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | i2Reader Cloud | ShortBook² |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (74 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/i2reader-cloud/id968326317/reviews) | **[4.6 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shortbook/id1499866684/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **74** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | **48.4% of reviews** | 39.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 37 MB | 67 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **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 Cloud

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/i2reader-cloud/id968326317)

This app offers a comfortable reading experience with cloud synchronization across devices. Enjoy customizable layouts, interactive features like footnotes and dictionaries, and the ability to download books from various cloud services. It supports multiple formats and allows family sharing of libraries.

**Highlights:** iCloud synchronization for library and reading progress, Customizable book layout (fonts, colors, spacing), Download books from Dropbox, Google Drive, Yandex Disk, Interactive footnotes and dictionary support, Family sharing and user reading statistics, Supports FB2, EPUB, MOBI, DOC, PDF formats, Auto-scrolling and auto-page turning

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Auto-scroll | $0.99 | one-time |
| Seamless textures | $0.99 | one-time |
| Auto turning | $0.99 | one-time |
| Online translator | $1.99 | one-time |
| Removal of limitations | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Extensive customization options
- 📚 Wide variety of ebook format support
- 🎨 Theme designer and customization
- ☁️ Cloud synchronization
- 📖 Great ebook reader

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🐌 Slow performance and lagging
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 💸 Monetization is off-putting
- 🗑️ Some features feel like bloat

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes during initialization
- Continuously tries to download from iCloud
- Crashes after updating to iOS 26
- App freezes during caching process
- Crashes and/or hangs on importing themes

**Requested features**

- Add new chapter functionality
- Option to move audio reading bar
- Higher quality text-to-speech with better pronunciation and softer voice
- Add support for djvu format
- Improve text-to-speech quality and add more voice engines


### 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 Cloud free?

i2Reader Cloud is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is ShortBook² free?

ShortBook² is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, i2Reader Cloud or ShortBook²?

ShortBook² is rated higher. i2Reader Cloud averages 4.1 out of 5 from 74 ratings, while ShortBook² averages 4.6 from 13 ratings.

### Do i2Reader Cloud or ShortBook² have ads?

Neither i2Reader Cloud nor ShortBook² shows ads.

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

i2Reader Cloud ships an update every 3 months, and ShortBook² every 2 months. Most recently, i2Reader Cloud was updated on October 7, 2026 and ShortBook² on October 8, 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.*