Probably the best app of the sort. Much more in-depth summaries than some of the competitors. The summaries do start with an ultra-condensed "1-page" summary which is great. The biggest problem is tha... See more
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Review summary
Created with AI, based on recent reviews
What people talk about most
Reviews shaping this summary
My first experience. I liked it. Personally, I would rather read the actual book but time is limited. Even squeezing the summary into my day can be hard. I would suggest (dearly love) to have the oppo... See more
Company replied
Shortform has many interesting books, a lot of interesting articles; I like that you can also listen to them, that additional context is provided, and the summary feature is also very helpful somet... See more
Shortform -book summary app does 3 things really well. 1) Gives you a high-quality summary of a nonfiction book - Instead of reading the whole book, it gives you the main ideas, usually broken i... See more
Company details
Written by the company
Shortform has the world's best guides to bestsellers and non-fiction books. Learn faster and better.
Contact info
2027 W. Division St #202, 60622, Chicago, United States
- help@shortform.com
- shortform.com
4.2
Great
960 reviews
Asks customers to review
This company invites their customers to review, whether positive or negative
Replied to 38% of negative reviews
Typically replies within 1 month
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they have amazing customer service and…
they have amazing customer service and are very freindly
21 May 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Shortform
Thank you for your kind words. We’re so glad to hear you’ve had a great experience with our customer service team and found them friendly. We’ll be sure to share your feedback with them.
Functionality
The selection of books available in the app is satisfactory. However, I have a few suggestions that I believe would improve the app's rating.
Firstly, as a non-native English speaker, when listening to content in the app, I would like to be able to follow along with the text. Shotform does not currently offer this feature. This is particularly challenging if I need to pause listening and then return to the text later.
Secondly, there is no option to copy a word or phrase within the text to paste it into a translation application. At least, I am unable to do this in the mobile version.
17 May 2025
Reply from Shortform
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback. We’re glad to hear you’re finding value in Shortform’s book selection. Regarding translations, our app does include a translation feature so please send us a message at help@shortform.com for a detailed explanation. We appreciate your note about following audio with on-screen text, and we’ll share that suggestion with our product team as we continue improving the app.
Reply from Shortform
We’re glad to hear you’re enjoying Shortform! Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback.
Almost like reading the book
Detailed summaries and notes with relevant information. Feels like you’re reading the book.
8 May 2025
Reply from Shortform
Thanks for your feedback! We’re glad to hear our summaries feel as engaging and detailed as reading the full book. That’s exactly what we aim for: delivering depth and clarity while saving you time.
A Game-Changer for Thought Leaders and Lifelong Learners
I love Shortform! As an author and transformational coach, I read over two books per week because I believe great books—when applied—can radically transform our lives and work. Shortform helps me quickly assess whether a book is worth a full read, often in under 20 minutes. Some summaries are so rich and insightful that they’re fulfilling in themselves, packed with practical wisdom. I highly recommend giving it a go. Enjoy!
9 May 2025
Reply from Shortform
Thank you for such a thoughtful and inspiring review! We’re honored to know that Shortform is part of your reading process and helps you discover (and sometimes fully enjoy) books in under 20 minutes. It’s wonderful to hear our summaries are providing both efficiency and depth — exactly what we aim for. We’re grateful for your recommendation and thrilled to be part of your learning journey.
Reply from Shortform
Sorry to hear you’ve run into an issue with highlighting on the iOS app. This isn’t the experience we want for our readers. Please reach out to our support team at help@shortform.com with details of what’s happening, and we’ll work with you to get it fixed as quickly as possible.
I had hoped that this would help me…
I had hoped that this would help me review books that I am struggling to make time for. I am only interested in what the author of the book I am reviewing has to say and not "community notes" "balanced view" type input from Shortform staff telling me what others had to say about the topic. Completely ruined this experience.
8 May 2025
Reply from Shortform
We’re sorry to hear that Shortform’s added context didn’t align with what you were looking for. Our intention with community notes and balanced views is to help readers explore an author’s ideas from multiple angles and see how they fit within a broader conversation. We understand that some readers prefer to focus solely on the author’s original words, and we’ll share your feedback with our content team as we work on improving how these elements are presented. Thank you for giving Shortform a try.
You can’t get a bulleted summary then…
You can’t get a bulleted summary then dive into topics and go back to the simple bullets.
7 May 2025
Reply from Shortform
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Our summaries are designed to give you a connected, narrative understanding of the book rather than a standalone bullet list at the beginning. That’s why we integrate the key points into the flow, then expand on them with context, analysis, and related ideas. We understand some readers prefer a simple bullet-first approach, and your feedback will be shared with our content team as we explore future formats.
Biased summaries
I am frustrated by the "shortform notes" and context added to the summaries. I want a summary of the book, not a critique of the book. In some cases the critique is more elaborate than the summary. I've also encountered significant bias in the critiques, which has been disappointing enough to have me regretting my purchase of the app. I really wanted to like this..
2 May 2025
Reply from Shortform
We’re sorry to hear that our approach hasn’t matched your expectations. Our goal with Shortform Notes and added context is to help readers understand the ideas in a book more deeply — including how they connect to other works, and where they might be strengthened or challenged. We understand some readers prefer a purely neutral summary, and we’ll make sure your feedback is shared with our content team. Thank you for giving Shortform a try, and we hope we can find ways to make your experience better.
Shortform books are the best way to get…
Shortform books are the best way to get an overview of any subject! Their insights and exercises offer a great way to engage with the material. The only downside is that you can't export your highlighted notes out of the app.
30 April 2025
Reply from Shortform
We’re so glad to hear you’re enjoying Shortform’s summaries, insights, and exercises! It’s great to know they’re helping you engage more deeply with the material. Regarding your note about exporting highlights — that feature is actually available. Our support team is happy to guide you through it if needed so please let us know at help@shortform.com. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and for learning with Shortform!
Very good selection of books
Very good selection of books. Clear and well structured summaries with proper and enriching quotes from other related books. Excellent.
24 April 2025
Reply from Shortform
Thank you for your kind words! We’re delighted you’re enjoying our selection and the way our summaries connect ideas from other great books. Our goal is to make learning richer and more engaging, so it’s wonderful to know it’s working for you.
Summaries that can help speed up your learning
Shortforms makes summaries that are indepth and well structured. They provide questions to aid in you learning the material as well as adding similar knowledge from other books/media. They have a great expanse of books and are open to suggestions for adding additional book or media suggestions for review. I like to use the material to help "prime" my brain as I read through the material. It helps me retain the information much better.
16 April 2025
Reply from Shortform
Thank you for your kind words and detailed review. We are thrilled to hear that you find our summaries insightful, well-structured, and helpful in your learning process. We appreciate your feedback on the questions and additional knowledge provided, as well as your positive experience with our expansive book selection and openness to suggestions. We are glad that our summaries help you "prime" your brain and enhance your information retention.
Quite good but there is what to improve
1. The audio player is very poor comparing to competitors.
2. The English level for some books is very difficult to understand for non native speaking.
12 April 2025
Reply from Shortform
We appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback. We understand your concerns regarding the audio player and the English level of some books. We strive to provide the best possible experience for all our users and will take your comments into consideration as we continue to improve our services.
Misleading customers
Before the trial period ended, the company assured that it would remind users that the trial period had ended and the subscription fee had been charged. I did not receive the promised notification, and the company charged an annual subscription fee, which is visual and subliminal, which is more suggested when creating an account. After the charge, I asked for cancellation of the subscription and a refund, as such a procedure misleads the customer. I received a negative response. The company most likely earns mainly on the credulity and gullibility of potential users, since the low value of the service does not generate enough subscribers.
26 March 2025
Reply from Shortform
We understand your frustration and apologize for the inconvenience caused. We strive to provide clear and timely communication regarding subscription details and are disappointed to hear that you did not receive the notification about your trial period ending. We value your feedback and will use it to improve our communication processes.
PRECISE
Precise summaries. I like what you did with the questions at the end of the summary
6 April 2025
Reply from Shortform
Thank you for your kind words and positive feedback. We're glad you found our summaries helpful and appreciate your feedback on the questions. We strive to provide clear and concise information.
Excellent customer service
I had questions about my billing and Edel quickly responded and helped me with the issue. I am very happy with the customer service.
30 March 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Shortform
We appreciate your kind words about Edel's helpfulness. We strive to provide excellent customer service, and we're glad that Edel was able to assist you with your billing questions.
Reply from Shortform
Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear you're enjoying the app and finding it helpful. We appreciate your positive feedback and will continue to strive for excellence.
excellent UI/UX east to read with lot…
excellent UI/UX easy to read with lot of options to choose categories from.
31 March 2025
Reply from Shortform
Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear you're enjoying the user-friendly interface and the wide range of categories. We strive to make our platform as intuitive and comprehensive as possible.
I found shortform very responsive to my…
I found shortform very responsive to my query and the most thorough summaries
31 March 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Shortform
Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you found our summaries helpful and our team responsive. We strive to provide the best possible experience for our users.
I just started using short form and I…
I just started using short form and I absolutely love how it's set up
28 March 2025
Reply from Shortform
Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear you're enjoying the short form feature. We're always working to improve our platform and appreciate your feedback.
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