Shortform Reviews 960

TrustScore 4 out of 5

4.2

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Considering 155 reviews, reviewers had a great experience with this company. Many customers appreciate the high-quality summaries that distill complex concepts and provide key takeaways, often enhancing understanding beyond the original book. The service is praised for its ability to save time, allowing users to quickly grasp main ideas and decide on further reading, with many finding the content informative and engaging. Reviewers also highlight the excellent customer service, noting helpful and quick resolutions to issues, and the user-friendly interface that makes navigation straightforward. However, some people were dissatisfied with the summarizers occasionally debating authors excessively or adding too much context that felt like arguments. There were also mentions of issues with subscription renewals, where users were charged despite attempting to cancel or not receiving notifications about auto-renewal. Additionally, some customers expressed a desire for a wider selection of books, particularly in genres beyond self-help, and noted difficulties with app usability, such as small buttons and highlighting functions.

What people talk about most

User experience

Reviewers highlight positive aspects of user experience, praising the app's presentation, ease of use, and... See more

Product

Customers consistently note positive experiences with product, praising its ability to help them learn from... See more

Service

People report ambiguous experiences with service, with some finding it excellent for understanding concepts... See more

Customer service

Customers had positive experiences with customer service, often describing it as exceptional, amazing, and... See more

Subscription

Reviewers mention ambiguous feedback about subscription, with some finding it poor value for money due to... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

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

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

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

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

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

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

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

  1. Media Company

Written by the company

Shortform has the world's best guides to bestsellers and non-fiction books. Learn faster and better.


Contact info

4.2

Great

TrustScore 4 out of 5

960 reviews

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1-star

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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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The support team considered my request…

The support team considered my request and was able to provide a good resolution

November 1, 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Shortform

We’re glad our support team could help and provide a resolution that worked for you. Thank you for sharing your experience!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Short forms helps you develop the habit of reading

Shortforms provides excellent books and articles on a variety of subjects for those wanting to develop a habit of reading.

November 1, 2025
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Reply from Shortform

We’re glad to hear Shortform is helping you develop your reading habit. Thank you for your feedback and for enjoying the variety of books and articles we offer!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

I listen to audiobooks while walking…

I listen to audiobooks while walking down the street, and in that context, the experience was satisfactory; however, I must mention that I missed having audio summaries in Spanish, which was a deal-breaker for me. Also, you should add more books on economics and technical topics like agile programming and IT project management. Finally, I think you should include the total audio duration of a book and/or the estimated reading time for your summaries.

October 24, 2025
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Reply from Shortform

We’re glad to hear you enjoyed listening to our audiobooks while on the go. Thank you for sharing your feedback about Spanish audio summaries, additional topics like economics and technical subjects, and including total audio or reading times. We’re always looking to improve our library and features, and your suggestions will help guide future updates.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Good so far

I like it so far. Too early for a higher ranking.

October 29, 2025
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Reply from Shortform

We’re glad to hear you’re enjoying Shortform so far. Thank you for your feedback, and we hope your experience continues to improve as you explore more of our content.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I had an issue with my subscription

I had an issue with my subscription, and the team handled it with genuine sincerity and care. Their attention and follow-up were highly appreciated.

October 28, 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Shortform

We’re glad our team could help resolve your subscription issue and that you felt cared for throughout the process. Thank you for sharing your experience and your kind words about our support!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

New member

Thorough and available written and audio. Wish there was a simple way to know where you are in the % done/ left.

October 24, 2025
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Reply from Shortform

We’re glad you’re enjoying both our written and audio content. Thank you for the suggestion about tracking progress. Can you tell us more about this by sending us a message at help@shortform.com?

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Really rate this app

Really rate this app. Have tried headway and Blinkist and while good I always felt the level of detail was bit lacking and so didn’t get to unpack enough detail to really absorb ideas. The summaries on Shortform are excellent and much better level of detail. Still doesn’t take too long, like 30-50 minutes. Audio narration great quality. Great selection of books. Won’t take very long at all to feel I’ve got my money’s worth at this rate.

October 23, 2025
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Reply from Shortform

We’re thrilled to hear you’re enjoying Shortform and find the level of detail in our summaries valuable. It’s great to know the audio quality and book selection are working well for you. Thank you for sharing your feedback and for choosing Shortform!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Love the more in-depth summaries as…

Love the more in-depth summaries as compared to other services. I get a lot out of each book and love that I can listen to the summaries on the go. It’s great that there’s an upfront summary and then a deeper dive, making sure i better absorb what each book has to offer.

October 19, 2025
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Reply from Shortform

Thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback! We’re thrilled to hear you’re enjoying Shortform’s in-depth approach and finding both the summaries and audio useful. It’s wonderful to know our deeper dives are helping you get even more out of each book.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great for Learning

Great for all people passionate about learning.

October 8, 2025
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Reply from Shortform

Thank you so much! We’re delighted that Shortform resonates with your passion for learning. Your support truly means a lot to us.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

I like the content, but the app malfunctions

I like the content, but the app does not work well. It plays multiple audio books at the same time and does not seem to have a way to control this. The only way I've found to stop the dysfunctional playing is to delete then reinstall the app. I've had it for a week and this has already happened twice. If the app worked well this would be a 5 star review.

October 12, 2025
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Reply from Shortform

We really appreciate your feedback and are sorry for the issues you’ve encountered with the app. We’re glad you enjoy the content and have shared your notes about the audio playback bug with our technical team.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Payment dispute went unresolved after…

Payment dispute went unresolved after asking their customer service for help, so I had to file a complaint with BBB and do a chargeback on my credit card.

If you go to the BBB you will see similar complaints of people who have had to deal with non-consentual charges. They will try to extort you for money, and instead of fixing the issue, they will blame the customer and say "you owe them money".

September 11, 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Shortform

We’re very sorry to hear about your experience and understand how upsetting this situation must have been. We always aim to handle billing concerns fairly and transparently, and we take feedback like yours seriously. While we’re unable to discuss individual cases publicly, our team is happy to review any unresolved issues directly if you’d like to reach out again.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Actual summaries instead of high level…

Actual summaries instead of high level overviews like some competitive providers offer

October 10, 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Shortform

We really appreciate your kind words! It’s great to know you enjoy the depth and detail that make Shortform summaries stand out.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I am an AVID reader

I am an AVID reader. As an Optometrist I don’t have the time to read the non fiction books I need to. This is the answer to everything I have been seeking The synopsis of the reviewed books are enlightening and the additional comments are insightful. The absolute best app there is!!!! Thanks for all you do!!!
Mark

October 5, 2025
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Reply from Shortform

Thank you, Mark! We’re delighted that Shortform helps you stay engaged with nonfiction books even with a busy professional schedule. Your kind words mean a lot to our team!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

So my subscription renewed for the…

So my subscription renewed for the year, and honestly—I hadn’t meant for it to. I asked if they could refund it, and at first the answer was a flat “no.” But I explained that I really hadn’t intended to renew. The rep said she’d check with her manager, and to my surprise, they came back agreeing to refund half. Honestly, that felt fair. Better than nothing, right?

I genuinely appreciate how they handled it—it showed a willingness to meet me halfway. It’s a great product, I just don’t have the time right now to really use it the way I’d want to.

October 6, 2025
Unprompted review
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Reply from Shortform

Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback! We’re happy our team could help find a fair solution and really appreciate your thoughtful words about Shortform.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A Great Way to Understand Hundreds of Books!

I’ve used so many book, information summary services over the years. Shortform is head and shoulders above the rest. Two things that make this service useful to me are; 1. Not only are the summaries approachable, easy to read, and I can get the salient points of the book quickly (to decide if I want to read the entire book), they 2. Provide cross references to other books and articles that I either have read or need to read. The articles, and podcasts provide so much additional content, along with ‘quality of life features’, e.g. reading the book aloud, a great way to come up to speed while driving. All this makes Shortform one of my now go to subscriptions worth every penny.

October 6, 2025
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Reply from Shortform

Thanks so much for your thoughtful feedback! We’re delighted you’re enjoying Shortform’s summaries, references, and audio features. It means a lot to hear that we’ve become one of your go-to subscriptions.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Good content. Poor delivery.

The trial should not have download restrictions. The audio voices are not naturalistic. The range of books needs to be wider

October 6, 2025
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Reply from Shortform

Thank you for sharing your honest feedback. We're glad you’re enjoying Shortform’s content and appreciate your thoughtful notes about trial access, audio quality, and book range. We’re always working to improve these areas and your input helps guide our updates.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The outstanding amount of content

Have used it for to days now, and so far have it only been pleasant. The outstanding amount of content have som thing for everyone i think. Only thing i think it could use is the feature of going to your own library with the thing you have previously picked.

September 30, 2025
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Reply from Shortform

Thanks so much for your thoughtful feedback! We're glad you’re enjoying Shortform’s wide selection and will pass along your great suggestion about the personal library feature.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

love it

love it - easy to use in daily life

September 15, 2025
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Reply from Shortform

Thanks so much! We’re glad you’re finding Shortform easy to use in your daily life.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Good service. Saves time

Good service. What I liked most was the additional commentary and links to related content. On the not so bright side, I live outside the US and with an unfavorable exchange rate so price is a bit expensive, unfortunately. You should adjust the cost according to the local currency.

September 19, 2025
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Reply from Shortform

Thanks so much for your kind words! We're happy you’re enjoying our summaries and commentary, and we appreciate your feedback about pricing in different regions. Your input helps us improve.

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