Shortform (shortform.com) has a 4.3 out of 5 rating on OK.one, based on 70 user reviews collected here. It is listed under Media & Publishing and its reputation is good. 81% of reviews are 4 stars or higher and 10% are 1 star; The business has replied to 100% of negative reviews; 69 of them were added in the last 12 months. Last updated 2026-08-10.
The audio controls are lacking, behind most audio services like Spotify or Apple Podcasts that make it tough to control via Bluetooth. The selection of books leaves much desired from me. Seems to focus on self-help type books, would like more history and biography.
Reply from Shortform2026-07-13
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback. We appreciate your suggestions about improving the audio controls and expanding our selection of history and biography titles. We'll be sure to share your feedback with our team as we continue improving Shortform.
Easy to read, well organized, additional inputs with other authors is great, saves a lot of time.
My suggestions are;
Have a dictionary like in Kindle
Need to expand your inventory of books regarding business and leadership
Reply from Shortform2026-07-14
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback! We're delighted to hear you're enjoying the summaries and additional insights. We also appreciate your suggestions for a built-in dictionary and more business and leadership titles, and we'll be sure to share them with our team.
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 into - key points, core takeaways and short explanations of the concepts
2) Adds “extras” beyond the book - This is what makes it different from a lot of summary apps. Shortform often includes - context (why the idea matters), counterpoints / limitations, examples, extra explanations to make the ideas clearer
So it’s not just “here’s the book” — it’s more like a study guide for the book.
3) Helps you actually learn / retain the ideas
It also includes things like chapter-by-chapter structure, exercise questions, flashcards and “read this next” recommendations.
I highly recommend it.
Reply from Shortform2026-07-14
Thank you so much for the incredible review! We're thrilled to hear you're enjoying not only our summaries but also the additional insights and learning tools. Your recommendation means a lot to us, happy learning!
I like the shortform summaries. They provide the most bang for buck when learning a foundational concept or learning more information about a certain topic. The summaries get right to the point. No fluff, no irrelevant commentary.
Reply from Shortform2026-07-14
Thank you for the wonderful feedback! We're so glad you're finding value in our concise, focused summaries. It's great to hear they're helping you learn efficiently, we truly appreciate your support!
AVOID THESE SCAMMERS!
I cancelled my subscription over a year ago, within the free trial period, but was still charged for the yearly subscription amount. I emailed ShortForm at the time but received no reply. Back then, rather than go through more disputing, I opted to wear the charge for a year, despite the poor selection of books available. I have never used their service.
Now, more than 12 months after unsubscribing, I have been charged for ANOTHER yearly subscription! Their help email goes to an error message, so I am having to raise a dispute with my financial institution.
Reply from Shortform2026-07-14
We're sorry to hear about your experience. After reviewing your account, we found that the subscription remained active at the time of renewal, which resulted in the renewal charge. We also confirmed that a full refund was later processed. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact us at [email protected].
J
Joan Manuel Fernández Mendoza · 1 review · Experienced 2025-12-18 ·
★★★★★
Great supporting tool
Nice summary of books and great audio functionallity, which faciliates the process quite a lot. You can both read or listen to the audio-book summary or both!
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 sometimes.
The only things that could be improved, imho:
I am still missing some books that I would like to read or listen too, so the library could still be expanded. And also the price (without any discount) is quite high, therefore I am regularly re-assessing if I still can/want afford the service (still a 'yes' so far).
D
Dennis · 4 reviews · Verified · Experienced 2025-11-25 ·
★★★★★
How Long Is This Going To Take?
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 opportunity, before pressing +START READING, to have an approximation of how long the read will take. That way I can better fit it into my day. Thanks.
Reply from Shortform2025-12-09
Thank you for your feedback. We are glad your first experience was positive. Your suggestion about showing an estimated reading time before starting is excellent, and we will share it with our team. We hope Shortform continues to help you make the most of your limited reading time.
L
Les · 7 reviews · Experienced 2025-06-25 ·
★★★★★
Was scammed by Blinkist couldn't access…
Was scammed by Blinkist couldn't access service or cancel got bank involved canclled my credit card. They took money out 12 months later from my new card. Finally got subscription cancelled. Blinkist promised a refund then said no because my bank was involved. A scam. Avoid trust pilot 1.6 rating Shortform is excellent.
Reply from Shortform2025-08-14
Thank you for sharing your experience. We’re glad to hear you’re enjoying Shortform and finding it to be a positive alternative. We appreciate your support and look forward to continuing to provide you with an excellent learning experience.
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!
Reply from Shortform2025-08-14
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.
