7 Best Book Summary Apps To Get Ahead of 99% People in 2025
7 Best Book Summary Apps To Get Ahead of 99% People in 2025
We tested 7 of the best book summary apps available in 2025. Here’s our detailed review for each.
Last Updated:
Recently, I came across a resource called “Y Combinator Startup Library.” It was 613 pages of reading recommendations from the people at Y Combinator.
As I screened through them, every title sounded catchy and something I wanted to add to my learning arsenal.
Shiny object much?
I do not think so.
There has been an information explosion over the past decade, with new approaches, ideas, and revolutionary strategies emerging.
It is nearly impossible to tap into all of them as an individual learner.
There has to be a better way, right?
That’s where book summary apps come into play.
If you are like me, playing catch up with your knowledge upgrade, then this article is specifically for you.
Book summary apps are essential tools that make your reading experience more enjoyable, and most importantly – consumable.
Easy to understand text: The summaries should be written in simple English and be easy to read and understand. People do not want to spend a lot of time on attentive reading, so the content should be skimmable with bullets and key points. Furthermore, the content format should be in a simple article form or similar to an e-book interface.
Audio version: The app should have an audio playback option with adjustable speed. This helps users to consume the content on the go or while doing their daily tasks.
Interactive features: The book summary app should enable copy-pasting text to save it in your notes. Additionally, the app should offer customization features like personalized book recommendations that can double as a learning roadmap based on the discipline you want to master.
Multimedia features: In addition to text and audio, the app can have multimedia learning features like infographics, mind maps, and flash cards. These features help reinforce the ideas of the book.
Depth: The app should have depth in various genres, with multiple books on each subject. The depth of book coverage can be a decisive factor in setting apart the app from competitors.
Gamification: Learning can become tedious after a while. To encourage user participation and help grasp a concept, the app can have gamification features like achievement milestones to hone in on an idea.
Based on these features criteria, I have shortlisted 7 best book summary apps for 2025.
Here they are:
1) Blinkist: Best overall book summary app
Blinkist has been one of the pioneers in book summary apps. I have had this app since 2016, and it has been one of my favorites ever since.
In fact, I loved Blinkist so much that I interviewed Holger Seim, who gave a literal masterclass on how to build and grow a startup. It’s an MBA crash course wrapped as a YouTube video.
a) Features
1) Crisp summaries: The app gives crisp summaries of popular non-fiction books, calling them “blinks” (smart name choice). But contrary to the name, it’s not a blink-and-you-miss affair with Blinkist. The app comes with multimedia consumption options via text and audio.
2) Extensive depth: The Blinkist library has more than 7500+ titles. It covers everything from technology to productivity, money, and science.
3) Multi-format consumption: You can read or listen, download for offline access, and even highlight your favorite bits to save for later. Blinkist keeps adding new summaries based on trends and user requests, which keeps things fresh.
4) Blinkist Spaces: Blinkist has an in-built feature called “Spaces”. It lets you share, recommend, and discuss titles with other like-minded users. Think of it as a playlist, where you can add titles and then share them with colleagues and friends.
5) Ability to highlight and save key insights – Blinkist lets you highlight important text from the summary and save it for later access.
6) AI summaries: This new feature lets you get the gist of any article, podcast, PDF, or YouTube video with AI.
b) User experience (UX)
The mobile app is simple and super easy to use. It is made for the mobile-first generation, making it easy for Gen Z to get a hang of it. You can browse sections and even save blinks.
The website version is listed similar to a blog site.
There is also a personalized recommendation option. The app has options for textual summaries or audio playback summaries. You can even download the blinks.
You can find books by title, author, or topic in no time.
The reading view feels like an e-book and the audio playback functions like a Spotify podcast. It’s pretty standard and simple.
c) How is it different – USP of Blinkist
The main differentiator is how quickly it gets to the main points. Blinkist knows its audience has zero time to waste and wants to get to the meat of the content fast. It delivers on this by listing the strategies step-by-step and clearly.
Additionally, one thing that stands out is its extensive personalized onboarding based on your nuanced interests and plans. It will ask you a bunch of questions about your plans and goals.
I took this quiz, and it displayed a graph showing that I am 28 books away from my desired self.
Nice gamification of my goals, increasing my session time and retention.
d) Pricing
Blinkist offers a 7-day free trial.
After that, you can choose between monthly or yearly subscriptions. The monthly plan costs $14.99. They used to have massive discounts and bundle tie-ups, but this has slowed down a bit as the app has become more popular.
Still, keep an eye out for any deals.
e) Personal experience
Here’s how I use Blinkist: when I am working on something, I let the audio of these Blinks play in the background. They take approximately 15 minutes to cover an entire book. If an idea catches my interest, I pause it and take notes. Additionally, I copy the text version of the app and paste it into a notes file.
(Keep reading to learn how to leverage AI to maximize these notes into action steps).
This way, I can tap into multiple ideas and strategies from these world-class books, which I would otherwise not know about due to my busy schedule.
Further, one thing I like about Blinkist is how swiftly it gets to the meat of the content. It lists the strategies and tactics in a clear, consumable manner.
One of my favorite books that I found on Blinkist is Carol Dweck’s Mindset. The strategies listed here had a profound impact on my life, and it is thanks to Blinkist that I came to know about the book.
f) Pros and cons
Pros:
- Time-saving: The summaries are very succinct and discuss the book’s main points in just 15 minutes, making it perfect for busy startup founders, freelancers, and solopreneurs.
- Extensive depth: The app has over 7500+ titles, making it the biggest book summary app in terms of library depth.
- Packed with useful features: The app is feature-rich to the hilt. It has interesting features like highlight and note taking, playlist spaces, and AI summaries, becoming much more than a mere summary app.
Cons:
- Surface-level learning: At the end of the day, Blinkist is surface-level learning. Sometimes, people are discouraged from buying a book if they can get the main strategies via an app like Blinkist. But that should not be the case. If you are interested in a topic, use Blinkist as a primer to get the feel of the topic and dive deeper based on that.
2) StoryShots: Best book summary app for multi-format consumption
Compared to Blinkist, StoryShots is a new kid on the block. The book summary app gives snappy yet engaging summaries of popular non-fiction books. It has become a hit for many readers who want to maximize their learning experience without spending hours on big books.
a) Features
1) Multi-format consumption with infographics and mind maps: You can access text summaries, audio versions, and even infographics and mind maps (after seeing the valuable infographics, I saved them to my folder, making them part of my work notes).
2) Crisp summaries: Each summary takes 8-9 minutes to complete, making it ideal for busy solopreneurs who want to capture thoughts and insights quickly.
3) Topic depth: The library has a wide range of titles, from self-development to entrepreneurship. You can download the summaries and highlight your favorite parts for future reference.
4) Mark as favorite: You can mark a book as a favorite and read it later.
5) PDF export: You can export the main summary as a PDF and send it to your email or Kindle account. You can read or listen to summaries, download them for offline access, and highlight your favorite parts for later reference.
6) Video and audio summaries: Another standout feature is the curated content that links to podcasts or YouTube videos related to the books. This extra layer of resourcefulness means you can dive deeper into the material without the hassle of extensive research—how cool is that?
7) Shopping option: You have the option to directly buy the book from Amazon by clicking on the shopping cart link on top of the app.
8) Multilingual summaries: Apart from English, some selective books include summaries in German, French, Spanish, and more.
9) AI summaries – This is still in BETA but I tested it for efficiency and it came out with good results. Basically, you just enter a book name along with its author, and StoryShots will use AI to generate a quick summary of the book. For example, I entered “Adaptive Markets” by Andrew Lo, and it generated a fairly good summary of the book.
b) User experience (UX)
Navigating through the mobile app felt easy. The design is user-friendly and visually appealing. Finding various options was easy and just a click away.
Though it is a mobile-first app, the website version was straightforward as well, with images and infographics laid out in a blog article format.
The handy search bar lets you find different titles and sections.
The reading view mimics an ebook experience, offering a comfortable reading experience for mobile-first users.
You can also use the audio player and adjust the playback speed.
The infographics are simple and easy to digest.
c) How is it different – USP of StoryShots
Two things are very unique about the app.
Firstly, the relevant infographics and mind maps give the app a powerful edge over others. This makes the content more digestible and the concepts more easy to understand.
Secondly, it has links to relevant video summaries and podcasts. This aids in further learning and exploring the concept in more detail.
This flexibility caters to different learning styles, whether you’re an auditory learner who enjoys listening or prefers visual content.
While other apps may focus solely on text or audio, StoryShots provides a well-rounded approach that enhances user engagement.
Thirdly (and though still in BETA), the AI summary feature is geared to have unlimited potential. You can just enter any book along with its author, and StoryShots will generate a summary of the book.
d) Pricing
StoryShots has a freemium model with pricing at $29.99 per year or a one-time payment of $59.99. Users can access some content for free, but a premium subscription unlocks additional features and unlimited access to all summaries. This model is appealing to those who want to try before committing financially.
e) Personal experience
I stumbled upon StoryShots after hearing about its engaging format and was immediately intrigued. Having access to multiple modes of summaries in one app with a one-time payment was too good to pass up!
The verdict: My experience has been overwhelmingly positive. I love how I can switch between reading a summary during my work break or quickly glance through a mind map of a concept I am trying to master.
Pro tip: One particular growth hack I am trying these days is every morning after meditation, I glance through the topic I want to attack today and go through the mind map infographic. This gives me a clear view and roadmap of how my mind thinks about it. Honestly, this experiment has been a game-changer thanks to StoryShots.
Would I recommend StoryShots? Absolutely! It’s perfect for those looking for quick insights without the time commitment of full-length books. With its engaging formats and valuable curated content, it’s definitely worth checking out.
f) Pros and cons
Pros:
- Engaging multimedia formats: Offers a variety of content through text, audio, and video, and even linked infographics and mindmaps. This helps in honing of ideas.
- User-friendly interface: Both the mobile and website version are straightforward, with multiple options like saving a summary as favorite, downloading the PDF version, and more.
- Multilingual: Some books have multilingual summaries.
Cons:
- Limited selection: Compared to larger, veteran platforms, the content selection lacks a tad bit on the depth.
- Multilingual option not uniformly offered: The multilingual book summary option is offered for selective books only.
- Audio not uniform: The audio db levels vary from one book to another.
3) Headway: Best book summary tool for capturing insights
Headway gives concise summaries that take about 10 minutes to digest.
It is an excellent option for people seeking quick and interactive learning. The use of spaced repetition, flashcards, and achievement goals amplifies the interactive part of the e-learning experience.
Overall, this feels like a perfect gamified companion for your daily commute or for finding practical applications for what you want to master.
a) Features
1) Achievement milestones: A primary focus of Headway is collecting achievements, which helps users stay motivated as they progress towards their reading goals.
This is an interesting feature as it makes Headway users feel invested in the app to unlock their achievements.
2) Spaced repetitions: The app also has features like spaced repetition, which lets users highlight key phrases and turn them into interactive flashcards!
3) Interesting book picks: The library features interesting book picks, including fan favorites like Morgan Housel’s “Psychology of Money” and “The Greatest Salesman in The World”.
4) Focus on goals and challenges: With Headway, you can set up goals on what exactly you plan to achieve from the app. You can select from options such as “have a healthy lifestyle”, “become confident”, “boost intelligence”, and more.
Additionally, you can get a personalized challenge period based on the goals you are aiming for.
5) Gamification via streak tracking: Headway uses an interesting gamification feature of tracking streaks. It tracks how many days in a row you read and use Headway. This gamifies going through your reading list and adds an element of fun to it.
6) Commitment pact: The app has a commitment pact that you actually need to sign with a thumb print. This makes the user feel committed to reaching their goals.
b) User experience
Headway has a sleek mobile app design. The app allows for quick and easy navigation. The reading experience is similar to an ebook, with the audio feature letting you adjust the speed—all pretty standard and gets the job done!
c) How is it different – USP of Headway
The standout feature is its ability to track your progress and achievements. It adds an engaging element that motivates users to maintain consistent reading habits.
Another feature is spaced repetition, where the app lets you highlight key points and turn them into flashcards for later reference.
d) Pricing
The pricing is based on a freemium model, with the paid version starting from $12.99 per month.
e) Personal Experience
While researching this article, I searched for book summary apps with the best interactive experience. Headway came as one of the top recommendations.
While trying, it indeed lived up to its promise.
The spaced repetition feature turned important points into flashcards.
This helps you revise important concepts more definitively.
f) Pros and cons
Pros:
- Motivational features: Enhances and gamifies the user experience with time-restricted challenges, streak tracking and goals.
- Flexible formats available: The summaries are offered via text and audio, and can be accessed via mobile and desktop.
- Actionable insights via flashcards: You can save a specific information and convert it into actionable takeaways via flashcards.
Cons:
- Limited selection: The content selection does not match the depth of apps like Blinkist. The app has around 1600+ books available.
- Occasional technical glitches: Users may encounter technical issues that can affect the overall experience.
4) Readitfor.me: Best book summary platform for summaries bundled into actionable courses
Readitfor.me is a book summary app that doubles down as a crash course platform. The app is made for busy solopreneurs who want to absorb key ideas and get aided by micro-courses and masterclasses.
Typical summaries take about 15 minutes to finish.
Books include the latest bestselling business and personal development titles, so you are up top speed with the thought leadership world.
a) Features
1) Audio playback: The app has features like audio playback that lets you adjust the play for speed.
2) Article format: The summaries are written in article form, making them consumable without much UX interruption.
3) Micro courses: Additionally, it has nano courses and masterclasses related to the topics. The courses are basically a collection of book summaries under a certain topic. For example, if the topic is customer success, then a micro courses will be a collection of 3 book summaries related to customer success.
4) Masterclasses: Masterclasses on the other hand offer a wider variety of books targeting different aspects that fall under a broader topic umbrella. For example, a masterclass on leadership will have different categories such as modern leadership thinking, building teams, coaching individuals, and more.
It is a great way to hone in on the prime ideas of the book and nourish your skills related to those ideas.
b) User experience (UX)
The UX is a breeze, with summaries listed in blog and article formats. You can browse through categories with the drop-down option.
The reading interface is clean and user-friendly.
c) How is it different – USP of ReadItFor.Me
ReadItFor.Me has the unique feature of clubbing summaries into micro courses and masterclasses. This aids learning by organizing summaries into different disciplines.
Also, I noticed that the platform’s main focus is leadership development, and most listed books and subjects relate to this goal.
So, if you are pursuing a career in corporate leadership, this app can be a good addition to your knowledge arsenal.
d) Pricing
Readitfor.me offers simple pricing plans with monthly pricing starting from $29 per month. It also has a lifetime deal which goes for a one-time payment of $999, granting lifetime access to all content on the platform.
e) Personal experience
I got this app a few years back, and it has stayed with me ever since. I like how it simplifies an entire book into a single article-length summary.
The language is pretty simple, and I like the clever use of paragraphs and bullets to help me understand a topic better.
My reading tactic for the app is as follows: If I am struggling with something, I simply open the web version of the app and search for the discipline I want to improve. Next, I start reading various book summaries on the topics. Wherever I find an interesting strategy or point, I copy-paste it in my notes.
The clubbing of different summaries under a micro course and masterclass is really helpful. It helps me grab the concepts better as it pre-arranges the book concepts in the order they should be for maximum impact.
f) Pros and cons
Pros:
- Additional learning tools: The app comes with micro courses and masterclasses which arrange the books under topic umbrellas, helping consumption.
- Continuous updates: New titles are usually added immediately upon release.
Cons:
- Smaller library: The app can have a bigger library with more titles added.
5) Mentorist: Best book summary app for actionable learning
Mentorist is a mobile app created to help busy individuals reach their learning goals via bestselling business and self-development books.
The app focuses on interactive learning with features like personalized library, gamification, and community upvoting.
a) Features
1) Comprehensive summaries: It offers crisp summaries that are easily consumable with scannable text to grasp key concepts quickly.
2) Action lists: You can create personalized action lists based on the main ideas behind the books, encouraging users to implement what they learn.
3) Library creation: You can build a personalized library of your favorite books.
4) Progress tracking: You can see how you are progressing with your learning goals with visual analytics.
5) Reminders and notifications: You can set alerts to keep track of your reading goals.
6) Rewards system: You can earn rewards and badges for completing milestones (think Duolingo but for book summary apps).
7) Community engagement: You can vote for the best books and apps, instilling a sense of community within the platform.
b) User experience
The UX is very intuitive and sleek. The navigation is simple, enabling easy search of book summaries. The design supports an engaging learning experience.
I really enjoyed the onboarding experience which asked some very specific questions to personalize the recommendations for me.
c) How is it different – USP of Mentorist
The USP of the app is that it combines book summaries with actionable exercises. This way, you can grasp the ideas better by taking tests on the concepts shared in the books.
Additionally, you can download the PDFs of the summaries for reading later.
d) Pricing
The app has a basic free version with the paid platinum version going for $39.99 per month.
e) Personal experience
Using the product was a breeze. The analytics and interactive exercises certainly helped me learn some leadership concepts in a much more definitive way. The app never makes you feel overwhelmed.
f) Pros and cons
Pros:
- Action-oriented learning: The app has an option for “act” which lists key action steps one can do to master the key idea of the book.
- Engaging user interface: The navigation is clean and simple with all the useful features only a click away.
- 1 free book summary unlocked every day: The app lets you unlock one free summary everyday.
Cons:
- Accessing the free version was a bit confusing: The app prompts you to get the paid version, with a small arrow on top which lets you skip it and go to the free version. This took me some time to figure out as there was no “skip” button to ignore the free trial prompt.
6) InstaRead: Best book summary app for mastering topic-specific goals
InstaRead is another great alternative. It is designed for busy individuals and covers a wide range of topics. The product has many options from business to politics and science. The app has a special focus on delivering insights from thought leaders.
You can also choose to follow a topic list based on individual goals or create your own and make it publicly available.
a) Features
1) Bestselling book summaries: The app gives short summaries of 1000+ books across multiple genres.
2) Audio and text formats: Users have options for audio and text formats.
3) Wide range of categories: The app covers a variety of topics including business, politics, self-help, history, and more.
4) Multi-platform access: The app is available on multiple platforms, including mobile devices (iOS and Android), tablets, and desktops, allowing seamless access.
5) Free daily: The free daily offers one free book every day. This opens you up to new books without you sending a dime. Furthermore, this can be a great test run of how the app feels like.
6) Flashcards out of Insights and quotes: Apart from the summary, there is an option to make flashcards out of key insights and quotes that pull out the key ideas from the book and help you hone in on the ideas. You can also follow flashcards of other users.
7) Goal oriented lists: You can follow topic specific lists focused on goals like productivity, mindfulness, and more. Additionally, you can create your own list theme and make it publicly available for others to follow.
b) User experience
The app is designed with user-friendliness taking centerstage. The navigation is intuitive, with the dual format of audio and text allowing for flexibility. The interface is sleek and visually appealing, with text and audio playback options appearing side by side.
There is a flashcard feature which lets you grab key insights and share it on the platform, with the interface akin to Instagram and TikTok. Pretty interesting and enjoyable for the mobile-first generation!
c) How is it different – USP of InstaRead
In my opinion, the USP is the diversity of topics. The app has some interesting titles in science, history, philosophy, and even fiction.
I also enjoyed the options for making flashcards out of key summary insights and quotes, which pull out the key ideas from the book in a snackable form. You can also follow and like flashcards of other users.
Lastly, the idea of following topic-specific lists keeps you on track with your goals and not individually search and hunt for book summaries related to your topic.
d) Pricing
Monthly subscription starts from $8.99 per month with a 7-day free trial.
e) Personal experience
The app’s wide range of books opened me to new authors and ideas. I particularly enjoyed the summary of “How to Know a Person” by David Brooks and “Countdown 1960” by Chris Wallace.
f) Pros and cons
Pros:
- Broad selection: An extensive library covering various categories ensures something for everyone.
- Lists: You can follow a goal-specific list or create your own within seconds.
- Trending flashcards: You can create flashcards out of key insights from the summaries and share it on the platform. This way, you can get it to trend and get followers on the app.
Cons:
- Overwhelming for the millennial user: The card option though helpful, can throw the older millennial user (raises hand!) a bit off track due to it appearing slightly out of context in the first go.
- Lack of trending business bestsellers: I could not find some top business-related bestsellers which can be a great reading addition to the app.
7) Shortform: Best book summary platform for interactive engagement
Shortform has a zero fluff promise, meaning the summaries are succinct and to the point.
The app focuses on distilling key insights through analysis and practical exercises.
The app has summaries of 1000+ nonfiction books.
a) Features
1) Extensive book guides: The app offers comprehensive summaries of popular non-fiction books, including New York Times bestsellers.
2) Brilliant new insights: It offers a smart analysis, connecting ideas from different books and consolidating them for better inferences. It also discusses updates on the topic since the book’s publication.
3) Exercises: Each summary guide has open-ended questions that help users apply what they’ve learned. This helps in improving reflection and planning. You have the option to save your answers for future reference.
4) Audio narration: The guide comes with audio narration for people who want to use the app while doing other tasks.
5) Community engagement: The app has a dedicated community that engages on every book topic. Users can explore the ideas further by engaging with the community and discussing insights and exercises for better collaborative learning.
6) Printable PDFs: The app provides beautifully crafted PDFs that can be downloaded and printed, helping take the learning offline. You can send the summary to your Kindle device.
7) Highlight and note taking: You can highlight important ideas from the summary and then have the option to take notes on them.
8) Podcast guides: The app lets you have access to summaries of popular podcasts with the option to highlight important ideas.
b) User experience
The onboarding felt strangely similar to Headway, with almost the same onboarding experience, literally down to signing the commitment pact with the thumb print. I have not noticed anyone mentioning this similarity. Coincidence?
Having said that, the platform is well-organized and helps you easily navigate through book categories and guides. The platform is loaded with features with nudges and pointers on how to access every feature.
All the important options like book summary, podcast summary, audio, are neatly arranged on the bottom.
The community aspect is easy to access, where you can reply to the community comments with a button click.
c) How is it different – USP of Shortform
Smart analysis is by far the app’s standout feature. It connects ideas from different books and organizes them together to give users a comprehensive understanding of the subject.
The app has a fantastic highlight feature that lets you highlight key points and save them for future reference.
It also has a one page summary option which acts like a checklist of top actionable items stemming from each book.
Additionally, the app has interactive exercises and a discussion community, further engaging you with the topic.
d) Pricing
The app is priced at $24 per month with an option for a 5-day free trial.
e) Personal experience
The app felt very interactive to me. I really enjoyed the highlight feature, that let me highlight key concepts and save them for future reference.
I also appreciate the Shortform team giving a checklist of actionable items, which I am using as SOPs for my work.
The community feature had some generic comments but maybe it will catch up as more people start using the app.
The exercises come across as handy one-pagers that you can do and then save them to your notes.
The podcast summary feature is very much welcomed as a lot of valuable ideas/strategies these days are discussed exclusively via the podcast format.
f) Pros and cons
Pros:
- Practical exercises: This promotes active user participation and makes the book journey a more interactive experience. This ultimately helps in fixing the ideas in your mind.
- Community support: It instills a sense of user camaraderie and the idea of reading books together.
- Highlight and note taking: You can highlight key insights from a summary and add your personalized notes to it for future reference.
- Podcast summaries: Apart from books, it even offers podcast summaries of notable podcasts.
Cons:
- Overwhelming: Too many interactive features can sometimes clutter thought. I would suggest either going for the highlight feature or the practical exercises, pushing the other one for a later date.
Book Summary App List - Key features
| wdt_ID | wdt_created_by | wdt_created_at | wdt_last_edited_by | wdt_last_edited_at | Book Summary Apps | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | abhik | 07/03/2025 01:31 PM | abhik | 07/03/2025 01:31 PM | Blinkist | - Crisp summaries (blinks) of popular non-fiction books - Extensive library with 7500+ titles - Multi-format consumption: read, listen, download - Blinkist Spaces for sharing and discussing - Highlighting and saving key insights - AI summaries for articles and videos - Personalized recommendations based on user goals |
| 3 | abhik | 07/03/2025 01:33 PM | abhik | 07/03/2025 01:33 PM | StoryShots |
- Multi-format consumption (text, audio, infographics, mind maps) - Quick summaries (8-9 minutes) - PDF export and multilingual options - Links to relevant videos and podcasts - Mark books as favorites - Direct shopping option for books - AI summaries in BETA for quick generation of book summaries |
| 4 | abhik | 07/03/2025 01:34 PM | abhik | 07/03/2025 01:34 PM | Headway |
- Achievement milestones to motivate users - Spaced repetition and flashcards for key phrases - Personalized goals and challenges - Gamification via streak tracking - Commitment pact for user engagement - Interesting book picks including fan favorites |
| 5 | abhik | 07/03/2025 01:35 PM | abhik | 07/03/2025 01:35 PM | Readitfor.me | - Audio playback with adjustable speed - Article format for summaries - Micro courses and masterclasses on topics - Focus on business and personal development titles - Continuous updates with new titles added immediately upon release |
| 6 | abhik | 07/03/2025 01:35 PM | abhik | 07/03/2025 01:35 PM | Mentorist |
- Comprehensive summaries with action lists - Personalized library building - Progress tracking with visual analytics - Rewards system for milestones - Community engagement for voting on best books - Daily free summary unlocked for users |
| 7 | abhik | 07/03/2025 01:35 PM | abhik | 07/03/2025 01:35 PM | InstaRead | - 1000+ bestselling book summaries across genres - Audio and text formats available - Wide range of categories including business, politics, self-help, history, etc. - Multi-platform access (iOS, Android, tablets, desktops) - Goal-oriented lists and trending flashcards creation |
| 8 | abhik | 07/03/2025 01:36 PM | abhik | 07/03/2025 01:36 PM | Shortform | - Extensive book guides with smart analysis connecting ideas from different books - Open-ended exercises for application of learning - Audio narration available - Community engagement for discussions on insights and exercises - Highlighting/note-taking features with printable PDFs |
| 9 | abhik | 07/03/2025 01:36 PM | abhik | 07/03/2025 01:36 PM |
Book Summary Apps: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the best app for book summaries?
We have tested and reviewed the 7 best apps for book summaries. Here they are:
Blinkist
StoryShots
Headway
Readitfor.me
Mentorist
InstaRead
Shortform
What is better than Blinkist?
Blinkist is an excellent app to uncover key insights and strategies of best business books. However, there are certain apps that can give a tough competition to Blinkist and can be subjectively claimed as better than Blinkist. These apps are:
1) StoryShots
2) Headway
StoryShots has the additional feature of easy-to-understand infographics that assist the learning process even further.
Headway is a great app that has the additional feature of spaced repititions. In short, it lets you highlight key points from the summary and turn them into interactive flashcards that you can refer later or on the go.
Can ChatGPT summarize books?
Absolutely. you just need to go to Open AI and give a simple prompt like this:
However, you can also get this done with in-built features in apps like Blinkist and StoryShots. You simply enter a book name, and BAM! The summaries are fetched!
Also, if you observe, the summaries are much detailed with specific insights.
Pro tips on using book summary apps – How to use it for maximum advantage
We have discussed all the best book summary apps. How about we take it one step further and use AI to get even more value from them?
I have personally prepared a step-by-step approach to how to get the maximum value from these book summary apps using AI.
Here’s how it goes:
1) Copy and paste the summary on an app called Voila AI.
2) Ask Voila to explain the concept in the simplest terms. Here are a variety of prompts you can use to get this done
a) Explain every concept in this text in a step-by-step strategy with the end goal of [entire desired goal related to the book topic].
b) Convert this text into step-by-step strategies
c) Convert the text into a sequence of SOPs
d) Convert this text into a set of rules and diktat.
e) Convert the knowledge and strategies from this summary into strategies to grow my [enter niche] business.
Alternatively, if the app has infographics and graphs, you can save that image and upload it on Voila AI.
Next, you can use the following prompts:
a) Explain the concepts in this image as you would explain to a 10-year-old.
b) List out all the strategies mentioned in the image and arrange them into step-by-step takeaways and action steps.
c) Explain every concept mentioned in the image in the most detailed and simplest form.
Conclusion – My personal picks
These were the best book summary apps I could find.
You can choose your pick based on your needs and your learning styles.
My personal top picks would be the following:
a) Blinkist: This is the most comprehensive app in terms of library depth. You will find nearly all genres here and with some very special and interesting pics.
b) StoryShots: I would consider it the best for idea consumption as it offers infographics and mind maps apart from the standard text/audio summaries. Additionally, I like their AI summary feature. This feature has the potential to make the app nearly limitless.
c) Headway: This is best for memorizing key insights and ideas with the use of flashcards.
The best way to use these apps is to add your own improvisations to them by first noting down the key concepts and elaborating them via AI.
Additionally, you can create a step-by-step SOP to assist your work.
If you like our content, do not forget to subscribe to The Starting Idea.
Abhik Shome
Abhik Shome is the Founder of The Starting Idea, a solopreneur-focused business growth magazine. With The Starting Idea, he aims to share clever (and unconventional) content marketing strategies and untapped tools for solopreneur startups to seize profitable blue ocean opportunities rapidly before the competition. He has previously contributed to major publications like Inc Magazine, Business Insider, Thrive Global, Influencive, and YourStory. Connect with him on LinkedIn.