Shen-Acupuncture vs Tsubook for "acupuncture points"
Shen-Acupuncture
Atlas of Acupuncture (1000 pages) - Power Search - TCM-Diagnoses - own Database
Tsubook
The meridians app for TCM, Acupuncture, Shiatsu, Tuina, Kinesiology,...
Rank
6
For keyword
Rank
15
English (United States)Atlas of Acupuncture (1000 pages) - Power Search - TCM-Diagnoses - own Database
The meridians app for TCM, Acupuncture, Shiatsu, Tuina, Kinesiology,...
For an "acupuncture points" search, Tsubook answers the query in its first frame with "361 points and 14 meridians" over a rotatable 3D body, while Shen-Acupuncture opens on a "Welcome!" mascot screen and only names its 1000-page atlas and 400 charts in the second image. Shen-Acupuncture's depth is real (Power Search returning 18 points for Kidney Yin Deficiency, cardinal symptoms and point combinations) but it is shown in dense grey text screens instead of anatomy. Neither listing surfaces any testimonial, award, or certification badge in its screenshots.
Scanned screenshots4 a · 4 b
Only the first 4 screenshots from each side are sent to the AI. These are what users see in App Store and Google Play search results, so they carry most of the conversion weight.
App A
App B
Value Proposition
B leadsShen-Acupuncture's lead frame says only "Welcome!"; the "1000 pages Atlas" and 400-chart claim waits until screenshot 2.
Tsubook's first frame pairs "TCM Meridians" with "361 points and 14 meridians" and a FREE CONTENT stamp, matching the search intent instantly.
Clarity
B leadsScreenshot 3's Power Search dropdowns ("Kidney Yin Deficiency", "Heat", Search Result:18) read clearly, but the grey UI and screenshot 4's text wall slow comprehension.
Tsubook shows the meridian tab bar, colour-coded LU/LI/ST buttons, and an LU1 detail card with the "6 cun lateral to the anterior midline" locator.
Emotional Hook
TiedCaptions name capabilities ("Search and Power Search", "Cardinal Symptoms, Causes"); the TCM elder illustration is decorative and shows no practitioner outcome.
Tsubook's 3D anatomy renders are striking but every caption is a count or a label ("6 for free, 6 in the licence"), never a practitioner benefit.
Trust Signals
TiedNo testimonial, certification, school endorsement, or download-count cue appears in any of Shen-Acupuncture's four screenshots or the short description.
Tsubook's "Recommended by the Shiatsu Society UK" and 150-school claim sit only in the long description; the screenshots carry pricing stamps, not credibility cues.
Reviewers of Shen-Acupuncture repeatedly praise it as a learning reference for acupuncture and TCM students, while the recurring friction is around buying the full version: several reviews describe not knowing how to purchase, Google Pay failing, or confusion over an existing subscription, and a smaller group reports difficulty finding their way around the app. Reviewers of Tsubook consistently describe it as a study resource for TCM and shiatsu students and single out the 3D body and meridian visuals plus offline, easy navigation. The main recurring complaint for Tsubook is how much content sits behind the license, with reviews noting the free app is limited or locked after a few days.
App A
Pain points
Upgrade and subscription flow confusion
MediumFree tier capped at 10 acupoints per meridian
LowDifficulty finding their way around the app
LowStrengths
Used as a study aid for acupuncture and TCM
HighPoint locations and anatomical charts
LowExplanations of TCM patterns and pathogens
LowApp B
Pain points
Content locked behind the license
LowFree version seen as thin on detail
LowStrengths
Study resource for shiatsu and TCM courses
High3D body views with categorized points
MediumEasy to use and works offline
MediumShen-Acupuncture positions as a searchable 1000-page reference atlas, selling depth of text and the speed of finding "asthma" across it offline. Tsubook positions as a 3D meridian toolbox spanning several bodywork modalities, borrowing credibility from the Shiatsu Society UK and "more than 150 other organizations and schools". The mismatch is document depth versus visual anatomy plus institutional endorsement, so a searcher for "acupuncture points" sees a textbook on one side and a body model on the other.
App A
Positioning
Searchable clinical reference atlas
Target audience
TCM practitioners needing point and diagnosis lookup
Value promise
Search 1000 pages of acupuncture atlas in a second, offline
Tone
feature-dense, clinical, specification-led
App B
Positioning
3D meridian toolbox, multi-modality
Target audience
Shiatsu, tuina and TCM practitioners and school students
Value promise
Points, meridians and diagnosis areas in 3D, pocket-sized
Tone
practical, endorsement-backed, modality-inclusive
Gap
Shen-Acupuncture leads with text depth ("over 1000 pages", power search, 4000 symptoms), while Tsubook leads with 3D anatomy plus named modalities and school recommendations, so one sells reading and the other sells seeing.
Opportunity
For a practitioner who arrives at "acupuncture points" wanting an answer rather than a model, Shen-Acupuncture can own the symptom-to-point path, the one direction Tsubook's meridian-and-3D framing does not claim on the first screen.
Risk
Shen-Acupuncture presents no third-party validation, while Tsubook opens with the Shiatsu Society UK and 150 partner schools, so a clinician comparing two references has only self-stated page counts to weigh against named institutions. The free-version copy also opens on what is withheld ("you can't backup your saved data"), which frames the first impression around a limitation rather than the search capability.
Strategic advantage
Offline search across 409 points and 4000 symptoms plus a one-off full-version unlock speaks directly to practitioners working in treatment rooms with weak signal and to buyers who resist Tsubook's stated "3.99 € by month".
Missed opportunity
Neither listing speaks to the chairside moment with a patient already on the table, where lookup speed and one-handed use matter; both frame themselves as study references rather than in-session tools.
App A
39
Shen-Acupuncture
Behind
B wins
App B
61
Tsubook
Strong lead
Shen-Acupuncture sits at rank 6 for acupuncture points and Tsubook at 15, but the listing underneath that rank is the weaker of the two: a Welcome! mascot opener, a thin store-presence footing, and reviews dominated by purchase friction. Tsubook wins the head-to-head on almost everything a searcher judges after the tap, which makes the current gap in position look borrowed rather than earned.
Why it wins
Tsubook answers the query in its first frame with 361 points and 14 meridians over a rotatable 3D body and cites the Shiatsu Society UK and 150 schools, while Shen-Acupuncture's genuinely deeper atlas arrives as dense grey text screens. Tsubook reviews repeat the same story, naming the 3D meridian visuals and offline navigation, with complaints confined to how much content sits behind the license.
Biggest opportunity
Shen-Acupuncture owns two claims Tsubook cannot answer for an acupuncture points search, offline lookup across 409 points and a one-off unlock against a 3.99 € by month subscription, and neither the title nor the short description says so yet.
Next priority
The first test is a short description that leads with offline speed and carries acupuncture points verbatim, for example Offline acupuncture points atlas: 409 points, 4000 symptoms, TCM diagnoses (74 characters). Behind it, a single upgrade screen showing price, plan options and current subscription status with restore would address the purchase failures that recur across recent reviews.
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