# Zero Inbox vs Shortwave

The clearest difference is rating: Shortwave at 4.7 against Zero Inbox's 3.7. Shortwave also leads on ratings volume (749 vs 3) and review sentiment (65% vs 50%). Zero Inbox's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Shortwave holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shortwave has 749 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Zero Inbox's written reviews are positive against 65% of Shortwave's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Zero Inbox | Shortwave |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zero-inbox/id1457415717/reviews) | **[4.7 (749 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shortwave-ai-email/id1559784681/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **749** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **65.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 27 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Launch Platform LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1586861720) | [Shortwave Communications, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1502603969) |

## What reviewers say

### Zero Inbox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zero-inbox/id1457415717)

This email application streamlines inbox management with customizable multi-action swipe gestures. Effortlessly process emails by assigning multiple tasks to a single swipe, such as archiving, trashing, or sending to a to-do list. Enjoy a fast and intuitive email experience.

**Highlights:** Multi-action swipe gestures, Customizable swipe actions, Fast loading speed, Integration with Todoist, Smart avatar loading, Dark mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Shortwave

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shortwave-ai-email/id1559784681)

This AI-powered email client streamlines your inbox with intelligent organization, writing assistance, and team collaboration tools. It helps you manage emails, schedule meetings, and turn messages into actionable tasks, all while learning your unique style.

**Highlights:** AI-powered email writing and drafting, Intelligent inbox organization and clutter removal, Real-time team collaboration and email assignment, AI-assisted meeting scheduling, Email to-do list conversion, Customizable AI prompts and automations, Management of multiple Gmail accounts

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent email management
- 👍 Clean and intuitive interface
- 🚀 Efficient email processing
- 💡 Innovative AI features
- 👍 Helpful email bundling and scheduling

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent mobile app experience
- 🔒 Privacy concerns around data collection
- 🔍 Limited search and filtering options
- 💻 Lack of support for non-Gmail accounts
- 🔧 Missing key features like delete and landscape mode

**Reported bugs**

- Unreliable email bundling and threading
- Inconsistent performance and stability issues
- Bugs with email forwarding and attachment handling

**Requested features**

- Add support for more email providers
- Improve iPad and tablet optimization
- Enhance customization options for labels and actions
- Integrate with more productivity apps and services
- Provide better transparency around data usage and privacy


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Zero Inbox free?

Zero Inbox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Shortwave free?

Shortwave is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Zero Inbox or Shortwave?

Shortwave is rated higher. Zero Inbox averages 3.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Shortwave averages 4.7 from 749 ratings.

### Do Zero Inbox or Shortwave have ads?

Neither Zero Inbox nor Shortwave shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Zero Inbox or Shortwave?

Zero Inbox ships an update every 3 weeks, and Shortwave every 3 weeks. Most recently, Zero Inbox was updated on October 9, 2026 and Shortwave on October 22, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*