# Shortwave vs Reflect Notes

The clearest difference is monetization model: Shortwave at free against Reflect Notes's free with in-app purchases. Shortwave also leads on ratings volume (751 vs 88) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Shortwave against 4.6 for Reflect Notes. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shortwave has 751 ratings behind it against 88, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 65% of Shortwave's written reviews are positive against 63% of Reflect Notes's.

Shortwave ships an update every 3 weeks, Reflect Notes monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shortwave | Reflect Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (751 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shortwave-ai-email/id1559784681/reviews)** | [4.6 (88 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reflect-notes/id1575595407/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **751** | 88 |
| Positive reviews | **65.4% of reviews** | 63.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 26 MB | 71 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shortwave Communications, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1502603969) | [Reflect App, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1575595409) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Reflect Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reflect-notes/id1575595407)

A minimalist note-taking app that helps you organize thoughts and discover insights. It offers AI-powered chat with your notes, voice transcription, and seamless syncing. Enhance your thinking with intuitive linking and secure offline access.

**Highlights:** AI-powered note chat for insights, Intuitive note linking system, Voice transcription for hands-free notes, Customizable AI prompts for editing, Offline access and device syncing, End-to-end data encryption

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Sleek UI and design
- 🚀 Fast and efficient performance
- 💡 Innovative AI features (dictation, chat)
- 🔗 Strong backlinking capabilities
- 🗓️ Intuitive daily note structure

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐌 Development has slowed significantly
- 📉 Roadmap is whittling down
- 😠 Hostile responses to feedback
- 🧱 Basic functionality, lacks advanced features (tables, formatting)
- 📱 Frustrating user experience on mobile/touch devices

**Reported bugs**

- Secure login link not received
- TestFlight privileges revoked unexpectedly
- Whole lines of text disappear on mobile
- Cannot easily cancel AI chat on iOS
- iPad version feels unfinished

**Requested features**

- Simple table support
- More advanced text formatting support
- Improved search functionality (highlighting found text)
- Official iPad app
- Web app for Safari on Mac


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shortwave free?

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

### Is Reflect Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Shortwave or Reflect Notes?

Shortwave is rated higher. Shortwave averages 4.7 out of 5 from 751 ratings, while Reflect Notes averages 4.6 from 88 ratings.

### Do Shortwave or Reflect Notes have ads?

Neither Shortwave nor Reflect Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shortwave or Reflect Notes?

Shortwave ships an update every 3 weeks, and Reflect Notes monthly. Most recently, Shortwave was updated on October 30, 2026 and Reflect Notes on October 27, 2026.

---

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