# Shortwave vs Hindsight

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Hindsight at 100% against Shortwave's 65%. Hindsight also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Shortwave's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 15 months) and ratings volume (754 vs 5). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Hindsight holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shortwave has 754 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of Shortwave's written reviews are positive against 100% of Hindsight's.

Shortwave ships an update every 4 weeks, Hindsight every 15 months. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shortwave | Hindsight |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (754 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shortwave-ai-email/id1559784681/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hindsight-micro-journal/id1585708887/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **754** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 65.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 15 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 26 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shortwave Communications, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1502603969) | [Rakish Labs Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1585708889) |

## 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 assistance for writing, organizing, and scheduling. It offers real-time team collaboration, advanced search, and customizable workflows to boost productivity.

**Highlights:** AI-powered email writing and drafting, Intelligent inbox organization and clutter removal, Real-time team collaboration and email sharing, AI-driven meeting scheduling, Advanced AI-powered search and analysis, Customizable workflows and AI snippets

**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


### Hindsight

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hindsight-micro-journal/id1585708887)

This app helps you build a daily reflection habit with short, insightful notes. Organize your thoughts into custom categories and set reminders to stay consistent. Review past entries to gain perspective and foster intentionality in your life.

**Highlights:** Daily reflection habit building, Short note-taking, Customizable categories, Reminder setting, Past entry review, Dark Mode support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shortwave free?

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

### Is Hindsight free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Shortwave or Hindsight?

Hindsight is rated higher. Shortwave averages 4.8 out of 5 from 754 ratings, while Hindsight averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Shortwave or Hindsight have ads?

Neither Shortwave nor Hindsight shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shortwave or Hindsight?

Shortwave ships an update every 4 weeks, and Hindsight every 15 months. Most recently, Shortwave was updated on November 3, 2026 and Hindsight on November 3, 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.*