# Shortwave vs FlickerFlame

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shortwave at none against FlickerFlame's 3. Shortwave also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). FlickerFlame's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. FlickerFlame sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Shortwave asks for nothing beyond the download.

Shortwave ships an update every 3 weeks, FlickerFlame every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shortwave | FlickerFlame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (749 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shortwave-ai-email/id1559784681/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **749** | — |
| Positive reviews | 65.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 26 MB | 119 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Shortwave Communications, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1502603969) | [Pravinaben Makadiya](https://appshunter.io/developer/1621745714) |

## 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


### FlickerFlame

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flickerflame/id6499425272)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Subscription | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Six Month | $6.99 | per 6 months |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shortwave free?

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

### Is FlickerFlame free?

FlickerFlame is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Shortwave or FlickerFlame have ads?

Neither Shortwave nor FlickerFlame shows ads.

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

Shortwave ships an update every 3 weeks, and FlickerFlame every 3 months. Most recently, Shortwave was updated on October 22, 2026 and FlickerFlame on October 10, 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.*