# Shortwave vs Imp Translate

The clearest difference is price: Shortwave at Free against Imp Translate's $4.99. Shortwave also leads on ratings volume (757 vs 1). Imp Translate's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 4 weeks) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Shortwave is free to download; Imp Translate costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Imp Translate holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shortwave has 757 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Shortwave ships an update every 4 weeks, Imp Translate every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shortwave | Imp Translate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [4.7 (757 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shortwave-ai-email/id1559784681/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/imp-translate/id6764317525/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **757** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 65.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 26 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | [Shortwave Communications, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1502603969) | [KAI WANG](https://appshunter.io/developer/1703369227) |

## 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


### Imp Translate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/imp-translate/id6764317525)

This app translates web pages bilingually within Safari, displaying translations below original text for easy comparison. It offers user-configurable translation providers and only activates when requested, ensuring no background activity.

**Highlights:** Bilingual page translation in Safari, Translations appear below original text, User-configurable translation providers, No background activity or content scripts, Translation activated on demand

**Features:** Safari Extension, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shortwave free?

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

### Is Imp Translate free?

Imp Translate costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Shortwave or Imp Translate?

Imp Translate is rated higher. Shortwave averages 4.7 out of 5 from 757 ratings, while Imp Translate averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Shortwave or Imp Translate have ads?

Neither Shortwave nor Imp Translate shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shortwave or Imp Translate?

Shortwave ships an update every 4 weeks, and Imp Translate every 2 days. Most recently, Shortwave was updated on November 11, 2026 and Imp Translate on November 5, 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.*