# Shortwave vs Impression Journal

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shortwave at none against Impression Journal's 1. Shortwave also leads on ratings volume (749 vs 1) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Impression Journal's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Impression Journal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Shortwave asks for nothing beyond the download.

Impression Journal holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shortwave has 749 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Shortwave ships an update every 3 weeks, Impression Journal every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shortwave | Impression Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (749 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shortwave-ai-email/id1559784681/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/impression-journal/id6786451271/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **749** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 65.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 26 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shortwave Communications, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1502603969) | [tApps](https://appshunter.io/developer/332666656) |

## 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


### Impression Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/impression-journal/id6786451271)

Capture fleeting thoughts, people, or observations and automatically link them to their location and time. Add photos, organize into folders, and revisit your memories on a map or timeline. Syncs seamlessly across devices.

**Highlights:** Location-aware note-taking, Add photos to entries, Organize notes into folders, Map and timeline view, Home screen widget, Apple Watch companion app, iCloud syncing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Version | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shortwave free?

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

### Is Impression Journal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Shortwave or Impression Journal?

Impression Journal is rated higher. Shortwave averages 4.7 out of 5 from 749 ratings, while Impression Journal averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Shortwave or Impression Journal have ads?

Neither Shortwave nor Impression Journal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shortwave or Impression Journal?

Shortwave ships an update every 3 weeks, and Impression Journal every 2 months. Most recently, Shortwave was updated on October 22, 2026 and Impression Journal on October 14, 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.*