# Shortwave vs TimelySelf

Shortwave and TimelySelf are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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

Shortwave ships an update every 3 weeks, TimelySelf every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shortwave | TimelySelf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (710 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shortwave-ai-email/id1559784681/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **710** | — |
| Positive reviews | 65.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 26 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shortwave Communications, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1502603969) | [Neutron LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6800217261) |

## 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


### TimelySelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/timelyself/id6803255485)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shortwave free?

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

### Is TimelySelf free?

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

### Do Shortwave or TimelySelf have ads?

Neither Shortwave nor TimelySelf shows ads.

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

Shortwave ships an update every 3 weeks, and TimelySelf every 5 weeks. Most recently, Shortwave was updated on October 19, 2026 and TimelySelf on October 15, 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.*