Comparison

Gmail vs Shortcuts

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Gmail

This application provides a secure and efficient email experience with advanced features like spam blocking, smart replies, and multi-account support. It integrates with other Google services for enhanced productivity and collaboration.

Highlights
  • Robust security & spam blocking
  • Real-time notifications
  • Multiple account support
  • Smart Reply & Compose
  • Undo send
  • Google Chat & Meet integration
  • Threaded conversations
Features
Read full description

The official Gmail app brings the best of Gmail to your iPhone and iPad with helpful AI features, robust security, real-time notifications, multiple account support, and intelligent search that works across all your mail. With the Gmail app, you can: • Make Gmail your default email app on iOS • Stay up to date on your latest packages, upcoming events, bills, and travel details with helpful summary cards • Declutter your inbox with built-in email subscription management • Use Gemini* in Gmail to summarize lengthy emails, craft or refine responses, or search your inbox to find what you’re looking for • Connect and switch between multiple email accounts from different providers • Automatically block more than 99.9% of spam, phishing, malware from ever reaching your inbox • Quickly add events to Google Calendar based on your emails with Gemini in Gmail • Find top deals faster with a personalized Promotions tab • Respond to emails faster with AI-powered Suggested Replies that understand the context of your emails and match your unique tone and style • Undo send for up to 30 seconds, to prevent embarrassing mistakes • Access Google Meet and Google Chat without leaving Gmail • Organize your mail by labeling, starring, deleting, and reporting spam • Swipe to archive/delete, to quickly clear out your inbox Gmail is part of Google Workspace, allowing you and your team to easily connect, create, and collaborate. You can: • Connect with coworkers via Google Meet or Google Chat, send an invite in Google Calendar, add an action to your task list, and more without leaving Gmail • Use Gemini in Gmail features like Help me write, Suggested Replies, AI Overviews, and Proofread to help you stay on top of work and take care of simple tasks, so you can be more efficient with your time • Stay safe. Our machine learning models block more than 99.9% of spam, phishing, and malware from reaching our users *Some Gemini features may require a Google One AI subscription. Internet connection required. Language and country availability may vary. Check responses for accuracy.

About

Shortcuts

Automate everyday tasks on your iPhone and iPad by creating custom workflows. Combine actions from your favorite apps to perform complex operations with a single tap, Siri command, or even automatically. Explore hundreds of built-in actions to streamline your digital life.

Highlights
  • Create custom automations
  • Hundreds of built-in actions
  • Integrates with favorite apps
  • Home Screen icons for quick access
  • Siri integration
  • Automatic task execution
  • Make animated GIFs
  • Create PDFs from Safari
Features
Read full description

Now, with Describe a Shortcut, you can automate daily tasks with a simple description. Just describe what you need, and Shortcuts creates an automation that connects actions across apps. Choose from hundreds of built-in actions in your favorite apps — like Calendar, Camera, Reminders, and more — to help you accomplish everyday tasks with a simple tap from the Home Screen, by asking Siri, or even automatically. Use the Shortcuts app to: • Add a Home Screen icon that calls a loved one • Make animated GIFs • Make PDFs from Safari And so much more... Shortcuts opens up incredible possibilities to automate things you do regularly on your iPhone and iPad.

Screenshots

Gmail4 screens
Shortcuts3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shortcuts at none against Gmail's 14. Shortcuts also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (49% vs 29%). Gmail's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (2.4M vs 47K). On price and rating there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Gmail sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Shortcuts asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Gmail against 4.6 for Shortcuts. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Gmail has 2.4M ratings behind it against 47K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 29% of Gmail's written reviews are positive against 49% of Shortcuts's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Gmail ships an update weekly, Shortcuts every 9 months. Both last shipped on October 16, 2026.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Gmail versus Shortcuts: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGmailShortcuts
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (2.4M ratings) — better4.6 (47K ratings)
Positive reviews28.9% of reviews49.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.4M — better47K
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 9 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#3 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS18.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size725 MB9 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperGoogleApple Inc.

Customer experience

Gmail

All ratings2,444,478 ratings
Positive93.1%
Neutral2.6%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews4,298 reviews
Positive28.9%
Neutral10.1%
Negative61.1%

Shortcuts

All ratings47,401 ratings
Positive88.7%
Neutral3.5%
Negative7.8%
Written reviews2,819 reviews
Positive49.2%
Neutral12.5%
Negative38.4%

User reviews

Gmail

From 2.4M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Efficient email management
  • 👍 Easy to use interface
  • 🔒 Secure and reliable
  • 😊 Positive user experience overall

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 💡 Lacking advanced features
  • 🔒 Security concerns
  • 🔋 Drains battery quickly

Shortcuts

From 47K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Powerful automation capabilities
  • 👍 Customizable app icons and widgets
  • 🎨 Aesthetic customization options
  • 💡 Useful for home automation and productivity

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy, crashes, and exhibits unexpected behavior
  • 🔍 Inaccessible and difficult to use
  • 🔕 Annoying notification banners
  • 🔌 Drains battery when running complex shortcuts

Bugs and requests

Gmail

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Notifications not working properly
  • Emails disappearing from inbox
  • Inability to remove accounts
  • Conversation view issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • Swipe to delete/snooze emails
  • Ability to mark all emails as read
  • Customizable notification settings
  • Improved file attachment functionality

Shortcuts

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Shortcuts randomly stop working, requiring device restart
  • Inconsistent behavior when adding/removing actions in shortcuts
  • Shortcuts not syncing properly between devices
  • Automations not running automatically as expected

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add 'and' statement for automations
  • Allow toggling of silent mode on iPad and Apple Watch
  • Provide option to disable notification banners
  • Improve syncing and reliability between devices

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Gmail

Subscriptions7
  • 100 GB2 variants$1.991 Month
  • 100 GB1 Month trial3 variants$1.991 Month
  • 200 GB2 variants$2.991 Month
Show 4 more
  • 200 GB1 Month trial$2.991 Month
  • 2 TB1 Month trial$9.991 Month
  • Google AI Plus (2 TB)2 variants$9.991 Month
  • 100 GB1 Month trial$19.991 Year
None

Shortcuts

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Gmail free?
Gmail is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shortcuts free?
Shortcuts is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Gmail or Shortcuts?
Gmail is rated higher. Gmail averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.4M ratings, while Shortcuts averages 4.6 from 47K ratings.
Do Gmail or Shortcuts have ads?
Gmail shows ads; Shortcuts does not.
Which is updated more often, Gmail or Shortcuts?
Gmail ships an update weekly, and Shortcuts every 9 months. Most recently, Gmail was updated on October 16, 2026 and Shortcuts on October 16, 2026.

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