# Shadow Notes vs MachineTranslation

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MachineTranslation at none against Shadow Notes's 2. MachineTranslation also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shadow Notes sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. MachineTranslation asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shadow Notes | MachineTranslation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Size | 44 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Karamanets Oleksandr](https://appshunter.io/developer/1713515588) | [Bytequests Software Private Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1766244104) |

## What reviewers say

### Shadow Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-notes/id6740258994)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Annually | $9.99 | per year |


### MachineTranslation

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/machinetranslation/id6747610060)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shadow Notes free?

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

### Is MachineTranslation free?

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

### Do Shadow Notes or MachineTranslation have ads?

Neither Shadow Notes nor MachineTranslation shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shadow Notes or MachineTranslation?

Shadow Notes ships an update every 2 months, and MachineTranslation every 2 months. Most recently, Shadow Notes was updated on September 17, 2026 and MachineTranslation on September 22, 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.*