Comparison

Shinkansen Web Translator vs When'd I

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

Head to head
About

Shinkansen Web Translator

This Safari extension offers instant web page and YouTube subtitle translation, preserving original formatting. It supports multiple translation engines and allows for custom glossaries and offline Chinese conversion.

Highlights
  • Instant web page translation
  • YouTube subtitle translation
  • Preserves original formatting
  • Multiple translation engines
  • Custom glossary support
  • Offline Chinese conversion
  • Cross-tab continuity
Features
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Shinkansen is a fast, smooth, privacy-first Safari translation extension for web pages and YouTube subtitles, built for iPhone and iPad. Three things make it different: • Watch the page start turning into your target language within one second of pressing translate (Instant Translation, Gemini engine) • Text is replaced in place — fonts, sizes, colors, and layout are preserved; links, bold, and italics survive untouched • You bring your own API key; every setting lives on your own device; your reading never touches a third-party server [Built for iPhone & iPad] • Three- or four-finger tap any web page to toggle translation (tap again to restore) — no keyboard needed • Hardware keyboard shortcuts when an external keyboard is attached • Hover translation with a trackpad or mouse: hold a modifier key and rest the cursor on a paragraph to translate just that one • First-launch onboarding walks you through your Gemini API key and a default translation method [Languages] Translate into 8 target languages. The extension UI is available in the same 8 languages — pick independently or follow your system language. [Features] • Three engines: Gemini (best quality, API key), Google Translate (free, no key), any OpenAI-compatible model • Single-language overlay / bilingual side-by-side modes — one-click toggle, with 4 visual treatments for the bilingual layout • Free Chinese variant conversion: built-in dictionaries, no API key, works offline; auto-convert on by default • YouTube subtitle translation: real-time replacement styled like native captions; bilingual option; live stream links supported • YouTube AI smart segmentation: auto-generated captions are re-segmented by AI for natural full sentences • Adjustable YouTube subtitle size, readable even in full screen • Custom translation shortcuts: bind a key to each of the three presets, recorded on the settings page • Auto-translate specific sites: add domains and they translate on load • Cross-tab continuity: opening a link from a translated page auto-translates the new tab with the same preset • Translation cache + live cost report: cached content is free next time; a notification shows token count and cost • Custom glossary with CSV import (two columns: source,translation) with room for hundreds of entries, blocked-word list, and on-page translation editing • Respects the page's do-not-translate markup: marked names and codes stay untouched and are never sent to the API; icon-font glyphs are never turned into text • Send to Instapaper: save the whole translated article to Instapaper in one click [Bring your own API key] Shinkansen doesn't sell translation as a service — you bring your own Google Gemini API key. Gemini's free tier makes everyday use typically free. Prefer no key? Google Translate works with no setup, and Chinese variant conversion runs offline. Setup steps are in the GitHub repo and the in-app onboarding. [Privacy] Shinkansen has no server, no telemetry, no analytics. Every setting lives only on your device: • Your API key is stored locally in Safari — never synced, never uploaded • Translation content goes directly from your browser to the endpoint of the engine you chose • Shinkansen never relays, caches, or logs translation content • The local cache lives on your device only; clearing browser data wipes it [First-install note] After installing, enable the extension in Safari and grant website access: Settings → Apps → Safari → Extensions → Shinkansen → turn on, set website access to Allow (The exact path varies slightly by iOS version.) [System requirements] • iOS 15 or later / iPadOS 15 or later • Universal — iPhone and iPad [Open source] Open source under Elastic License 2.0 on GitHub — view, learn from, modify, and use it yourself; you may not repackage it (or a modified version) as a hosted or managed service for third parties.

About

When'd I

This app helps you track when you last performed specific tasks or activities. It provides a visual timeline, allows for photo and note attachments, and offers home screen widgets for quick logging and viewing overdue items. An optional daily nudge can remind you to log activities.

Highlights
  • Log last activity date
  • Visual timeline with time gaps
  • Attach photos and notes
  • Home screen widgets
  • Lock screen logging
  • Optional evening nudge
  • On-device data storage
Features
Currently charting
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Stop managing to-dos. Just remember when you last did it. "When did I last wash the sheets?" "When did I change the water filter?" "When did I last call my parents?" Some things you can never remember. When'd I records just the date you did them. No goals, no nagging notifications, no checklists. Tap once and it's logged as today. ■ See how long it's been Every item shows the days since you last did it. The longer it's been, the more it stands out. ■ A timeline where distance means time The space between dots is the actual gap between dates. Busy stretches look dense. The months you skipped show up as empty space. ■ Photos and notes Attach one photo and a short note to any record. ■ Widgets and Lock Screen Check what's overdue from your Home Screen, and log without opening the app. You can even record straight from the Lock Screen. (iOS 16.4+) ■ An optional evening nudge Once a day, if you want it. Off by default. ■ Entirely on your device No account, no server, no ads. Your records stay on your phone. Export and import backup files yourself, and an automatic iCloud copy brings everything back if you switch phones or reinstall. ■ Buy once One purchase unlocks everything. No in-app purchases, no subscriptions, no ads.

Screenshots

Shinkansen Web Translator4 screens
When'd I4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Shinkansen Web Translator at Free against When'd I's $3.99. Shinkansen Web Translator also leads on rating (5.0 vs 1.0). When'd I's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks) and chart position (#97 vs unranked). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

Shinkansen Web Translator is free to download; When'd I costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Shinkansen Web Translator holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shinkansen Web Translator ships an update every 2 weeks, When'd I every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Shinkansen Web Translator versus When'd I: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShinkansen Web TranslatorWhen'd I
PriceFree — better$3.99
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better1.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews—90.0% of reviews
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#97 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB34 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZhimin SuHyunWoo Lee

Customer experience

Shinkansen Web Translator

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

When'd I

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive90.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.0%

In-app purchases

None

Shinkansen Web Translator

No in-app purchases

None

When'd I

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Shinkansen Web Translator free?
Shinkansen Web Translator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is When'd I free?
When'd I costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Shinkansen Web Translator or When'd I?
Shinkansen Web Translator is rated higher. Shinkansen Web Translator averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while When'd I averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Shinkansen Web Translator or When'd I have ads?
Neither Shinkansen Web Translator nor When'd I shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shinkansen Web Translator or When'd I?
Shinkansen Web Translator ships an update every 2 weeks, and When'd I every 4 days. Most recently, Shinkansen Web Translator was updated on October 13, 2026 and When'd I on November 3, 2026.

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