Shortwave

An AI-first email client for Gmail with an agent that searches, sorts and drafts for you.

Verified facts: 3 of 3
Alternatives ranked: 5
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Shortwave

Shortwave is an email client for Gmail and Google Workspace accounts, built by a team that includes former Google Inbox engineers. Its focus is AI: an assistant that can search your history in plain language, summarise threads, draft replies in your style, organise mail with filters and schedule meetings. The inbox borrows ideas from Inbox by Gmail, such as bundles for grouping similar messages, and adds todo-style triage where you mark threads done. It also has team features like shared threads and comments. Pricing is per seat, with Business and Premier tiers that differ mainly in AI usage and search history, after a free trial. It runs on the web and has desktop and mobile apps. Like Superhuman and Mimestream, it does not work with non-Google accounts, and much of its value depends on how much you trust AI with your mail.

Best for: Gmail users who want an AI assistant deeply built into their inbox.

What works

AI search and drafting across your whole mail history
Bundles and done-based triage inspired by Inbox by Gmail
Shared threads and comments for teams

Why people leave

Gmail and Google Workspace only
Per-seat pricing is high for individuals
Relies heavily on AI processing of your mail

Top Shortwave alternatives

See all 5

1
Superhuman Mail
Similar premium AI inbox that also supports Outlook accounts.
66.5
2
Mimestream
A cheaper, native Mac client for Gmail without the heavy AI focus.
62.6
3
Spark
AI features and team inboxes with a free plan and any IMAP account.
59.6
4
Gmail
Gmail itself now includes Gemini summaries and drafting at no extra client cost.
57.2
5
HEY
A different way to tame the inbox, using a screener rather than AI.
55.3

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Shortwave: common questions

Is Shortwave free?

No, Shortwave is a paid product. Business plan: $30 per seat/month (checked on Shortwave's own site).

Is Shortwave open source?

No, Shortwave is not open source.

What platforms does Shortwave run on?

Shortwave is available for Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.

What are the best alternatives to Shortwave?

The highest-ranked Shortwave alternatives right now are Superhuman Mail, Mimestream and Spark. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 Shortwave alternatives

Shortwave facts

3 of 3 verified

Free trial: 14 days; Checked Oct 25, 2026shortwave.com(opens source in a new tab); “Start your 14 day free trial”
Business plan: $30 per seat/month; Checked Oct 25, 2026shortwave.com(opens source in a new tab); “Everyday AI productivity $30 per seat / month”
Premier plan: $45 per seat/month; Checked Oct 25, 2026shortwave.com(opens source in a new tab); “Premier Advanced intelligence for complex workflows $45 per seat / month Start free trial Everything in Business, plus...”