Shortwave
AI-native Gmail client that searches, summarizes, and drafts like a personal email assistant
Last updated
- ⭐ Best for
- professionals
- 💰 Pricing
- From $14/mo
- ⏱ Hours saved/wk
- 3
- 🔥 Why trending
- 5/10 popularity
About Shortwave
Shortwave is an email client for Gmail built by ex-Google engineers, with an AI assistant that can search your entire email history conversationally, summarize threads, draft replies, and schedule from your inbox. It bundles inbox organization features like todo-style triage, bundles, and snoozing.
Key benefits
- ✓AI assistant with deep conversational email search
- ✓Thread summaries and AI reply drafting
- ✓Inbox bundles and todo-style triage
- ✓Snoozing, scheduling, and send-later
- ✓Calendar integration in-app
- ✓Team shared threads and comments
+Pros
- ✓AI search over email history is the best anywhere
- ✓Cheaper than Superhuman with comparable AI
- ✓Thoughtful inbox organization out of the box
- ✓Active development with frequent AI upgrades
−Cons
- −Gmail-only, no Outlook or IMAP support
- −Keyboard speed and polish trail Superhuman slightly
- −Mobile apps lag the desktop experience
Ready to try Shortwave?
Start free — paid plans from $14/mo.
Shortwave vs alternatives
Same category, ranked by ToolMango ROI Score.
| Tool | ROI Score | Pricing | |
|---|---|---|---|
Shortwavethis page AI-native Gmail client that searches, summarizes, and drafts like a personal email assistant | ★★★★★55.1 | $14/mo | View → |
All-in-one work platform with AI that writes, summarizes, and automates across tasks and docs | ★★★⯨★66.4 | $7/mo | View → |
AI calendar that defends your time. | ★★★★★64.0 | $10/mo | View → |
Free AI notetaker that summarizes your calls seconds after they end | ★★★★★61.3 | $15/mo | View → |
The fastest email client, with AI triage, drafting, and follow-ups for high-volume inboxes | ★★★★★60.5 | $30/mo | View → |
Our take on Shortwave
Shortwave, built by former Google engineers (including Firebase's founders), is what Gmail might look like if it were rebuilt today around an AI assistant. The headline capability is search: ask in plain language for "the contract Sarah sent before our Austin trip" and it finds it, reasoning across your entire mail history in a way Gmail's own search still cannot.
What we like
The AI assistant is the most capable in any email client we have used. Beyond search, it chains real actions, summarize this thread, draft a reply declining politely, check my calendar and propose times, and its drafts pick up your tone from context. The inbox model is smart without being alien: bundles group newsletters and receipts, triage feels like clearing a todo list, and snooze/send-later are where you expect. At $14/month, it delivers most of Superhuman's value plus stronger AI for half the price.
Where it falls short
Gmail-only is the hard wall, Outlook users are simply out. The interface, while good, has not matched Superhuman's obsessive latency tuning; heavy keyboard pilots will notice occasional friction. Mobile apps cover the basics but trail the desktop experience, and AI credits on cheaper plans can run out for heavy assistant users.
Verdict
For Gmail power users who want an assistant that genuinely knows their email, Shortwave is the most interesting client on the market and better value than Superhuman. If you need Outlook support or maximum triage speed above all, look elsewhere; otherwise this is the AI email app to try first.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Shortwave cost?
There is a free tier with limited AI usage and history. Paid plans start around $14/user/month for Pro with expanded AI credits, with higher tiers for power users and teams offering more AI and controls.
Shortwave vs Superhuman: which is better?
Superhuman is faster and more polished for triage; Shortwave has the stronger AI assistant, especially search over your email archive, at a lower price. Gmail users who want AI-first email usually pick Shortwave.
Does Shortwave work with Outlook?
No. Shortwave only supports Gmail and Google Workspace accounts, which is its biggest adoption blocker for mixed-provider teams.
What can Shortwave's AI actually do?
Ask it things like 'find the invoice from the design agency last spring' or 'summarize my thread with legal and draft a reply agreeing to the terms', it searches, reads, and writes within your mailbox.
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AI-native Gmail client that searches, summarizes, and drafts like a personal email assistant
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