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Shortwave

Gmail-native AI email client with search, summaries, and AI drafting.

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8.0/10

At a glance

Vendor
Shortwave
Pricing
Free tier (limited history); Personal ~$7/mo; Pro/Business ~$24/mo — check official site
Free tier
Yes
Best for
Gmail-native AI email client with search, summaries, and AI drafting.

Our verdict

Shortwave is the AI inbox Gmail never became — built by ex-Googlers who clearly missed Inbox. Its superpower is search: natural-language queries over your entire Gmail history that actually work, plus automatic thread summaries and AI drafting that learns your voice. The keyboard-first triage workflow is genuinely fast once learned, and bundled threads keep high-volume inboxes readable. Pricing is fair: a limited free tier, Personal around $7 a month, Pro and Business around $24. The hard limits are Gmail-only (no Outlook or iCloud) and a learning curve that rewards investment. Choose Shortwave if you are Gmail-native, live in search, and want the smartest AI triage available — it is the thinking person's alternative to Superhuman's speed cult. If your mail lives outside Gmail, look elsewhere. Scores on this page are research-based, compiled from official documentation and public user feedback.

Pricing: Free tier (limited history); Personal ~$7/mo; Pro/Business ~$24/mo — check official site · Vendor: Shortwave

Scores

★★★★☆8.0/10
Ease Of Use7/10
Output Quality9/10
Speed9/10
Value7/10

Pros & cons

Pros

  • Best-in-class natural-language search over Gmail history
  • Automatic AI thread summaries and smart drafting
  • Keyboard-first triage workflow for high-volume inboxes
  • Thread bundling keeps busy inboxes readable
  • Fair pricing from ~$7/mo personal

Cons

  • Gmail only — no Outlook, iCloud, or IMAP
  • Steep learning curve for casual users
  • Full history search requires a paid plan
  • Smaller ecosystem than mainstream clients
📡 On our radar: we re-check this tool's pricing and feature set against official sources on a rolling basis. Last site-wide refresh: 2026-10-02. Prices change fast — confirm on the official site before buying.

FAQ

Is Shortwave worth it?

Shortwave is the AI inbox Gmail never became — built by ex-Googlers who clearly missed Inbox. Its superpower is search: natural-language queries over your entire Gmail history that actually work, plus automatic thread summaries and AI drafting that learns your voice. The keyboard-first triage workflow is genuinely fast once learned, and bundled threads keep high-volume inboxes readable. Pricing is fair: a limited free tier, Personal around $7 a month, Pro and Business around $24. The hard limits are Gmail-only (no Outlook or iCloud) and a learning curve that rewards investment. Choose Shortwave if you are Gmail-native, live in search, and want the smartest AI triage available — it is the thinking person's alternative to Superhuman's speed cult. If your mail lives outside Gmail, look elsewhere. Scores on this page are research-based, compiled from official documentation and public user feedback.

How much does Shortwave cost?

Free tier (limited history); Personal ~$7/mo; Pro/Business ~$24/mo — check official site. Prices change — check the official site for the latest.

What is Shortwave best for?

Gmail-native AI email client with search, summaries, and AI drafting.

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