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Claude vs Shortwave

Features, pricing, ratings, and pros and cons, side by side.

Claude logo

Claude

Anthropic's AI assistant for writing, analysis, coding and working with files

4.5(2 reviews)Freemium
Visit websiteView details
Shortwave logo

Shortwave

AI email client for Gmail that searches, organizes, drafts and schedules from plain-language prompts

Freemium
Visit websiteView details

Verdict

Claude and Shortwave are both AI Assistants tools. Claude scores higher in FinderAtlas's editorial review (9.1 vs 8.1 out of 10). Both have a free plan or trial. Only Claude is available on Web, Linux and Chrome Extension and offers an API.

Best overall

Claude

  • Software developers
  • Writers and editors
  • Researchers and analysts
  • Knowledge workers

Choose Claude if

  • You want a tool built for coding and code review.
  • Free plan includes web search, file creation, code execution and memory.
  • Artifacts show generated code and pages beside the chat.

Choose Shortwave if

  • You want a tool built for heavy Gmail users who want AI search, drafting and inbox triage inside the email client itself.
  • AI search covers up to five years of email on Business and unlimited history on Premier and Max.
  • Native apps on iOS, Android, Mac and Windows, with a 4.7 average rating on the App Store.
Best for beginners
Claude
Best for business
Claude

Features

19 features compared.

  • Artifacts
    Claude
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • Projects
    Claude
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • Claude Code
    Claude
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • File creation and code execution
    Claude
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • Web search and Research
    Claude
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • Memory
    Claude
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • Connectors
    Claude
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • Vision and document reading
    Claude
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • Claude in Chrome
    Claude
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • AI Assistant
    Claude
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • AI Search
    Claude
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • Write in Your Voice
    Claude
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • AI Filters
    Claude
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • Bundles and Split Inboxes
    Claude
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • AI Scheduling
    Claude
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • Team Collaboration
    Claude
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • Tracking and Reminders
    Claude
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • App Connections and MCP
    Claude
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • Privacy Controls
    Claude
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available

Pricing

Plans as listed by each vendor. Check their sites for current prices.

  • Pricing model
    Claude
    Freemium
    Shortwave
    Freemium
  • Free plan
    Claude
    Yes
    Shortwave
    Yes
  • Starting price
    Claude
    $0
    Shortwave
    $0
  • Plans
    Claude
    6 plans
    Shortwave
    5 plans

Claude plans

  • Free

    $0

    Free for everyone, with the lowest usage limits

    • Chat on web
    • desktop and mobile
    • Web search
    • File creation and code execution
    • Memory across conversations
    • Artifacts
    • Connectors with remote MCP

  • Pro

    Most popular

    $20/month

    For everyday use; $17 per month when billed annually ($200 up front)

    • Everything in Free
    • Claude Code
    • Projects
    • More models
    • Claude in Chrome
    • Microsoft 365 integration
    • Opus access
    • Fable available with paid usage credits

  • Max

    $100/month

    5x Pro usage every five hours and every week

    • Everything in Pro
    • 5x Pro usage
    • Fable included up to half the weekly limit
    • $100 per month in Claude Platform API credits
    • Early access to advanced features
    • Priority access at high traffic times

  • Ultra

    $200/month

    For the longest tasks; no five-hour limit for verified accounts

    • Everything in Max
    • No 5-hour limit for verified accounts
    • 10x Pro usage every week
    • $200 per month in Claude Platform API credits (up from $100 on Max)
    • Priority access at high traffic times

  • Team

    $25/user/mo

    Standard seat for teams of 2 to 150; $20 per seat when billed annually. Premium seat is $125 monthly or $100 annually

    • Claude Code and Cowork
    • Central billing and administration
    • SSO
    • Admin controls for connectors
    • More usage than Pro on Standard seats
    • Premium seats with 5x Standard usage
    • Up to $500 per month in pooled API credits

  • Enterprise

    $20/user/mo

    Seat price billed annually, 20-seat minimum, plus usage at API rates

    • Everything in Team
    • Admin-set user and org spend limits
    • Role-based access
    • SCIM
    • Audit logs
    • Compliance API
    • Custom data retention controls
    • Network-level access control
    • IP allowlisting
    • HIPAA-ready offering available
    • Claude Security (beta)

Shortwave plans

  • Free

    $0

    Individual tier with basic AI and limited daily AI quota

    • Basic intelligence
    • limited daily AI quota
    • 90 days of search history
    • Sent with Shortwave signature

  • Pro

    $18/user/mo

    Individual plan for personal users

    • AI assistant
    • paid AI features for individuals

  • Business

    Most popular

    $30/user/mo

    Everyday AI productivity for teams

    • Standard intelligence
    • 5 years AI search history
    • max 50 threads per AI search
    • 3 AI filters
    • AI integrations and web browsing

  • Premier

    $45/user/mo

    Everything in Business with more AI capacity

    • Advanced intelligence
    • 2x AI usage
    • 100 threads per AI search
    • 10 AI filters
    • unlimited AI search history

  • Max

    $120/user/mo

    Highest AI capacity per seat

    • Expert intelligence
    • 6x AI usage
    • 150 threads per AI search
    • 50 AI filters
    • unlimited AI search history

Our ratings

Scored out of 10 by the Finder Atlas editorial team. Last reviewed November 2026.

Claude
9.1overall
Shortwave
8.1overall

  • Coding & Syntax

    Claude
    9.3
    Shortwave
    Not rated

  • Reasoning & Logic

    Claude
    9.2
    Shortwave
    Not rated

  • Long Context

    Claude
    9.0
    Shortwave
    Not rated

  • Prose & Writing Quality

    Claude
    9.2
    Shortwave
    Not rated

  • Safety & Alignment

    Claude
    8.8
    Shortwave
    Not rated

  • Ease of Use

    Claude
    Not rated
    Shortwave
    8.5

  • Feature Depth

    Claude
    Not rated
    Shortwave
    8.4

  • Value for Money

    Claude
    Not rated
    Shortwave
    7.3

  • Performance & Speed

    Claude
    Not rated
    Shortwave
    8.3

  • Documentation & Support

    Claude
    Not rated
    Shortwave
    7.8

Scores weigh documented features, plan value, platform coverage, integrations and user feedback. A missing score means we have not rated that area yet.

Pros and cons

Claude

Pros

  • Free plan includes web search, file creation, code execution and memory
  • Artifacts show generated code and pages beside the chat
  • Claude Code is included with Pro, Max, Ultra and Team
  • Connectors use MCP to reach Slack, Google Workspace and other tools
  • Available on web, desktop, iOS and as a Chrome extension, plus an API and major cloud platforms

Cons

  • Usage limits on every plan, with weekly caps (and five-hour caps below Ultra) and no published message counts
  • Does not generate images
  • The higher individual tiers are costly: Max is $100 per month and Ultra is $200 per month
  • Linux desktop app is still in beta

Shortwave

Pros

  • AI search covers up to five years of email on Business and unlimited history on Premier and Max.
  • Native apps on iOS, Android, Mac and Windows, with a 4.7 average rating on the App Store.
  • Team features such as shared threads, comments and assignments sit inside the inbox.
  • AI connects to outside tools including Notion, HubSpot, GitHub and MCP servers.
  • Per-plan model tiers let users pay for stronger models only when needed.

Cons

  • Paid plans are priced per seat from $30 (Business) to $120 (Max), higher than many email clients.
  • Built around Gmail; support for other providers is limited or unclear.
  • AI usage is capped by plan, with Business allowing roughly 150-300 Standard requests per day.
  • The free tier is not clearly documented on the official pricing page.

Platforms

  • Web
    Claude
    Supported
    Shortwave
    Not supported
  • Windows
    Claude
    Supported
    Shortwave
    Supported
  • macOS
    Claude
    Supported
    Shortwave
    Supported
  • iOS
    Claude
    Supported
    Shortwave
    Supported
  • Android
    Claude
    Supported
    Shortwave
    Supported
  • API
    Claude
    Supported
    Shortwave
    Not supported
  • Browser Extension
    Claude
    Not supported
    Shortwave
    Not supported
  • Linux
    Claude
    Supported
    Shortwave
    Not supported
  • Chrome Extension
    Claude
    Supported
    Shortwave
    Not supported

Integrations

Claude

7 integrations
  • Slack
  • Google Workspace
  • Microsoft 365
  • MCP connectors
  • Amazon Bedrock
  • Google Cloud
  • Microsoft Foundry

Shortwave

10 integrations
  • Gmail
  • Google Calendar
  • Slack
  • Notion
  • HubSpot
  • Asana
  • GitHub
  • Linear
  • Zapier
  • Tasklet

Company

  • Company
    Claude
    Anthropic
    Shortwave
    Shortwave Communications, Inc.
  • Founded
    Claude
    2021
    Shortwave
    2020
  • Headquarters
    Claude
    San Francisco, CA
    Shortwave
    San Francisco, CA
  • Listing
    Claude
    Claimed
    Shortwave
    Claimed

Frequently asked questions

Is Claude better than Shortwave?

It depends on your workflow. Claude is built for coding and code review. Shortwave is built for heavy Gmail users who want AI search, drafting and inbox triage inside the email client itself.

What are the key feature differences between Claude and Shortwave?

Claude: Anthropic's AI assistant for writing, analysis, coding and working with files. Shortwave: AI email client for Gmail that searches, organizes, drafts and schedules from plain-language prompts. Claude is rated 4.5/5 from 2 user reviews.

Does Claude or Shortwave have a free plan?

Yes, both do. Claude is freemium and Shortwave is freemium, and each has a free plan or trial.

Which is cheaper, Claude or Shortwave?

Both can be used for free. Paid plans differ in limits and features, so compare the tiers in the pricing table above.