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Descript vs Shortwave

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

Descript logo

Descript

Edit video and podcasts by editing their transcript, with AI audio cleanup and clips

4.0(1 review)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

Descript is listed under Video AI and Shortwave under AI Assistants. Descript scores higher in FinderAtlas's editorial review (8.5 vs 8.1 out of 10), led by ease of use. Both have a free plan or trial. Only Descript is available on Web and offers an API. Only Shortwave is available on iOS and Android.

Best overall

Descript

  • Podcasters
  • YouTube creators
  • Marketing teams
  • Course creators

Choose Descript if

  • You want a tool built for podcast editing.
  • Editing by transcript makes cutting speech content faster than a timeline alone.
  • Studio Sound, filler word removal and retake removal are built in.

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
Descript
Best for business
Descript

Features

20 features compared.

  • Text-based editing
    Descript
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • Underlord
    Descript
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • Studio Sound
    Descript
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • Filler word and retake removal
    Descript
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • AI speech and voice clones
    Descript
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • Create clips
    Descript
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • Recording
    Descript
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • Translation and dubbing
    Descript
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • Generation tools
    Descript
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • API and MCP
    Descript
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • AI Assistant
    Descript
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • AI Search
    Descript
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • Write in Your Voice
    Descript
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • AI Filters
    Descript
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • Bundles and Split Inboxes
    Descript
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • AI Scheduling
    Descript
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • Team Collaboration
    Descript
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • Tracking and Reminders
    Descript
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • App Connections and MCP
    Descript
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • Privacy Controls
    Descript
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available

Pricing

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

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

Descript plans

  • Free

    $0

    1 media hour per month and 100 one-time AI credits

    • Text-based editing
    • Limited AI tools
    • 720p export with watermark
    • 5GB storage

  • Hobbyist

    $24/user/mo

    10 media hours and 400 AI credits per month, 1 person

    • Underlord access
    • Studio Sound
    • Remove filler words
    • Create clips
    • AI speech with voice clones
    • 1080p export without watermark
    • 100GB storage

  • Creator

    Most popular

    $35/user/mo

    30 media hours and 800 AI credits per month, up to 3 seats

    • Full Underlord
    • 20+ AI tools
    • AI video generation
    • Unlimited stock library
    • Top-ups
    • 4K export
    • 1TB storage

  • Business

    $65/user/mo

    40 media hours and 1,500 AI credits per month, up to 5 seats

    • Brand Studio
    • Translation and dubbing in 30+ languages
    • Custom avatars
    • Top-ups
    • Priority support with SLA
    • 4K export
    • 2TB storage

  • Enterprise

    Custom/custom

    Contact sales; media minutes and AI credits sized to the team

    • SSO and SCIM
    • SOC 2 Type II
    • Audit logs
    • Custom data retention
    • Custom legal terms
    • Dedicated customer success manager

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 October 2026.

Descript
8.5overall
Shortwave
8.1overall

Descript leads in 1 category and Shortwave in 0, with 1 tied.

  • Text-Based Media Editing

    Descript
    9.4
    Shortwave
    Not rated

  • Studio Sound Enhancement

    Descript
    8.6
    Shortwave
    Not rated

  • Ease of Use

    Descript leads by 0.3
    Descript
    8.8
    Shortwave
    8.5

  • Feature Breadth

    Descript
    8.4
    Shortwave
    Not rated

  • Value for Money

    Tied
    Descript
    7.3
    Shortwave
    7.3

  • Feature Depth

    Descript
    Not rated
    Shortwave
    8.4

  • Performance & Speed

    Descript
    Not rated
    Shortwave
    8.3

  • Documentation & Support

    Descript
    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

Descript

Pros

  • Editing by transcript makes cutting speech content faster than a timeline alone
  • Studio Sound, filler word removal and retake removal are built in
  • Includes recording, transcription, captions and clip creation in one app
  • Free plan available with no credit card required
  • API and MCP server allow automated editing
  • SOC 2 Type II and SSO or SCIM on Enterprise

Cons

  • Free plan exports 720p with a watermark and allows only 1 media hour per month
  • Paid prices are $24 to $65 per month on monthly billing, with annual billing needed for the lowest rates
  • Media hours and AI credits are capped, with top-ups only on Creator and above
  • Desktop app needs macOS 14 or Windows 11 and there is no listed mobile app

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
    Descript
    Supported
    Shortwave
    Not supported
  • Windows
    Descript
    Supported
    Shortwave
    Supported
  • macOS
    Descript
    Supported
    Shortwave
    Supported
  • iOS
    Descript
    Not supported
    Shortwave
    Supported
  • Android
    Descript
    Not supported
    Shortwave
    Supported
  • API
    Descript
    Supported
    Shortwave
    Not supported
  • Browser Extension
    Descript
    Not supported
    Shortwave
    Not supported

Integrations

Descript

No integrations listed.

Shortwave

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

Company

  • Company
    Descript
    Descript
    Shortwave
    Shortwave Communications, Inc.
  • Founded
    Descript
    2017
    Shortwave
    2020
  • Headquarters
    Descript
    San Francisco, CA
    Shortwave
    San Francisco, CA
  • Listing
    Descript
    Claimed
    Shortwave
    Claimed

Frequently asked questions

Is Descript better than Shortwave?

It depends on your workflow. Descript is built for podcast editing. 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 Descript and Shortwave?

Descript: Edit video and podcasts by editing their transcript, with AI audio cleanup and clips. Shortwave: AI email client for Gmail that searches, organizes, drafts and schedules from plain-language prompts. Descript is rated 4.0/5 from 1 user review.

Does Descript or Shortwave have a free plan?

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

Which is cheaper, Descript or Shortwave?

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