# Grammarly vs Shortwave

> Grammarly: AI writing assistant that corrects, rewrites and tone-checks your text across every app
> Shortwave: AI email client for Gmail that searches, organizes, drafts and schedules from plain-language prompts

- Grammarly profile: https://finderatlas.com/tools/grammarly
- Shortwave profile: https://finderatlas.com/tools/shortwave
- Comparison page: https://finderatlas.com/compare/grammarly-vs-shortwave
- Last reviewed: October 2026

## Verdict

Grammarly and Shortwave are both AI Assistants tools. Both have a free plan or trial. Only Grammarly is available on Web, Chrome Extension and Firefox Extension and offers an API.

### Choose Grammarly if

- You want a tool built for polishing emails and documents in real time across many apps, keeping tone and style consistent across a team.
- Works across desktop, browser, Office, Google Docs and mobile keyboards, so suggestions follow you between apps.
- Free plan covers core grammar, spelling and tone visibility with 100 AI prompts per month.

### 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.

## Pricing

| | Grammarly | Shortwave |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Free plan or trial | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | $0 | $0 |

## Features

| Feature | Grammarly | Shortwave |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Citation Tools | Yes | Not listed |
| Style Guides and Brand Tones | Yes | Not listed |
| Cross-App Availability | Yes | Not listed |
| Enterprise Security Controls | Yes | Not listed |
| Grammar and Mistake Correction | Yes | Not listed |
| Tone Detection and Adjustment | Yes | Not listed |
| Full-Sentence and Paragraph Rewrites | Yes | Not listed |
| AI Detector and Humanizer | Yes | Not listed |
| Plagiarism Checker | Yes | Not listed |
| AI Assistant | Not listed | Yes |
| AI Search | Not listed | Yes |
| Write in Your Voice | Not listed | Yes |
| AI Filters | Not listed | Yes |
| Bundles and Split Inboxes | Not listed | Yes |
| AI Scheduling | Not listed | Yes |
| Team Collaboration | Not listed | Yes |
| Tracking and Reminders | Not listed | Yes |
| App Connections and MCP | Not listed | Yes |
| Privacy Controls | Not listed | Yes |

## Platforms

| Platform | Grammarly | Shortwave |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Web | Yes | No |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | No |
| Browser Extension | No | No |
| Chrome Extension | Yes | No |
| Firefox Extension | Yes | No |

## Grammarly strengths

- Works across desktop, browser, Office, Google Docs and mobile keyboards, so suggestions follow you between apps.
- Free plan covers core grammar, spelling and tone visibility with 100 AI prompts per month.
- Pro adds tone adjustment, full-sentence rewrites, plagiarism and AI-text detection in a single subscription.
- Team features include style guides, brand tones, analytics and user groups; Enterprise adds SSO, SCIM and audit logs.
- Public REST APIs exist for analytics, licence management, writing score and detection.

## Grammarly limitations

- Monthly billing for Pro is $30, versus $12 per month on annual billing, so month-to-month use costs 2.5 times as much.
- Third-party tests of the AI Detector report notable false-positive rates (figures range from 14.2% to 34% across sources), so it is unreliable as proof.
- An App Store reviewer criticizes the iOS keyboard setup for pushing users to grant broad access.
- Experienced writers on forums report turning off many suggestions; advanced features are gated behind Pro.

## Shortwave strengths

- 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.

## Shortwave limitations

- 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.

## FAQ

**Is Grammarly better than Shortwave?**

It depends on your workflow. Grammarly is built for polishing emails and documents in real time across many apps, keeping tone and style consistent across a team. 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 Grammarly and Shortwave?**

Grammarly: AI writing assistant that corrects, rewrites and tone-checks your text across every app. Shortwave: AI email client for Gmail that searches, organizes, drafts and schedules from plain-language prompts.

**Does Grammarly or Shortwave have a free plan?**

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

**Which is cheaper, Grammarly or Shortwave?**

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