# Shortwave

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

- Category: [AI Assistants](https://finderatlas.com/categories/ai-assistants)
- Pricing: Freemium
- Website: https://www.shortwave.com
- Platforms: iOS, Android, macOS, Windows
- Mobile app: available
- Made by: Shortwave Communications, Inc., founded 2020, San Francisco, CA
- Last updated: 2026-10-19
- FinderAtlas page: https://finderatlas.com/tools/shortwave

## Overview

Shortwave is an email client for Gmail with a built-in AI assistant, made by Shortwave Communications, Inc. Users can ask the assistant in plain language to search years of email, summarize threads, draft replies in their own writing style, schedule meetings and organize the inbox. It runs on iOS, Android, Mac and Windows and supports multiple Gmail accounts.

## Key features

- AI Assistant
- AI Search
- Write in Your Voice
- AI Filters
- Bundles and Split Inboxes
- AI Scheduling
- Team Collaboration
- Tracking and Reminders
- App Connections and MCP
- Privacy Controls

## Pricing

- **Free** ($0): Individual tier with basic AI and limited daily AI quota
- **Pro** ($18/user/mo): Individual plan for personal users
- **Business** ($30/user/mo): Everyday AI productivity for teams
- **Premier** ($45/user/mo): Everything in Business with more AI capacity
- **Max** ($120/user/mo): Highest AI capacity per seat

## Best for

- Heavy Gmail users who want AI search, drafting and inbox triage inside the email client itself

## Who uses it

- Gmail users
- Founders
- Sales and Customer-Facing Teams
- Executives
- Small Teams

## 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.

## 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.

## Not recommended for

- Users who need a native Outlook or non-Gmail workflow, or who want a fully free AI email assistant

## Integrations

- Gmail
- Google Calendar
- Slack
- Notion
- HubSpot
- Asana
- GitHub
- Linear
- Zapier
- Tasklet

## FinderAtlas editorial scores (out of 10)

- Ease of Use: 8.5/10
- Feature Depth: 8.4/10
- Value for Money: 7.3/10
- Performance & Speed: 8.3/10
- Documentation & Support: 7.8/10

## Alternatives

- [Fireflies.ai](https://finderatlas.com/tools/fireflies): AI notetaker that records, transcribes and summarizes your meetings across every major call platform ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/fireflies-vs-shortwave))
- [Grammarly](https://finderatlas.com/tools/grammarly): AI writing assistant that corrects, rewrites and tone-checks your text across every app ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/grammarly-vs-shortwave))
- [Motion](https://finderatlas.com/tools/motion): AI work platform that plans your day, manages projects and automates tasks ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/motion-vs-shortwave))
- [Granola](https://finderatlas.com/tools/granola): AI notepad that turns your own meeting notes into polished summaries without a bot ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/granola-vs-shortwave))
- [Jamie](https://finderatlas.com/tools/jamie): Bot-free AI meeting notes, action items and CRM follow-ups with EU data hosting ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/jamie-vs-shortwave))
- [Fyxer AI](https://finderatlas.com/tools/fyxer-ai): AI assistant that organizes your inbox, drafts replies and takes meeting notes ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/fyxer-ai-vs-shortwave))
- [Notion AI](https://finderatlas.com/tools/notion-ai): AI agent and writing assistant built into the Notion workspace for docs and databases ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/notion-ai-vs-shortwave))
- [Circleback](https://finderatlas.com/tools/circleback): AI meeting notes, action items and automations that work with or without a bot ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/circleback-vs-shortwave))

## Recent updates

- 2026-02-27: Moved AI tiers to Claude Sonnet 4.6 and Opus 4.6
- 2026-01-06: Integrated with Tasklet for trigger-based email automation; AI web browsing on by default for paid plans
- 2025-09-09: Improved AI context and caching, added Android 15 support and fixed reported AI security issues
- 2025-06-03: AI connected to Notion, HubSpot, GitHub, Asana, Linear, Zapier and MCP tools; added AI Memories

## FAQ

**Does Shortwave work with Outlook?**

Shortwave is built for Gmail. Its pricing FAQ asks about Outlook support, but the answer was not readable on the fetched page, so check the official FAQ.

**Is there a free trial?**

Yes. The pricing page offers a 14-day free trial on the Business, Premier and Max plans.

**Is there a free plan?**

The pricing page says "Get started for free", and third-party trackers describe a free individual tier with basic AI, a limited daily AI quota and a "Sent with Shortwave" signature. Confirm current limits on the official page.

**Which AI models does it use?**

According to the February 2026 changelog, the Standard tier uses Claude Sonnet 4.6, Advanced uses Sonnet 4.6 with adaptive thinking, Expert uses Claude Opus 4.6 with adaptive thinking, and Basic uses Haiku 4.5.

**Can it automate email without prompting?**

Through the Tasklet integration, triggers can draft replies when emails arrive, add team comments, turn threads into to-dos and connect to 3,000+ apps.