What is Shortwave?
Shortwave is an AI email client for Gmail whose built-in assistant searches, summarises, organises and drafts email for you. It is built by a team of former Google engineers who worked on Google Inbox, and it runs on the web, desktop and mobile on top of an existing Google Workspace or Gmail account. All plans are paid after a 14-day free trial.
Shortwave's difference from Gmail's own AI features is depth: the assistant can search years of email history to answer questions, analyse attachments, learn your writing style and remember custom instructions. AI-powered filters sort incoming mail by rules written in plain English, and bundles group similar messages so the inbox stays short. Higher plans use more capable models, including Claude Opus on the Max plan, and allow more threads per AI search. Common uses are clearing a heavy inbox, finding old commitments or numbers buried in threads, drafting replies in your voice and sharing threads with teammates.
Main Features
- Ask the AI assistant questions that it answers by searching your email history.
- Summarise long threads instantly in the inbox.
- Draft replies and new emails in your own writing style with AI autocomplete.
- Sort incoming email with AI-powered filters written in plain English.
- Analyse attachments such as PDFs and spreadsheets inside the assistant.
- Save custom instructions in AI memory so answers follow your preferences.
- Share and comment on threads with teammates.
How to Get Started with Shortwave
- Go to shortwave.com and sign in with your Google account.
- Start the 14-day free trial, which needs no credit card.
- Let Shortwave sync your Gmail and set up bundles and filters.
- Open the AI assistant and ask it to summarise, search or draft.
- Choose Business, Premier or Max before the trial ends.
Shortwave Pricing
Shortwave offers a 14-day free trial on all plans with no credit card. Business costs $30 per seat per month, Premier costs $45 per seat per month with twice the AI usage and unlimited AI search history, and Max costs $120 per seat per month with expert-level models and six times the usage.
Who Should Use It?
- Founders and executives with very busy Gmail inboxes.
- Sales and customer-facing teams searching long client histories.
- Former Google Inbox users who want bundles back.
- Teams that collaborate on shared email threads.
- Professionals who want AI drafts in their own voice.
Shortwave Alternatives
- Superhuman: Fast keyboard-driven email client that also supports Outlook.
- Fyxer AI: Drafts replies and sorts mail inside Gmail or Outlook without switching clients.
- Dia: AI browser that also answers questions across Gmail and other tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Shortwave free?
No, Shortwave no longer has a free plan, but it offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card. Plans start at $30 per seat per month.
Does Shortwave work with Outlook?
No, Shortwave is built for Gmail and Google Workspace accounts. It connects to your existing Gmail mailbox.
Shortwave vs Superhuman: which is better?
Shortwave is better if you want a deep AI assistant that searches your whole email history, while Superhuman is better known for speed and keyboard shortcuts. Superhuman also supports Outlook.
Is Shortwave safe to use?
Shortwave connects to Gmail through Google sign-in and needs access to your mailbox to power AI search and drafting. Review its privacy policy and your company's rules before connecting a work account.