Shortwave
Shortwave is an AI-native email client for Gmail that reimagines inbox management with intelligent thread summaries, AI-powered replies, smart bundling, calendar integration, and powerful search across your entire email history.
Gmail-focused professionals and teams who want AI natively integrated into every aspect of their email experience for faster processing and intelligent organization
Our Verdict
Shortwave is an AI-native email client for Gmail that reimagines inbox management with intelligent thread summaries, AI-powered replies, smart bundling, calendar integration, and powerful search across your entire email history.
Rating Breakdown
Why Trust This Review
Our team has spent 40+ hours hands-on testing Shortwave across real-world scenarios. We follow a rigorous methodology with weighted scoring criteria. Our reviews are editorially independent and never influenced by affiliate partnerships.
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Pros & Cons
Pros
- AI is deeply integrated into every aspect of the email experience, not bolted on
- Exceptional thread summarization that condenses complex conversations instantly
- Powerful AI search across entire email history answers complex questions
- Affordable Personal plan at $8.50/mo makes AI email accessible
- Calendar integration enables scheduling directly from the AI assistant
Cons
- Gmail only - no support for Outlook, Yahoo, or other email providers
- No native desktop apps, relies on web and mobile interfaces
- Limited third-party integrations beyond HubSpot and Salesforce
Full Review
Overview
Shortwave is a modern email client built specifically for Gmail users who want AI deeply integrated into every aspect of their inbox experience. Founded by former Google engineers, Shortwave reimagines email from the ground up with artificial intelligence at its core. Rather than being a plugin or extension that adds AI to an existing client, Shortwave is a complete email application where AI powers search, organization, composition, and prioritization. The result is an email experience that feels closer to having a personal assistant managing your inbox than using a traditional email client.
Key Strengths
Shortwave AI Assistant is the standout feature, capable of answering complex questions by searching across your entire email history. Ask it to find a specific attachment from months ago, summarize all emails from a particular sender, or draft a reply based on context from previous conversations. Thread summaries automatically condense long email chains into digestible overviews, saving significant time on group discussions. AI-powered filters can automatically label, archive, delete, or star emails based on custom natural language rules you define. The Split Inbox feature organizes emails into customizable categories for focused processing. Calendar integration lets you check availability, send invites, and write scheduling emails directly from the AI Assistant. One-click AI replies generate contextually appropriate responses that can be sent immediately or customized.
Pricing Analysis
Shortwave offers a free plan with core email features and limited AI usage. The Personal plan at $8.50/seat/month is designed for individual home or education users and includes full search history access and basic AI features. The Pro plan at $18/seat/month is the sweet spot for business users, offering advanced AI capabilities, unlimited AI queries, and integrations with HubSpot and Salesforce. The Business plan at $30/seat/month adds support for up to 10 email accounts, team knowledge search, and advanced AI filters. Premier at $45/seat/month is the enterprise tier with enhanced support and the highest AI usage limits.
Who Is It Best For?
Shortwave is ideal for Gmail-dependent professionals and teams who want AI natively integrated into their email workflow rather than as a bolt-on. Knowledge workers who deal with high email volumes, founders managing multiple conversations, and teams that need to search across email history for institutional knowledge will find Shortwave transformative. It is particularly valuable for users frustrated with Gmail native search and organization tools.
The Bottom Line
Shortwave represents the future of email clients, where AI is not an add-on but the foundation of the entire experience. Its thread summaries, intelligent search, and automated inbox management genuinely reduce the time spent in email. The Gmail-only limitation and lack of native desktop apps may be dealbreakers for some, but for Gmail users ready to embrace an AI-first inbox, Shortwave delivers on the promise of making email productive rather than overwhelming.
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Written by
Emily brings 7 years of data-driven marketing expertise, specializing in market analysis, email optimization, and AI-powered marketing tools. She combines quantitative research with practical recommendations, focusing on ROI benchmarks and emerging trends across the SaaS landscape.
Co-written by
Sarah has spent 10+ years in marketing technology, working with companies from early-stage startups to Fortune 500 enterprises. She specializes in evaluating automation platforms, CRM integrations, and lead generation tools. Her reviews focus on real-world business impact and ROI.
Final Verdict
Shortwave scores 8.6/10
With a score of 8.6 out of 10, Shortwave is a strong performer that delivers great value. It's particularly well-suited for those looking for gmail-focused professionals and teams who want ai natively integrated into every aspect of their email experience for faster processing and intelligent organization.