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Shortwave

AI email client for Gmail that helps you reach inbox zero faster with AI search, summaries, and drafting.

Hand-reviewed by the Toolglade team·Updated Aug 2026
productivity#email#ai-email#gmail
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Toolglade’s take

One of the most capable AI email clients available, but it is Gmail-only and its paid tiers have climbed well above typical productivity-app pricing. Best for people who genuinely lean on AI to manage a heavy inbox.

About Shortwave

Shortwave is an AI email client for Gmail and Google Workspace created by former Google Inbox engineers. It uses Claude-powered AI for natural-language search, thread summaries, smart bundling, AI filters, and personalized reply drafting. Paid plans (Business, Premier, Max) are priced per seat and differ mainly in AI intelligence level and daily usage quota.

Shortwave is a modern email client built exclusively for Gmail and Google Workspace by a team of former Google Inbox engineers. It reimagines the inbox around AI, offering natural-language search across years of email history, one-click thread summaries, automatic AI bundling of newsletters and low-priority mail, AI-powered filters, and an assistant that drafts replies in your own writing style. The apps span desktop (web, macOS, Windows), iOS, and Android, and keep the familiar speed and keyboard-driven workflow that power users expect. In 2026 Shortwave centers its offering on tiered AI intelligence powered by Claude models, ranging from Standard to Expert, plus deeper features like AI web browsing, attachment analysis, AI memory, and MCP-based integrations. Team-oriented capabilities such as shared threads, team comments, assignees, and shared AI-searchable labels make it suitable for collaborative inboxes, while its sister product Tasklet extends Shortwave into full 24/7 workflow automation across thousands of apps.

TL;DR

Shortwave is an AI-first email client for Gmail and Google Workspace, created by former Google Inbox engineers. It delivers Claude-powered natural-language search, thread summaries, smart bundles, AI filters, and personalized reply drafting across desktop and mobile. Pricing is per seat with Business ($30/mo), Premier ($45/mo), and Max ($120/mo) tiers plus a 14-day trial. It is Gmail-only and does not support Outlook.

Company overview

Shortwave Communications, Inc. was founded in 2020 by a team of former Google engineers who previously worked on Google Inbox, including CEO Andrew Lee. The company set out to build the email experience they felt Google abandoned when it shut down Inbox, and has since evolved Shortwave into an AI-native email client. It later introduced a sister product, Tasklet, for broader AI workflow automation across thousands of apps.

The team is widely regarded as a spiritual successor to Google Inbox, and Shortwave is used at companies large and small, with customers referencing names like AppFolio, Gusto, and Clockwise in testimonials. The company operates primarily as a subscription SaaS business focused on Google email users.

Product features

Shortwave combines a fast, keyboard-driven Gmail client with a deep AI Assistant. Core capabilities include AI-powered natural-language search over years of email, one-click thread summaries, AI bundles that group promotions and newsletters, splits that divide the inbox into focused tabs, and AI filters that automatically label, archive, or act on incoming mail. The AI can browse the web, analyze attachments, remember facts and preferences, autocomplete drafts, and write replies in the user's personal style.

Higher tiers unlock more powerful Claude models (Standard Sonnet through Expert Opus), larger context windows, and higher daily usage quotas. Team features include shared live-updating threads, private team comments, assignees, shared AI-searchable labels, and channels, while integrations connect calendars, CRMs like HubSpot and Salesforce, and other apps via MCP. Tasklet extends this into fully automated, 24/7 email workflows.

Target market

Shortwave targets Gmail and Google Workspace users who deal with high email volume and want AI to help manage it, including busy professionals, founders, executives, and customer-facing teams in sales, recruiting, and support. Its collaboration features also appeal to small and mid-sized teams running shared inboxes, while its premium pricing skews it toward professional and business buyers rather than casual personal users.

Buyer personas

End users

Gmail and Google Workspace power users, founders, executives, and knowledge workers with high email volume who want AI to search, summarize, triage, and draft their mail.

Buyers

Individual professionals paying for their own productivity, plus team leads, operations managers, and IT decision-makers purchasing seats for customer-facing or shared-inbox teams.

Key influencers

Productivity enthusiasts, former Google Inbox loyalists, tech journalists, and internal champions who advocate for switching a team off native Gmail.

Ideal customer profile

A Google Workspace-based individual or small-to-mid-sized team with heavy email load, a willingness to pay a premium for AI-driven inbox management, and no dependence on Outlook or non-Google email accounts.

Funding & performance

Shortwave (Shortwave Communications, Inc.) has raised venture funding, reportedly around $9 million in seed financing led by investors including Kleiner Perkins; more recent round details are not publicly disclosed.

Pros & cons

Pros

  • Powerful, genuinely useful AI search and summaries
  • Fast, keyboard-driven interface that feels like a modern successor to Google Inbox
  • Strong inbox organization with bundles, splits, and AI filters
  • Native desktop, iOS, and Android apps
  • Team collaboration features like shared threads and assignees
  • Uses leading Claude models with selectable intelligence levels

Cons

  • Gmail and Google Workspace only, with no Outlook, IMAP, or Exchange support
  • Paid tiers are expensive compared with most email clients
  • Daily AI usage quotas can be hit by heavy users on lower tiers
  • No permanent full-featured free plan beyond the trial and basic use
  • Learning curve for its many organization features

Pricing plans

Free trial
$0 / month
  • 14-day free trial on any plan
  • Full access to AI Assistant during trial
  • AI search, summaries, and bundles
  • Desktop and mobile apps
  • No credit card required to start
  • Core inbox features usable at no cost
Business
$30 / month
  • Standard intelligence (Claude Sonnet)
  • ~150-300 AI requests per day
  • 5 years AI search history
  • Max 50 threads per AI search
  • 3 AI-powered filters
  • AI integrations, web browsing, and attachment analysis
Premier
$45 / month
  • Everything in Business, plus advanced intelligence
  • 2x more AI usage
  • Unlimited AI search history
  • Max 100 threads per AI search
  • 10 AI-powered filters
  • 2x context tokens for smarter answers
Max
$120 / month
  • Everything in Premier, plus expert intelligence (Claude Opus)
  • 6x more AI usage
  • Max 150 threads per AI search
  • 50 AI-powered filters
  • 3x context tokens
  • Our most powerful models and features

Key features

Mobile app
Team collaboration
Multi-language
Integrations
Gmail, Google Workspace, MCP, HubSpot, Salesforce, Calendar
Input types
text
Output types
text
Best For
Gmail power users, busy professionals, sales and support teams, inbox-zero seekers

Compare key features

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Free plan
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No
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Free trial
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API
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Team support
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Frequently asked questions

Is Shortwave free?+

Shortwave offers a 14-day free trial on every plan and lets you get started for free, but its full AI features require a paid subscription. There is no permanent full-featured free tier; after the trial you choose the Business, Premier, or Max plan.

How much does Shortwave cost?+

Shortwave has three paid plans priced per seat per month: Business at $30, Premier at $45, and Max at $120. The tiers differ mainly in AI intelligence level, daily AI usage quota, search history length, and number of AI filters. Enterprise pricing is available on request.

What are the best Shortwave alternatives?+

Popular alternatives include Superhuman, Gmail with Gemini, Missive, Spark, and Canary Mail. Superhuman is the closest premium competitor, while Missive is stronger for team collaboration and Spark offers a lower-cost option with a free plan.

Does Shortwave support Outlook?+

No. As of 2026 Shortwave connects exclusively to Gmail and Google Workspace accounts via the Gmail API. It does not support Outlook, Microsoft 365, Exchange, IMAP, Yahoo, or iCloud.

Shortwave vs Superhuman: which is better?+

Both are premium AI email clients for Gmail. Shortwave leans harder into AI with Claude-powered search, summaries, and assistant workflows, and adds team collaboration and Android support. Superhuman emphasizes speed, keyboard shortcuts, and a polished single-user experience. Shortwave's top tiers cost more, but it offers deeper AI capabilities and more configurable intelligence levels.

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