Shortwave
AI-native email client rebuilt on top of Gmail
Overview
A Gmail-only email app with AI thread summaries, natural-language search, context-aware drafting and an assistant that triages the inbox. For Google Workspace power users who live in email.
Pricing
Pricing shown for reference only. These figures reflect RECATOOLS research as of 13 Jul 2026 and may be out of date or incomplete. This is not financial or purchasing advice — always confirm the current price on the provider’s official website before making any decision.
- Gmail integration
- Core AI features
- Single account
- AI search and summaries
- Writing assistant
- Scheduling
- 150-300 daily AI requests
- 3 AI filters
- Team features
- ~600 daily AI requests
- 10 AI filters
- Unlimited search history
- ~900 daily AI requests
- 50 AI filters
- Priority access
What you can produce with Shortwave
- AI thread summaries
- Natural-language AI search across email history
- Context-aware AI drafting and replies
- AI assistant for inbox triage
- AI filters (rule automation)
- Send scheduling
- Gmail and Google Workspace integration
- 14-day free trial on paid plans
ASEAN Perspective
Shortwave in Southeast Asia
ASEAN-region availability and pricing notes coming soon. Drop the editorial team a note via /contact/ if you can supply local context (Singapore/Malaysia/Indonesia/Thailand/Vietnam).
Among AI email clients, Shortwave is the polished one. It sits on top of Gmail and adds summaries, natural-language search, context-aware drafting, scheduling and an assistant that's steadily getting better at triaging and acting on your inbox. The AI reads like it was designed in, not bolted on, and the client itself is fast. The AI search is the standout: type "the email where the investor mentioned cap table" and it surfaces the right thread on the first pass. Two hard limits shape who should care. It's Gmail and Google Workspace only, full stop, so Outlook and generic IMAP users are out. And the better AI tiers carry a real per-seat cost that climbs fast for heavy use. It also stops short of running your inbox for you, you still open, read and decide. Best for founders and Workspace power users who want genuine speed in email, not a hands-off autopilot.
What people say
The consensus among 2026 reviewers is blunt: Shortwave is the best AI-enhanced email client available, provided you live in Gmail. It's built on top of Google Workspace and rebuilt the client experience around AI rather than stapling features onto a legacy inbox.
AI search is the feature reviewers single out as "genuinely transformative." It takes natural language, so a query like "the email where the investor mentioned cap table" returns the right thread on the first try instead of sending you spelunking through keyword search. Thread summaries save real time on long chains, and the writing assistant reads the context of the message you're replying to and references specific points from the conversation rather than generating generic filler. How far back search reaches depends on the plan, five years on Business, unlimited on the higher tiers.
The honest limitation every review repeats: Shortwave gives you AI search, summaries and writing help, but it does not process email for you. You still open every message, read it and decide what to do. Reviewers frame that as expectation-setting rather than a flaw, but anyone hoping for a true autopilot inbox will be let down. The other hard wall is platform lock-in, as of mid-2026 it supports only Google Workspace and Gmail accounts, so Microsoft 365 and Outlook users are shut out entirely.
Pricing starts with a free tier and a $14/seat/month Pro option for individuals. Business plans run higher and gate AI usage by request volume: Business at $24/seat/month (150-300 daily AI requests, 3 AI filters), Premier at $36 (around 600 daily requests, 10 filters) and Max at $100 (roughly 900 requests, 50 filters), all billed annually. Every plan opens with a 14-day trial, after which you have to pick a paid tier.
Who it's for: Gmail and Workspace power users, founders and anyone whose day is email, who'll actually use natural-language search and drafting enough to justify the seat cost. Who should pass: Outlook or IMAP users, and anyone wanting the AI to clear the inbox on their behalf.
Summary of public user & expert reviews, compiled by RECATOOLS.
About this listing
This entry was compiled from publicly available data including Shortwave's official website, press releases, documentation, and reputable third-party publications. RECATOOLS is not affiliated with Shortwave unless explicitly stated.
Third-party AI tools update their pricing, features, availability, and policies frequently. Information here may be outdated by the time you read this — we make reasonable efforts to keep listings current, but cannot guarantee absolute accuracy.
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