Shortwave

Shortwave is an AI-first email client that aims to replace the traditional Gmail interface for power users and teams who want AI-driven automation and collaboration baked into their email workflow. Unlike many email tools that add AI as an afterthought, Shortwave rebuilds the email experience around AI from the ground up, offering features like predictive autocomplete that learns your writing style, AI-powered search across years of emails and attachments, and real-time team collaboration tools such as shared threads, private comments, and assigned tasks. This positioning makes it a strong contender for anyone who spends a significant portion of their day in email and wants to reduce manual sorting, drafting, and searching.

Where Shortwave stands out is in its AI writing assistance. The tool learns your voice over time and offers predictive autocomplete that suggests entire sentences or paragraphs based on context. Combined with custom prompts, snippets, and saved prompts available on the Business plan and above, this can dramatically speed up email composition for repetitive tasks like status updates, meeting confirmations, or client follow-ups. The AI also powers inbox organization through features like Inbox Splits, Bundles, and Todos, which automatically categorize and prioritize incoming mail. For professionals drowning in newsletters, notifications, and low-priority threads, these filters can reduce clutter and surface what matters.

Another standout is the AI search capability, which allows users to search across emails and attachments using natural language queries. This is particularly valuable for teams that rely on email as a de facto knowledge base. However, search limits vary by plan: the Pro tier allows 50 threads per search with a 3-year range, while Premier offers 100 threads and 5 years. For heavy users, these limits could become a bottleneck, and the jump to Premier ($36/seat/month) may be necessary to get adequate search depth.

Shortwave is built for specific workflows. Small startup teams will appreciate how AI organization and writing features can help lean teams move faster without dedicated admin support. The ability to collaborate in real time on email threads—adding private comments, assigning tasks, and seeing read statuses—turns email into a shared workspace, reducing the need for separate project management tools. For business teams with complex workflows, Inbox Splits, Bundles, and Todos offer granular control over how email is sorted and actioned. Larger organizations may find the Enterprise tier compelling, with integrations like Salesforce and Zapier, API access, and compliance support. However, pricing per seat can add up quickly, and the Enterprise plan requires contacting sales, which may be a hurdle for some.

It's important to note that Shortwave only works with Gmail or Google Workspace accounts. There is no support for Outlook, Fastmail, or other providers. This is a significant limitation for organizations that are not on Google's ecosystem. Additionally, while the free tier exists, it is limited, and most useful features require a paid plan starting at $14/seat/month for Pro. For freelancers or solo professionals, the Pro plan may be sufficient, but the real value emerges when team collaboration features are used.

Data security and privacy are handled through image proxy and tracking pixel blocking, and the ability to automatically BCC a CRM. However, for organizations with strict compliance requirements, the Enterprise tier offers custom compliance needs and Google Advanced Protection. Overall, Shortwave is a powerful tool for those who fit its target profile: Gmail/Workspace users who want deep AI integration and team collaboration. It is not a universal email client, but for the right audience, it can significantly streamline communication and reduce time spent on email management.