Shortwave
Shortwave is an intelligent email client powered by AI, designed to help professionals streamline their workflow and maintain inbox zero. The platform offers a ...
Last verified:
What is Shortwave?
Shortwave is an AI‑powered email client built on top of Gmail and Google Workspace that helps individuals and teams organize, write, search, schedule, and automate their inboxes. It uses a built‑in AI assistant that learns your writing style and can draft replies, summarize long threads, and suggest follow‑ups, letting you spend less time reading and more time acting. The tool adds advanced inbox organization features such as splits (tabs), bundles for bulk triage, and the ability to turn emails into assignable todos, which is especially useful for teams coordinating around shared Gmail accounts.
Key features include AI‑powered search, smart snooze and delivery scheduling, real‑time team collaboration with shared threads and private comments, and integration with tools like Slack, Calendar, Notion, Asana, HubSpot, and CRM platforms. Shortwave also supports multi‑account switching, granular push‑notification controls, custom themes, and powerful keyboard navigation so power users can stay mouse‑free. The AI can schedule meetings, generate event invitations, and even analyze your entire team’s email history to surface answers and patterns.
Shortwave is designed for busy professionals, founders, sales teams, support teams, and any group that lives in Gmail and wants to make email less of a chore. It is especially well‑suited for teams using Google Workspace who want shared labels, shared prompts, and an AI‑searchable archive of company emails. Solo users who want a modern, keyboard‑driven inbox with AI summarization and bulk triage also benefit from the tool’s focused workflows and automation capabilities.
Shortwave pricing
Pricing model: Freemium
Shortwave offers a free tier that lets you connect your Gmail account and use core AI email features without a credit card, though it may limit some advanced organization or automation capabilities. Paid plans are structured per user per month and include expanded AI usage, team collaboration features, shared labels, shared prompts, and deeper integrations; pricing details, including the exact number of plans and their monthly cost, are shown on the website’s pricing page, which also highlights any discounts for annual billing or team seats. Enterprise customers can request custom quotes that bundle advanced security, compliance, and support.
Shortwave pros
- AI assistant that learns your writing style
- instant AI summaries at the top of every email
- AI‑powered search with natural language and Gmail filters
- smart inbox organization with splits and bundles
- bulk triage to reach inbox zero faster
- emails can be turned into actionable todos
- delivery scheduling so emails arrive when you choose
- real‑time shared threads for team collaboration
- private team comments inside the inbox
- assign emails to teammates with clear owners
- shared, AI‑searchable labels across the team
- shared prompts and templates for consistent replies
- AI scheduling that checks availability and drafts invites
- autocomplete with links and facts from your email history
- keyboard‑first interface with markdown and shortcuts
- multi‑account support for multiple Gmail accounts
- custom themes and light/dark modes
- granular push notification controls and Do Not Disturb
- image proxy and tracking pixel blocking for privacy
- enterprise‑grade security and CASA Tier 2 compliance
- integration with 3,000+ apps via Tasklet automation
Shortwave cons
- Google‑only: only works with Gmail and Google Workspace
- requires giving access to your Gmail account
- learning curve for splits, bundles, and AI workflows
- AI may over‑summarize or miss nuance in complex threads
- team features require coordinated setup across members
- limited customization compared to full‑featured desktop clients
- some advanced calendar features depend on external integrations
- occasional sync or latency issues with large backlogs
Frequently asked questions about Shortwave
What email accounts does Shortwave support?
Shortwave currently supports only Gmail and Google Workspace accounts, and it syncs with your existing labels, filters, and settings while adding its own AI‑powered inbox layers on top of Gmail.
Can I use Shortwave with none of my team members on it?
Yes, you can use Shortwave as an individual; many power users adopt it solo to get AI summarization, splits, bundles, and todos, even if their teammates still read email in Gmail.
How does the AI assistant learn my writing style?
The AI analyzes the emails you send to infer your tone, vocabulary, and patterns, then uses that to draft replies and improve drafts that sound consistent with your usual voice.
Does Shortwave store my emails on its own servers?
Shortwave relies on Gmail’s infrastructure and authentication and does not generally store your raw emails beyond what is needed for AI memory and search indexing; detailed storage and privacy practices are described in the security and privacy sections of the site.
What are splits and bundles?
Splits are tabs that divide your inbox into focused views such as important emails, specific senders, or custom queries, while bundles let you group and triage promotions, newsletters, and automated emails in bulk to clear them quickly.
Can my team collaborate in real time?
Yes, you can share live threads with teammates, add private comments, assign emails with a clear owner, and use shared labels and prompts so the whole team can work from the same organized, AI‑searchable archive.
How does AI scheduling work?
You can ask the AI to check your availability, create calendar events, and draft scheduling emails or meeting invites, then send them directly from Shortwave without leaving the inbox.
Is there a mobile app?
Yes, Shortwave is available on iOS and Android, giving you the same AI‑powered inbox, splits, bundles, and team features on your phone, with multi‑account support and push notifications.
How does Shortwave integrate with other tools?
Shortwave integrates with Slack, Calendar, Notion, Asana, HubSpot, CRMs, and many other tools so you can automate workflows, add team comments, and trigger actions without leaving your inbox.
What is the difference between Shortwave and Gmail’s native AI features?
Shortwave adds a dedicated AI assistant, advanced splits and bundles, team collaboration threads, shared labels and prompts, and tighter third‑party integrations beyond what Gmail’s built‑in AI currently offers, especially for teams using Google Workspace.