Shortwave
AI-Powered Email for Professionals
About Shortwave
Shortwave is a modern, AI-powered email client built from the ground up to help professionals manage their inboxes more efficiently and intelligently. Founded in 2020 by former Google engineers who worked on Gmail, Shortwave reimagines email with artificial intelligence at its core, offering features like AI-generated summaries, smart search, scheduled sends, and intelligent notifications. The platform provides a clean, distraction-free interface with keyboard shortcuts inspired by Gmail, making it familiar yet significantly more powerful. Shortwave includes a unique Bundle feature that automatically groups related emails into conversations, reducing inbox clutter by up to 60%. The AI assistant can summarize long email threads in seconds, draft responses with appropriate tone and context, and extract action items automatically. Built for teams as well as individuals, Shortwave offers shared inboxes, real-time collaboration on drafts, @mentions for internal discussions, and assignment workflows for delegating emails. The platform works with any email provider including Gmail, Outlook, and custom domains, syncing bidirectionally so users can switch between clients seamlessly. Notable features include snooze with smart reminders, pin important threads, mark emails as done to clear inbox, lightning-fast search powered by modern indexing, and mobile apps for iOS and Android. Shortwave has gained significant traction among tech professionals, startup founders, and productivity enthusiasts seeking a smarter email experience without leaving their existing email accounts behind.
✨ Key Features
- ✓ AI Email Summaries - Summarize long threads instantly
- ✓ AI Draft Assistant - Generate reply suggestions
- ✓ Smart Bundles - Group related emails automatically
- ✓ Shared Inboxes - Team email collaboration
- ✓ Real-Time Collaboration - Co-write drafts together
- ✓ @Mentions - Internal email discussions
- ✓ Assignment Workflows - Delegate emails to teammates
- ✓ Done Marking - Clear inbox like task list
- ✓ Snooze with Reminders - Surface emails at right time
- ✓ Pin Important Threads - Keep key emails accessible
- ✓ Lightning Search - Find any email instantly
- ✓ Keyboard Shortcuts - Gmail-inspired shortcuts
- ✓ Scheduled Sends - Schedule emails for later
- ✓ Smart Notifications - Only important alerts
- ✓ Calendar Integration - View calendar in sidebar
- ✓ Multi-Account Support - Manage multiple emails
- ✓ Mobile Apps - iOS and Android support
- ✓ Custom Domains - Works with any email provider
- ✓ Dark Mode - Eye-friendly interface
- ✓ Read Receipts - Track email opens
⚖️ Pros & Cons
👍 Pros
- ✓ Built by former Google Gmail engineers
- ✓ AI summaries save significant time reading
- ✓ Bundles reduce inbox clutter by 60%
- ✓ Clean, modern interface with Gmail shortcuts
- ✓ Works with existing email accounts
- ✓ Real-time team collaboration features
- ✓ Shared inboxes for team coordination
- ✓ Lightning-fast search and navigation
- ✓ Mobile apps for iOS and Android
- ✓ Smart notifications reduce distractions
- ✓ Done marking creates inbox zero workflow
- ✓ Snooze feature surfaces emails at right time
- ✓ Affordable pricing at $9/month Pro
- ✓ Free plan includes AI features (limited)
- ✓ Active development with regular updates
👎 Cons
- ✗ Relatively new platform (founded 2020)
- ✗ AI features limited on free plan
- ✗ Requires trusting third-party with email
- ✗ Some features only in Pro plan
- ✗ Learning curve for Bundle workflows
- ✗ No browser extension (desktop/mobile apps only)
- ✗ Limited integrations compared to competitors
- ✗ AI accuracy varies with email complexity
- ✗ Not ideal for very large organizations
- ✗ English only for AI features currently
💡 Use Cases
Executive email management and prioritization
Startup founder managing high email volume
Customer support team shared inbox
Sales team lead distribution
Product team coordinating launches
Remote team asynchronous communication
Consulting managing client emails
Recruiting candidate communication
Investor relations email management
Partnership outreach and follow-up
Event coordination and planning
Newsletter management and responses
Project manager stakeholder updates
Freelancer client communication
Anyone seeking email inbox zero
🎯 Who Should Use This Tool
Tech professionals managing high email volumes, startup founders coordinating teams, product managers juggling stakeholders, executives maintaining inbox zero, customer success teams handling inquiries, sales professionals following up leads, consultants managing client communication, remote workers coordinating asynchronously, productivity enthusiasts seeking smarter email, and anyone wanting AI-powered email assistance without leaving their existing email accounts.
💰 Pricing Information
Free: $0 - Basic features, AI summaries (limited), single inbox, mobile apps. Pro: $9/month - Unlimited AI features, team collaboration, shared inboxes, advanced search, priority support, calendar integration. Annual plan: $7/month when billed annually (save 22%). Team plans available with volume discounts.
📊 Performance Metrics
🔒 Security & Privacy
Shortwave implements enterprise-grade security with encryption in transit and at rest. Uses OAuth 2.0 for secure email access without storing passwords. SOC 2 Type II compliance in progress. Data stored on secure AWS infrastructure. Privacy-focused with no email content used for advertising. Two-factor authentication supported via email provider. Regular security audits. GDPR compliant with EU data processing. Users maintain full control over email data. Email processing happens securely within Shortwave infrastructure.
🔄 Alternatives
Superhuman
Spark Mail
Hey.com
Front
Gmail
Outlook
Missive
SaneBox
⭐ User Reviews (0)
Login to ReviewNo reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience!
