Shortwave
AI-powered email client on top of Gmail.
why this verdict
Downgrade — pay for the workflow, not the AI
Gmail and Notion Mail cover the headline feature free, so the $9/mo is now paying for the workflow around it.
- A named launch, not a vibe named, unlinked
- Native Gmail AI features. OpenAI, June 25, 2024 — no announcement link recorded yet.
- How much of the job it covers headline only editorial call
- The headline feature, but not the workflow, data or integrations around it.
- Is there a free way to do it? yes
- 2 of 3 listed replacements have a usable free tier: Gmail and Notion Mail.
- What the call is worth $108/yr
- $9/mo at the entry paid tier — $108 a year per seat.
- Threatened by
- OpenAI
- Since
- June 25, 2024
- List price
- $9/mo
- Per year
- $108
The backstory
Shortwave is an AI-powered email client built on top of Gmail, known for AI search, summaries, and smart replies. It built its identity on exactly the features Google then shipped natively into Gmail through Gemini. That leaves Shortwave wounded: its headline capabilities now come free with the mailbox most of its users already have. It survives for people who want a faster, more opinionated client, but the AI differentiator narrowed sharply.
Escape hatches
switching could free up $108/yrNative Gemini AI search and summaries
gmail.com open_in_newFast, keyboard-driven email with AI
superhuman.com open_in_newAI email client tied to Notion
notion.so open_in_new2 of 3 replacements have a usable free tier.