7 Best Shortwave Alternatives in 2026 (Tested and Compared)

Why people look for Shortwave alternatives

Shortwave, built by ex-Google Inbox engineers, earned a loyal following for its clean design, conversation bundling, and AI features like Ghostwriter and smart summaries. The free plan is generous for personal Gmail users, and paid plans unlock powerful automation through Tasklet (which connects email to Slack, Notion, Asana, and HubSpot).

So why switch?

The biggest reason: Shortwave is Gmail-only. If your company uses Microsoft 365, if you have a Yahoo or iCloud account, or if you rely on any IMAP provider, Shortwave simply does not work. According to recent email statistics, Microsoft Outlook holds roughly 29% of the enterprise email market. That is a large group of professionals locked out entirely.

Pricing is another factor. Shortwave's free plan appends a "Sent with Shortwave" signature to every outgoing email, which looks unprofessional in business contexts. Removing it requires the Personal plan at $8.50/month. The Pro plan (full AI features, Google Workspace support) runs $14/month when billed yearly. For users who primarily need one or two AI features, that cost can feel disproportionate.

Finally, some users want a tool that goes beyond making email reading faster. Shortwave improves the email client experience, but you still read and triage every thread yourself. Tools like AI email secretaries take a different approach: they read your email for you and surface only what matters.

Comparison at a glance

The 7 best Shortwave alternatives

Unboxd takes a fundamentally different approach to email. Where Shortwave makes your Gmail client smarter, Unboxd eliminates the need to open your inbox at all. It connects to Gmail, Outlook, or any IMAP provider, reads every incoming email using AI (OpenAI and Anthropic Claude), and sorts everything into three buckets: Action Items (tasks with extracted deadlines), Highlights (important updates), and FYIs (newsletters, receipts, automated notifications). You get a structured daily briefing instead of an inbox full of threads.

Each bucket has intelligent subcategories: bookings, finances, conversations, project updates, deliveries, decisions and approvals, and more. You can also create custom subcategories that the AI populates automatically. Every email gets a short AI-generated title and a paragraph summary, so you rarely need to open the original message. The AI secretary learns from corrections you teach it, getting sharper over time.

For a deeper feature comparison, see our Unboxd vs Shortwave breakdown.

The privacy model matters too. Unboxd uses AES-256-GCM encryption with per-user keys (PBKDF2 key derivation), keyword blocking, and email address blocking. Sensitive emails can be excluded from AI processing entirely. If AI email privacy is a concern, this is worth noting: most competitors, Shortwave included, do not offer per-user encryption or configurable AI exclusion rules.

Pricing: Plus $7.50/mo, Pro $12.50/mo, Ultra $41.67/mo (all billed yearly). Free trial with no credit card.

After Grammarly acquired Superhuman in July 2025 for over $800 million, the email client is now part of a bundled productivity suite. The $33/month (yearly) Business plan includes Superhuman Mail, Grammarly writing assistance, Coda docs, and Superhuman Go (an AI agent). You can no longer purchase Superhuman Mail as a standalone product.

If price is no concern, Superhuman remains one of the fastest email clients available. The keyboard-driven interface, split inbox, read receipts, send-later, and AI-powered writing are polished and responsive. Superhuman added Outlook support after the acquisition, which removes one of Shortwave's biggest limitations. For a detailed look, see our Unboxd vs Superhuman comparison.

The catch is obvious: $33/month ($396/year) for an email client is steep. If you used Shortwave to save money compared to Superhuman's earlier $30/month pricing, this direction does not help. You are paying for Grammarly and Coda whether you use them or not.

Pricing: Business $33/mo (yearly) or $40/mo (monthly). Bundled with Grammarly, Coda, and Superhuman Go.

Spark is a cross-platform email client from Readdle that works on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and web. It supports Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, iCloud, and IMAP, making it the most broadly compatible option on this list. The smart inbox sorts messages by priority, and Spark +AI can generate replies, summarize threads, and adjust tone. Team features (shared inboxes, real-time draft editing, internal comments, email delegation) make it particularly strong for small teams.

Spark is the natural alternative if your main frustration with Shortwave is the Gmail-only limitation. It covers every platform and every provider. The AI features are solid, though they operate on monthly usage quotas rather than unlimited access. For a direct comparison, read our Unboxd vs Spark analysis.

Pricing: Free plan available. Premium $4.99/mo (yearly). Plus $8.25/mo. Pro $16.58/mo. Teams from $6.99/user/mo.

SaneBox takes the simplest possible approach: it filters your inbox in the background, sorting messages into smart folders (SaneLater, SaneNews, SaneBlackHole) without replacing your email client. It works with any email provider and any email client. There is no app to install, no interface to learn. SaneBox analyzes your email behavior over time and learns which senders matter to you.

This is a good Shortwave replacement if you primarily valued Shortwave's bundling and noise-reduction features but do not need AI writing or search. SaneBox is quiet, reliable, and mature (it has been around since 2011). The downside: no AI summarization, no action item extraction, no drafting help. It filters. That is it. For a closer look, read our Unboxd vs SaneBox comparison.

Pricing: Snack $7/mo (1 account, 2 features). Lunch $12/mo (2 accounts, 6 features). Dinner $36/mo (4 accounts, all features). ~20% savings on annual billing.

Inbox Zero is an open-source AI email assistant (AGPL-3.0, 9,000+ GitHub stars) focused on automation. Connect it to your Gmail, define AI-powered rules, and let it auto-archive newsletters, draft replies to common questions, block cold emails, and track follow-ups. The open-source codebase means you can self-host it for full privacy control.

Where Shortwave gives you AI inside an email client, Inbox Zero gives you AI as an automation layer on top of Gmail. It is best for technically-minded users who want to build custom workflows. The interface is functional, not polished, and there is no Outlook support. Read our Unboxd vs Inbox Zero comparison for a deeper look.

Pricing: Basic $12/mo (analytics + unsubscribe). AI Assistant $24/mo (full AI automation). Co-Pilot $499/mo (human-assisted). Self-hosting is free.

Notion Mail is a minimalist email client built into the Notion ecosystem. If you already use Notion for project management, the integration is the selling point: AI-powered labeling, contextual reply drafting, and snippets for frequently-used responses. It connects to Gmail and Google Workspace accounts.

The appeal is narrow but real. If Notion is already your workspace hub, adding email to it can reduce context-switching. The AI features (drafting, labeling) require a paid Notion plan with AI access ($10/month for AI add-on, or included in the $20/month Business plan). The limitations mirror Shortwave's biggest weakness: Gmail-only, no Outlook, no IMAP, and no unified inbox for multiple accounts. See our Unboxd vs Notion Mail comparison for details.

Pricing: Free with any Notion plan. AI features require Notion AI ($10/mo add-on) or Notion Business ($20/mo).

Mailbird is a straightforward Windows desktop email client. No AI, no fancy automation. It supports multiple accounts (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, IMAP), offers a unified inbox, snooze, templates, and integrations with apps like Slack and Asana. The main appeal is simplicity and a one-time purchase option: $99.75 for lifetime access.

Mailbird belongs on this list for users who valued Shortwave primarily as a clean email client and do not need AI features. If you want a responsive, well-designed inbox on Windows without a monthly subscription, Mailbird delivers that at the lowest cost on this list.

Pricing: Free plan (1 account). Premium $4.03/mo (yearly) or $99.75 one-time. Lifetime updates add-on $10/year or $69 one-time.

How to choose the right Shortwave replacement

Several of these tools work together. You could use Spark as your email client with SaneBox filtering in the background. Or keep using Gmail's web interface and add Unboxd for daily action item briefings. The right combination depends on what specifically frustrated you about Shortwave. For a broader overview of the AI email landscape, see our complete guide to AI email tools in 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Why are people looking for Shortwave alternatives?

Shortwave only supports Gmail and Google Workspace accounts. If you use Outlook, Yahoo, iCloud, or any IMAP provider, Shortwave is not an option. Its paid Personal plan starts at $8.50/month and the Pro plan at $14/month (yearly), which adds up for individual users who only need a few AI features. The free plan also appends a "Sent with Shortwave" signature to outgoing emails.

What is the best free alternative to Shortwave?

Spark Mail offers the most fully-featured free plan among Shortwave alternatives. It includes smart inbox sorting, multiple account support, and works across Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and web. Notion Mail is also free if you already have a Notion account, though it is Gmail-only like Shortwave. Unboxd offers a free trial with no credit card required.

Which Shortwave alternative works with Outlook?

Unboxd, Spark Mail, and SaneBox all support Outlook alongside Gmail and other providers. Unboxd also supports any IMAP provider. Superhuman added Outlook support after its Grammarly acquisition. Shortwave, Inbox Zero, and Notion Mail are limited to Gmail and Google Workspace.

Can I use a Shortwave alternative without replacing my email client?

Yes. Unboxd, SaneBox, and Inbox Zero all work alongside your existing email client. Unboxd connects via OAuth or IMAP and delivers daily briefings with action items. SaneBox filters your inbox server-side. Inbox Zero adds AI automation rules to your Gmail. Tools like Spark, Superhuman, and Notion Mail are full email client replacements.