Toolofficial publisher

Shortwave

Tool : standalone product, used directly

Gmail client with an AI assistant that sorts, summarizes, and drafts emails.

The best alternative to Superhuman with a genuine free tier.

Official site

Overall score

7.0 /10

Security: read before installing

Utility

8.0

Reliability

6.0

Security

6.0

Ease

5 min · Comfortable

What it does, concretely

Inboxes overflow, and important messages get buried under newsletters and notifications. Shortwave is a Gmail client that connects an AI assistant directly to your inbox to sort, summarize, and handle emails on your behalf.

In practice, the assistant analyzes your messages, identifies action items, drafts replies in your personal style, and can interact with external tools such as Slack, Notion, Asana, HubSpot, or your calendar. Plain-English filters let you automate archiving, labeling, or highlighting certain emails without writing a single line of code.

Shortwave is designed for professionals who receive a high volume of emails and want to regain control of their inbox without changing their Gmail address. Teams can also share threads, assign tasks, and comment on emails directly within the interface.

However, Shortwave only works with Gmail or Google Workspace accounts. Users of Outlook, Proton Mail, or other providers will not be able to use it.

What it offers

·Instant summaries: a smart overview appears at the top of each email so you can grasp the key points without reading everything.
·Writing in your style: the AI learns from your sent emails to suggest replies that sound like you.
·Plain-English filters: create automation rules (label, archive, highlight) by simply writing what you want.
·Third-party tool integration: connect the assistant to Slack, Notion, Asana, HubSpot, and your calendar to automate workflows without leaving your inbox.
·Team collaboration: share live threads, comment privately, and assign owners directly within the interface.
·Smart search: query all your emails and attachments in natural language to get precise answers.
·Open and link tracking: see in real time when recipients open your messages or click your links.
·Advanced automation with Tasklet (paid): set up triggers to draft automatic replies and connect to 3,000+ apps.

Our tips

Use 'bundles' to group promotions, newsletters, and notifications into batches, making it easy to reach inbox zero by handling these groups in one action.
Set up an email delivery schedule to avoid interruptions: messages only arrive during the time slots you define.
Write your automation filters in plain language, for example 'archive all billing emails after reading', without any technical syntax.
Enable tracking pixel blocking in the privacy settings to prevent senders from knowing when you open their messages.
Share prompt templates with your team to standardize common replies and save time collectively.

Watch out

Shortwave is exclusively compatible with Gmail and Google Workspace: no other email provider is supported.
The most advanced automations, particularly connecting to 3,000+ apps via Tasklet, require a paid subscription.

In practice

Price: Freemium
Commercial use: Commercial use: yes
Available on: web, macos, windows, ios, android
FR interface: No

Security and data

Rating: Security: read before installing
Your data: Data with the vendor
Maintenance: Active

Card verified on 13 September 2026 · added on 1 January 2022

How to install Shortwave

1. Go to shortwave.com and click 'Get started for free', no credit card required. 2. Connect your Gmail or Google Workspace account via Google authentication. 3. Review and grant the requested permissions, checking that they match what you are comfortable sharing. 4. Download the native app if you want to use it on Mac, Windows, iOS, or Android. 5. Set up your first bundles and plain-English filters to organize your inbox from the start. 6. Enable tracking pixel blocking in the privacy settings to protect your reading habits.

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