Softwr

Email Marketing · head to head

EmailOctopus vs Shortwave

EmailOctopus logo

EmailOctopus

Email Marketing

Affordable email marketing

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shortwave logo

Shortwave

Email Marketing

AI-powered email assistant for intelligent inbox management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: EmailOctopus free tier limited to 2,500 subscribers; Shortwave per-seat pricing increases team costs compared to flat-rate email solutions
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which EmailOctopus and Shortwave actually diverge.

Attributes where EmailOctopus and Shortwave differ
AttributeEmailOctopusShortwave
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsWebiOS, Android, macOS, Windows

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Email Marketing).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in EmailOctopus

Nothing recorded that Shortwave does not also cover.

Only in Shortwave

  • AI Email Filtering
  • Intelligent Autocomplete
  • Voice-Style Composition
  • Meeting Scheduling
  • Email-to-Todo Conversion
  • AI-Powered Search
  • Team Collaboration
  • Email Summaries

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

EmailOctopus

  • Building email lists with unlimited landing pagesnot Shortwave
  • Team collaboration on email campaignsnot Shortwave
  • Automated subscriber onboarding flowsnot Shortwave
  • Multi-user email campaign managementnot Shortwave

Shortwave

  • Reducing inbox overload through AI-powered organizationnot EmailOctopus
  • Drafting professional emails using natural languagenot EmailOctopus
  • Scheduling meetings without back-and-forth coordinationnot EmailOctopus
  • Searching email archives using conversational queriesnot EmailOctopus
  • Converting emails to tasks for team task trackingnot EmailOctopus

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

EmailOctopus

  • Free tier limited to 2,500 subscribers
  • Free tier requires EmailOctopus branding on emails
  • Free tier reports only retained 30 days

Shortwave

  • Per-seat pricing increases team costs compared to flat-rate email solutions
  • AI features may require higher tier plans, limiting value for smaller teams
  • Dependency on third-party integrations for full feature depth
  • Learning curve for effective use of AI-powered features
  • Limited customization for AI filter behavior compared to manual rules

Pricing, plan by plan

EmailOctopus

Free
  • StarterFree
    • Up to 2,500 subscribers
    • 10,000 monthly emails
    • 1 user account
  • Pro$9/month
    • Unlimited subscribers
    • 10,000 monthly emails
    • Unlimited user accounts

Shortwave

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Email search and organization
    • Basic inbox tools
    • Limited AI features
  • Business$30/month
    • Full standard search history
    • 5 years AI search history
    • Max 50 threads per AI search
  • Premier$45/month
    • Everything in Business
    • 2x more AI usage
    • Unlimited AI search history
  • Max$120/month
    • Everything in Premier
    • 6x more AI usage
    • Max 150 threads per AI search

Which should you pick?

Choose EmailOctopus if

  • You want to start without paying.
EmailOctopus review

Choose Shortwave if

  • You need ai email filtering.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want intelligent autocomplete.
Shortwave review

Questions people ask

Is EmailOctopus or Shortwave better?
Neither clearly leads. EmailOctopus starts at Free and Shortwave at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, EmailOctopus or Shortwave?
EmailOctopus starts at Free and Shortwave at Free.
Does EmailOctopus or Shortwave run on more platforms?
EmailOctopus runs on Web. Shortwave runs on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
Can I use EmailOctopus for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is EmailOctopus best used for?
EmailOctopus is most often used for building email lists with unlimited landing pages, team collaboration on email campaigns, automated subscriber onboarding flows, multi-user email campaign management. Of those, building email lists with unlimited landing pages and team collaboration on email campaigns are not what Shortwave is typically brought in for.
What can EmailOctopus do that Shortwave cannot?
Shortwave covers AI Email Filtering, Intelligent Autocomplete, Voice-Style Composition, Meeting Scheduling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

EmailOctopus: Is there a free version of EmailOctopus?

Yes, EmailOctopus offers a free plan supporting up to 2,500 subscribers with 10,000 monthly emails. The free tier includes EmailOctopus branding on emails and reports are retained for only 30 days. The Pro plan starts at $9/month for unlimited subscribers.

Source
Shortwave: Is there a free trial for Shortwave?

Yes, Shortwave offers a 14-day free trial for all paid plans with no credit card required.

Source
EmailOctopus: What discount does EmailOctopus offer for annual billing?

EmailOctopus offers 10% savings when you pay annually versus monthly. Nonprofits receive an additional 20% lifetime discount on all plans.

Source
Shortwave: What platforms does Shortwave support?

Shortwave is available on iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows for full cross-platform email management.

Source
EmailOctopus: Are there any long-term contracts required?

No, EmailOctopus has no long-term contracts. You can cancel your plan anytime and switch between monthly and yearly billing options.

Source
Shortwave: How much AI usage do I get per plan?

Business plan includes 3 AI-powered filters and standard AI usage. Premier (2x more AI) and Max (6x more AI) plans provide increasing levels of AI feature access.

Source
EmailOctopus: How many users can access one EmailOctopus account?

The free Starter plan includes 1 user. The Pro plan includes unlimited user accounts at no additional cost.

Source
Shortwave: What integrations does Shortwave support?

Shortwave integrates with Slack, Calendar, Notion, Asana, HubSpot, and 3,000+ apps via Tasklet.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on EmailOctopus

More on Shortwave

Keep looking

Other head to heads