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Email Marketing · head to head

GetResponse vs Shortwave

GetResponse logo

GetResponse

Email Marketing

All-in-one email marketing, automation and landing pages

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: GetResponse starter, Marketer and Creator plans are all capped at 1,000 contacts regardless of the $19, $59 or $69 monthly price; 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 GetResponse and Shortwave actually diverge.

Attributes where GetResponse and Shortwave differ
AttributeGetResponseShortwave
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
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 GetResponse

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.

GetResponse

  • Recovering lost sales from abandoned shopping carts automaticallynot Shortwave
  • Monetizing online courses with zero transaction fees to creatorsnot Shortwave
  • Charging subscriptions for premium newsletters from independent writersnot Shortwave
  • Coordinating promotional campaigns across sales funnels and channelsnot Shortwave
  • Capturing B2B leads through landing pages and signup formsnot Shortwave

Shortwave

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

Where each one falls short

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

GetResponse

  • Starter, Marketer and Creator plans are all capped at 1,000 contacts regardless of the $19, $59 or $69 monthly price
  • Starter plan limits AI tool usage to 3 uses and includes only 1 custom automation workflow
  • SMS marketing and mobile push notifications are reserved for the custom-priced Enterprise tier
  • The $15.58, $48.38 and $56.58 monthly-equivalent rates require paying annually; standard monthly billing is $19, $59 and $69

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

GetResponse

Free
  • Starter$16/month
    • For small lists: 1,000 contacts at €16/month
    • Scales to 100,000 contacts at €469/month
    • AI-powered email marketing
  • Marketer$54/month
    • Starting at €54/month for 500 contacts
    • Scales to €519/month for 100,000 contacts
    • Unlimited automation workflows
  • Creator$62/month
    • Starting at €62/month for 500 contacts
    • Scales to €599/month for 100,000 contacts
    • Webinars
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Custom pricing based on list size
    • SMS marketing
    • Dedicated support

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 GetResponse if

  • You want to start without paying.
GetResponse 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 GetResponse or Shortwave better?
Neither clearly leads. GetResponse 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, GetResponse or Shortwave?
GetResponse starts at Free and Shortwave at Free.
Does GetResponse or Shortwave run on more platforms?
GetResponse runs on Web. Shortwave runs on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
Can I use GetResponse for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is GetResponse best used for?
GetResponse is most often used for recovering lost sales from abandoned shopping carts automatically, monetizing online courses with zero transaction fees to creators, charging subscriptions for premium newsletters from independent writers, coordinating promotional campaigns across sales funnels and channels. Of those, recovering lost sales from abandoned shopping carts automatically and monetizing online courses with zero transaction fees to creators are not what Shortwave is typically brought in for.
What can GetResponse do that Shortwave cannot?
Shortwave covers AI Email Filtering, Intelligent Autocomplete, Voice-Style Composition, Meeting Scheduling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GetResponse: How much does GetResponse cost?

GetResponse pricing ranges from €16 per month for the Starter plan with 1,000 contacts to €469 per month for 100,000 contacts. Plans scale based on contact list size.

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
GetResponse: Does GetResponse offer a discount for annual billing?

Customers who pay yearly instead of monthly save an additional 18% on their subscription cost across all plan tiers.

Source
Shortwave: What platforms does Shortwave support?

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

Source
GetResponse: Does GetResponse offer special pricing for nonprofits?

GetResponse provides a 50% discount on monthly plans for charities and NGOs.

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
GetResponse: Is there a free trial for GetResponse?

GetResponse offers a free 14-day trial with full access to premium features.

Source
Shortwave: What integrations does Shortwave support?

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

Source
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