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Communication · head to head

Novu vs Shortwave

Novu logo

Novu

Communication

Open-source notification infrastructure for multi-channel messaging

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: Novu free plan activity feed retention is limited to 24 hours, restricting how far back teams can debug delivery issues.; Shortwave per-seat pricing increases team costs compared to flat-rate email solutions
  • They diverge on capability: Novu covers Multi-channel workflows, Shortwave covers AI Email Filtering.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Novu and Shortwave actually diverge.

Attributes where Novu and Shortwave differ
AttributeNovuShortwave
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
Platformsweb, apiiOS, Android, macOS, Windows
CategoryCommunicationEmail Marketing

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

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 Novu

  • Multi-channel workflows
  • Advanced email editor
  • Activity feed
  • Multi-environment support
  • Role-based access control
  • Self-hosting

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.

Novu

  • Building multi-channel notification workflows for a SaaS productnot Shortwave
  • Self-hosting notification infrastructure for data controlnot Shortwave
  • Managing separate notification environments for staging and productionnot Shortwave
  • Tracking notification delivery history and activitynot Shortwave

Shortwave

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

Where each one falls short

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

Novu

  • Free plan activity feed retention is limited to 24 hours, restricting how far back teams can debug delivery issues.
  • Overage on Pro and Team plans is billed at $1.20 per 1,000 additional workflow runs, which can add up at scale.
  • HIPAA BAA compliance and dedicated SSO are Enterprise-only and require custom pricing.

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

Novu

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 10,000 workflow runs/month
    • All channels included
    • Up to 20 workflows
  • Pro$30/month
    • 30,000+ workflow runs/month
    • Advanced email editor
    • Remove Novu branding
  • Team$250/month
    • 250,000+ workflow runs/month
    • Up to 10 environments
    • 90-day activity feed retention

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 Novu if

  • You need multi-channel workflows.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want advanced email editor.
Novu 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 Novu or Shortwave better?
Neither clearly leads. Novu 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, Novu or Shortwave?
Novu starts at Free and Shortwave at Free.
Does Novu or Shortwave run on more platforms?
Novu runs on web, api. Shortwave runs on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Novu for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Novu best used for?
Novu is most often used for building multi-channel notification workflows for a saas product, self-hosting notification infrastructure for data control, managing separate notification environments for staging and production, tracking notification delivery history and activity. Of those, building multi-channel notification workflows for a saas product and self-hosting notification infrastructure for data control are not what Shortwave is typically brought in for.
What can Novu do that Shortwave cannot?
Novu covers Multi-channel workflows, Advanced email editor, Activity feed, Multi-environment support. Shortwave covers AI Email Filtering, Intelligent Autocomplete, Voice-Style Composition, Meeting Scheduling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Novu: What does Novu cost?

Novu offers a Free plan for 10,000 workflow runs per month, Pro from $30/month for 30,000+ runs, Team from $250/month for 250,000+ runs, and custom Enterprise pricing for 10M+ runs.

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
Novu: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

Yes, the Free plan includes 10,000 workflow runs per month, all messaging channels, up to 20 workflows, 2 environments, and up to 3 team members.

Source
Shortwave: What platforms does Shortwave support?

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

Source
Novu: How is usage metered?

Billing is based on the number of workflow runs per month rather than per user or per message, with overage on paid plans charged at $1.20 per 1,000 additional runs.

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
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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