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Technology · head to head

Raycast vs Shortwave

Raycast logo

Raycast

Technology

Blazingly fast, totally extendable launcher

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: Raycast the free plan includes 50 Raycast AI messages, 5 notes and 3 months of clipboard history; Shortwave per-seat pricing increases team costs compared to flat-rate email solutions
  • They diverge on capability: Raycast covers Application launcher, Shortwave covers AI Email Filtering.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Raycast and Shortwave actually diverge.

Attributes where Raycast and Shortwave differ
AttributeRaycastShortwave
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsMacosiOS, Android, macOS, Windows
CategoryTechnologyEmail Marketing
Founded2020Unknown

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 Raycast

  • Application launcher
  • File search
  • Clipboard history
  • Snippets
  • Window management
  • Calculator
  • System commands
  • Extension ecosystem

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.

Raycast

  • App launchingnot Shortwave
  • Quick calculationsnot Shortwave
  • File navigationnot Shortwave
  • Snippet expansionnot Shortwave
  • Workflow automationnot Shortwave

Shortwave

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

Where each one falls short

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

Raycast

  • The free plan includes 50 Raycast AI messages, 5 notes and 3 months of clipboard history
  • Advanced AI models are sold only as an add-on to the paid Pro plan at a further $8 per month on top of the $10 subscription
  • Free team workspaces cap sharing at 30 snippets, 30 quicklinks and 5 commands across all extensions
  • Teams Pro is $15 per user per month, billed per seat rather than per workspace

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

Raycast

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Core features: Clipboard History, Quicklinks, Calculator, Snippets, Window Management
    • Thousands of community extensions
    • 3-month clipboard history
  • Pro$10/month
    • Raycast AI with advanced models
    • Unlimited clipboard history
    • Unlimited notes
  • Pro Annual$8/month
    • Same as Pro plan
    • Annual billing saves 20% compared to monthly
  • Teams FreeFree
    • No cost per user
    • Shared extensions, snippets, and quicklinks

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 Raycast if

  • You need application launcher.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Macos.
  • You also want file search.
Raycast 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 Raycast or Shortwave better?
Neither clearly leads. Raycast 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, Raycast or Shortwave?
Raycast starts at Free and Shortwave at Free.
Does Raycast or Shortwave run on more platforms?
Raycast runs on Macos. Shortwave runs on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Raycast for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Raycast best used for?
Raycast is most often used for app launching, quick calculations, file navigation, snippet expansion. Of those, app launching and quick calculations are not what Shortwave is typically brought in for.
What can Raycast do that Shortwave cannot?
Raycast covers Application launcher, File search, Clipboard history, Snippets. Shortwave covers AI Email Filtering, Intelligent Autocomplete, Voice-Style Composition, Meeting Scheduling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Raycast: Does Raycast offer a free plan?

Yes. Raycast has a free plan with core features including clipboard history, quicklinks, calculator, snippets, window management, and access to thousands of community extensions.

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
Raycast: How much does Raycast Pro cost?

Raycast Pro costs $10 per month or $8 per month when billed annually, saving 20% with yearly subscription.

Source
Shortwave: What platforms does Shortwave support?

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

Source
Raycast: Does Raycast offer team plans?

Yes. Teams Free tier is available at no cost per user with shared extensions and snippets. Teams Pro costs $15 per user per month with unlimited team members.

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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