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Email Marketing · head to head

SAP Emarsys vs Shortwave

SAP Emarsys logo

SAP Emarsys

Email Marketing

Retail-focused engagement platform now sold and contracted through SAP

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shortwave logo

Shortwave

Email Marketing

AI-powered email assistant for intelligent inbox management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Shortwave has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: SAP Emarsys core modules including analytics, recommendations and loyalty are licensed separately, so the platform fee in the first quote is rarely the number you eventually sign.; Shortwave per-seat pricing increases team costs compared to flat-rate email solutions
  • They diverge on capability: SAP Emarsys covers Tactics library, Shortwave covers AI Email Filtering.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SAP Emarsys and Shortwave actually diverge.

Attributes where SAP Emarsys and Shortwave differ
AttributeSAP EmarsysShortwave
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, REST APIiOS, Android, macOS, Windows

Identical on both: 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 SAP Emarsys

  • Tactics library
  • Cross-channel campaigns
  • Smart Insight
  • Predict
  • Loyalty
  • SAP Commerce integration

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.

SAP Emarsys

  • A retailer that needs standard lifecycle programmes live in weeks rather than building them from scratchnot Shortwave
  • An SAP Commerce Cloud customer that wants engagement contracted on the same paper as the commerce platformnot Shortwave
  • Consolidating email, SMS, push and paid audience suppression for a catalogue retailernot Shortwave
  • Teams that want per-programme revenue reporting without building attribution logic themselvesnot Shortwave

Shortwave

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

Where each one falls short

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

SAP Emarsys

  • Core modules including analytics, recommendations and loyalty are licensed separately, so the platform fee in the first quote is rarely the number you eventually sign.
  • Licensing counts stored contacts, so a database retained for years costs money every month regardless of whether those contacts are still mailable.
  • Since the SAP acquisition, contracting and support escalation follow SAP processes, which lengthens procurement noticeably for buyers who are not already SAP customers.
  • The product is built around retail patterns, so B2B, media and subscription use cases sit awkwardly on a data model designed for orders and products.
  • Implementation normally involves a partner and runs to a quarter, so the speed advantage of the tactics library only applies after the integration work is finished.

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

SAP Emarsys

On request
  • SAP Emarsys Customer Engagement$undefined/year
    • Licensed on stored contact volume with send allowances
    • Smart Insight, Predict and Loyalty modules licensed separately
    • Annual contract through SAP procurement

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 SAP Emarsys if

  • You need tactics library.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, REST API.
  • You also want cross-channel campaigns.
SAP Emarsys 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 SAP Emarsys or Shortwave better?
Neither clearly leads. SAP Emarsys starts at On request and Shortwave at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SAP Emarsys or Shortwave?
Shortwave has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for SAP Emarsys and Free for Shortwave.
Does SAP Emarsys or Shortwave run on more platforms?
SAP Emarsys runs on Web, iOS, Android, REST API. Shortwave runs on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Shortwave for free?
Yes. Shortwave has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SAP Emarsys starts at On request.
What is SAP Emarsys best used for?
SAP Emarsys is most often used for a retailer that needs standard lifecycle programmes live in weeks rather than building them from scratch, an sap commerce cloud customer that wants engagement contracted on the same paper as the commerce platform, consolidating email, sms, push and paid audience suppression for a catalogue retailer, teams that want per-programme revenue reporting without building attribution logic themselves. Of those, a retailer that needs standard lifecycle programmes live in weeks rather than building them from scratch and an sap commerce cloud customer that wants engagement contracted on the same paper as the commerce platform are not what Shortwave is typically brought in for.
What can SAP Emarsys do that Shortwave cannot?
SAP Emarsys covers Tactics library, Cross-channel campaigns, Smart Insight, Predict. Shortwave covers AI Email Filtering, Intelligent Autocomplete, Voice-Style Composition, Meeting Scheduling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SAP Emarsys: Do we need to be an SAP customer?

No, it is sold standalone. But the contracting, legal and support processes are SAP processes, which is a real cost for smaller buyers.

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
SAP Emarsys: What is actually included in the base licence?

Contacts, channels and the tactics library. Smart Insight, Predict and Loyalty are commonly assumed to be included and are not.

Shortwave: What platforms does Shortwave support?

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

Source
SAP Emarsys: Is it suited to B2B?

Not really. The data model and the tactic library assume retail orders, products and repeat purchase behaviour.

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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