Softwr

Email Marketing · head to head

Loops vs Shortwave

Loops logo

Loops

Email Marketing

Email platform for modern startups

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: Loops free plan limited to 1000 subscribed contacts; 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 Loops and Shortwave actually diverge.

Attributes where Loops and Shortwave differ
AttributeLoopsShortwave
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 Loops

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.

Loops

  • Setting up lifecycle email from onboarding to winbacknot Shortwave
  • Consolidating product, marketing, and transactional emailsnot Shortwave
  • Designing email themes picked up automaticallynot Shortwave
  • Tracking revenue attribution to specific emailsnot Shortwave

Shortwave

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

Where each one falls short

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

Loops

  • Free plan limited to 1000 subscribed contacts
  • Free plan limited to 4000 sends per month
  • Free plan includes Powered by Loops branding footer
  • Paid plan pricing not publicly specified, requires using pricing calculator

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

Loops

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 1000 subscribed contacts
    • Up to 4000 sends per month
    • Up to 10 emails per second

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 Loops if

  • You want to start without paying.
Loops 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 Loops or Shortwave better?
Neither clearly leads. Loops 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, Loops or Shortwave?
Loops starts at Free and Shortwave at Free.
Does Loops or Shortwave run on more platforms?
Loops runs on Web. Shortwave runs on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Loops for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Loops best used for?
Loops is most often used for setting up lifecycle email from onboarding to winback, consolidating product, marketing, and transactional emails, designing email themes picked up automatically, tracking revenue attribution to specific emails. Of those, setting up lifecycle email from onboarding to winback and consolidating product, marketing, and transactional emails are not what Shortwave is typically brought in for.
What can Loops do that Shortwave cannot?
Shortwave covers AI Email Filtering, Intelligent Autocomplete, Voice-Style Composition, Meeting Scheduling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Loops: Does Loops have a free plan?

Yes, Loops is free to start with no credit card required. The free plan supports up to 1000 subscribed contacts and up to 4000 sends per month, with up to 10 emails per second.

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
Loops: What are the limitations of Loops' free plan?

The free plan includes all features but is limited to 1000 subscribed contacts and 4000 sends per month. The free plan displays a Powered by Loops footer in emails.

Source
Shortwave: What platforms does Shortwave support?

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

Source
Loops: How much do Loops paid plans cost?

Loops paid plans use contact-based pricing, meaning costs scale with the number of subscribed contacts synced to Loops. Exact pricing requires using Loops' pricing calculator based on your subscriber count.

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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