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Email Marketing · head to head

Shortwave vs Superhuman

Shortwave logo

Shortwave

Email Marketing

AI-powered email assistant for intelligent inbox management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Superhuman logo

Superhuman

Technology

The fastest email experience ever made

From
$30/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Shortwave has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Shortwave per-seat pricing increases team costs compared to flat-rate email solutions; Superhuman high pricing compared to free alternatives like Gmail
  • They diverge on capability: Shortwave covers AI Email Filtering, Superhuman covers Blazing fast performance.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Shortwave and Superhuman actually diverge.

Attributes where Shortwave and Superhuman differ
AttributeShortwaveSuperhuman
Starting priceFree$30/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, macOS, WindowsWeb, iOS
CategoryEmail MarketingTechnology
FoundedUnknown2015

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 Shortwave

  • AI Email Filtering
  • Intelligent Autocomplete
  • Voice-Style Composition
  • Meeting Scheduling
  • Email-to-Todo Conversion
  • AI-Powered Search
  • Team Collaboration
  • Email Summaries

Only in Superhuman

  • Blazing fast performance
  • Keyboard-first design
  • AI-powered triage
  • Split inbox
  • Read statuses
  • Remind me later
  • Social insights
  • Calendar integration

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Shortwave

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

Superhuman

  • Email managementnot Shortwave
  • Inbox zeronot Shortwave
  • Team collaborationnot Shortwave
  • Sales outreachnot Shortwave
  • Executive communicationnot Shortwave

Where each one falls short

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

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

Superhuman

  • High pricing compared to free alternatives like Gmail
  • Lacks unified inbox for managing multiple email accounts in a single view
  • Limited calendar functionality compared to dedicated scheduling tools
  • No native task management features

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Superhuman

$30/month
  • Starter$30/month
    • Email productivity
    • Superhuman AI
    • Team collaboration
  • Business$40/month
    • Auto Drafts
    • Ask AI
    • CRM integrations

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Superhuman if

  • You need blazing fast performance.
  • You work on Web, iOS.
  • You also want keyboard-first design.
Superhuman review

Questions people ask

Is Shortwave or Superhuman better?
Neither clearly leads. Shortwave starts at Free and Superhuman at $30/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Shortwave or Superhuman?
Shortwave has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Shortwave and $30/month for Superhuman.
Does Shortwave or Superhuman run on more platforms?
Shortwave runs on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows. Superhuman runs on Web, iOS.
Can I use Shortwave for free?
Yes. Shortwave has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Superhuman starts at $30/month.
What is Shortwave best used for?
Shortwave is most often used for reducing inbox overload through ai-powered organization, drafting professional emails using natural language, scheduling meetings without back-and-forth coordination, searching email archives using conversational queries. Of those, reducing inbox overload through ai-powered organization and drafting professional emails using natural language are not what Superhuman is typically brought in for.
What can Shortwave do that Superhuman cannot?
Shortwave covers AI Email Filtering, Intelligent Autocomplete, Voice-Style Composition, Meeting Scheduling. Superhuman covers Blazing fast performance, Keyboard-first design, AI-powered triage, Split inbox.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Superhuman: How much does Superhuman cost?

Superhuman offers three plans: Starter at $30/user/month, Business at $40/user/month, and Enterprise with custom pricing. Annual billing provides approximately 16.7% savings, bringing the Starter plan to $25/month.

Source
Shortwave: What platforms does Shortwave support?

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

Source
Superhuman: What email platforms does Superhuman work with?

Superhuman is compatible with Gmail and Outlook, and integrates with Google Calendar and Akiflow for calendar and task planning workflows.

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
Superhuman: Does the Business plan include CRM integrations?

Yes, the Business plan at $40/month unlocks CRM integrations with HubSpot and Salesforce, along with advanced AI features like Auto Drafts and Ask AI.

Source
Shortwave: What integrations does Shortwave support?

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

Source
Superhuman: What happened to Superhuman after the Grammarly acquisition?

Superhuman was acquired by Grammarly on July 1, 2025. The company now operates under the Superhuman name while integrating with Grammarly's AI platform.

Source
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