What is Shortwave?
Shortwave is an AI‑powered email client designed to automate your inbox and workflow. They use advanced AI to organize and prioritize emails, filter and label messages using plain‑English scripts,. They offer AI search that can analyze your team’s emails and attachments for answers, smart autocomplete suggestions, and scheduling tools that check availability and create calendar events.
Why look for Shortwave alternatives?
Though Shortwave offers a clean interface and affordable pricing, it lacks personalization in AI replies and requires users to adapt to a new workflow that doesn't integrate with Gmail or Outlook effectively. This can hinder productivity and make email management cumbersome for many. Exploring alternatives like Untyped, Gemini, and Copilot can provide users with more tailored solutions for their email needs.
1. Untyped
Untyped is an AI assistant that connects to Gmail or Outlook and generates draft replies for incoming emails. It analyzes your past emails to learn your writing style and creates responses that match your tone. It prepares drafts automatically when new messages arrive, allowing you to review and send them quickly. Untyped also supports inbox organization through labeling, categorization, and workflow features.
Pros
- 5 minute setup to work directly in Gmail & Outlook with simple pricing at 15 usd per month.
- Trains itself automatically on your entire email history and keeps learning afterwards.
- Scores exceptional on drafting replies exactly in your tone of voice.
- Very flexible to manually add data and with possibilities to connect external datasources.
Cons
- No possibility to transcribe meetings.
- Is not compatible with IMAP so it can only be of use when you use either Gmail or Outlook / Microsoft 365.
When to choose Untyped over Shortwave?
You should choose Untyped over Shortwave if you prioritize personalized email replies that match your unique tone of voice, as Untyped learns from your email history. Additionally, the seamless integration with Gmail and Outlook means you can maintain your workflow without disruptions. The affordable pricing and easy setup make it a valuable tool for email management.
2. Gemini
Gemini in Gmail is Google’s built-in AI assistant for email creation and management. It supports drafting messages, rewriting text, summarizing long threads, creating structured responses, and generating content based on prompts. It operates within Gmail and leverages Google Workspace data to produce context-relevant output.
Pros
- Seemless integration with Gmail, making it easy to integrate.
- Can also be used to summarize received emails.
Cons
- Is not trained on your history accurately and scores relatively low at drafting replies according to actual previous conversations. Drafts generic replies instead.
- It's hard to get AI to respond in your own tone of voice.
- Requires you to use Gmail natively.
When to choose Gemini over Shortwave?
Gemini should be chosen over Shortwave when you need basic email drafting capabilities integrated directly within Gmail. However, keep in mind that Gemini tends to produce generic replies and does not leverage your email history effectively, which may limit its personalization features. If simplicity within the Gmail environment is paramount, Gemini may be a suitable option.
3. Copilot
Copilot in Outlook is an AI assistant integrated into Microsoft 365. It helps with drafting emails, summarizing threads, generating replies, organizing information from your inbox, and handling routine communication tasks. It works directly inside Outlook and uses data from Microsoft 365 to provide context-aware suggestions.
Pros
- Seemless integration with Outlook.
- Brings other features like AI summarizations.
Cons
- It's a reactive assistant rather than an autonomous agent that decides itself whether or not it will draft a reply.
- Doesn't directly use your email history when drafting replies, rather using generic models.
- Requires you to use Outlook natively.
When to choose Copilot over Shortwave?
Opt for Copilot if you are looking for an AI email assistant that integrates with Outlook and provides additional features like summarizing threads. However, be aware that Copilot relies on generic AI models and may not tailor responses based on your previous emails accurately. It's a viable choice for those already embedded in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, but it lacks the personalized touch found in better alternatives.
4. Superhuman
Superhuman is a productivity suite built around an AI‑native email app that helps teams move through their inboxes faster while staying perfectly coordinated. They triage incoming messages with a split inbox to surface what matters, draft replies that sound like you and can even send on your behalf, and remind you to follow up on time. They let you share and comment on live email threads with teammates, automate repetitive responses with Snippets an use instant replies.
Pros
- Superhuman has got a calendar integration.
- With Superhuman, you can connect social media channels for insights.
Cons
- It's yet another new complicated tool: Superhuman doesn't work in Gmail or Outlook and forces you to learn a new interface that breaks current workflows.
- There is no flexibility to train the AI tools within Superhuman on additional information.
- Starts at 40 usd per month if you need basic features like AI drafting, without a free trial.
When to choose Superhuman over Shortwave?
Superhuman is advisable if you require advanced productivity features that help triage emails and provide reminders. Despite its complexity and lack of integration with Gmail or Outlook, its robust capabilities can enhance email efficiency for users willing to learn and adapt. Consider Superhuman if budget and learning curve are not significant concerns for you.
5. MaestroLabs
With MailMaestro, you can develop AI email and meeting assistants that help professionals write, reply to and refine emails, summarize entire threads and attachments, manage priority inboxes and reminders, and record, transcribe and summarize meetings in multiple languages.
Pros
- With MaestroLabs you can also transcribe your meetings, which can be of help for sales teams.
- Affordable pricing.
Cons
- There is no flexibility to train your AI agent on additional information and there is no possibiltiy to connect external datasources.
- The agent isn't trained very well on your history, resulting in you having to rewrite lots of emails.
- Takes a few weeks to fully personalize and learn your tone of voice when writing replies.
When to choose MaestroLabs over Shortwave?
Choose MaestroLabs if you need transcribing capabilities and are looking for an AI tool that can handle emails and meetings effectively. However, be cautious, as it lacks external data connection flexibility and personalization from your past emails. This may result in less efficient email drafting, requiring additional rewriting.
Conclusion about making the switch
Making the switch to alternatives like Untyped is advisable due to its ability to learn from your email history and provide tailored responses that match your voice. Unlike Shortwave, which poses workflow challenges and impersonal interactions, Untyped's integration with Gmail and Outlook enhances productivity without learning hurdles. In summary, the optimal choice for a more efficient and personalized email experience would be to transition to Untyped.
Shortwave FAQ:
What is Shortwave?
Shortwave is an AI-powered email client designed to automate your inbox and workflow. It organizes and prioritizes emails and filters messages using plain-English scripts. Shortwave is tailored for users looking for efficiency but may lack important personalization features.
How much does Shortwave cost?
Shortwave’s free plan lets users try the AI email assistant with basic intelligence, limited usage and a 90‑day search history. The Individual “Pro” subscription costs $14 per user per month with annual billing ($18 monthly) and includes standard AI intelligence, full search history, 3 years of AI search history and larger usage limits (up to 50 threads per search). Team plans are Business at $24 per seat per month billed annually ($30 monthly), Premier at $36 billed annually ($45 monthly) and Max at $100 billed annually ($120 monthly), each adding progressively higher intelligence, AI usage quotas and search/thread capacities, while Enterprise pricing is available on request.
How to improve the AI answers in Shortwave?
Improving the AI answers in Shortwave is challenging due to its limited learning from your specific email history, making contextually relevant responses difficult. As it cannot adapt to your tone or style effectively, it could be beneficial to switch to alternatives like Untyped, which allows for greater flexibility and personalization. Thus, for users seeking enhanced AI responses, alternatives may offer more viable solutions.
What is the best Shortwave alternative?
The best Shortwave alternative is Untyped, as it connects directly to your email and understands your writing style to draft personalized replies. Unlike Shortwave, Untyped continuously learns from your email interactions, ensuring that responses replicate your tone. This makes it a highly effective choice for users seeking seamless integration and tailored communication.
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