Shortwave vs Spark Mail

Compared on	Shortwave Free plan · from $18/seat/mo VisitRemove	Spark Mail Free plan · from $8.25/user/mo VisitRemove
What it is	AI email client for Gmail and Google Workspace accounts	Cross-platform email app with a smart inbox, AI writing and team features
Free plan	Basic AI with a limited usage quota; 90 days of standard and AI search history; up to 15 threads per AI search; basic inbox settings; adds a 'Sent with Shortwave' email signature.	Unlimited email accounts and core email features; AI assistant limited to 1 month of email history; 5 AI meeting notes (lifetime); 2 free active collaborators; 10 assignments per team; 5 GB team file storage.
Cheapest paid plan	$18/seat/mo (Pro)Shortwave pricing	$8.25/user/mo billed annually (Plus)Spark Mail pricing
What it covers	Listed as $18 per seat/month on the Individual tab; the pricing page shows no annual billing option.	$99 per year when billed annually.
Free trial	14-day free trial of paid plans	7-day free trial of Plus or Pro when subscribing in the app
Platforms	Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android	macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
Integrations (vendor's figure)	Not stated	Not stated
Open source	No	No
Good for	Finding old emails and attachments by asking questions in plain English Sorting a busy Gmail inbox automatically with AI filters Sharing and assigning customer email threads within a small team	Managing several email accounts in one app across computer and phone Drafting and summarising emails with AI Sharing and assigning emails within a small team
Watch out for	Sign-in requires Gmail or Google Workspace; Microsoft 365 and Exchange are not supported, and other providers work only through forwarding Free plan limits search history to 90 days and adds a 'Sent with Shortwave' signature Each plan has a daily AI usage quota; higher tiers give more usage	Free plan AI assistant only covers 1 month of email history and includes 5 lifetime meeting notes Free plan allows 2 active collaborators and 10 assignments per team Workflows, Auto-Labels and Auto-Drafts are listed as coming soon on Pro
Made by	Shortwave Communications, Inc.	Readdle (Spark Mail Limited)

Entry prices are the cheapest paid plan, as each vendor publishes it; “What it covers” says what that price is per (a user, a channel, a brand, a number of contacts). The sources are listed on each tool's page.

Every tool in AI email and inbox tools is on its category page, with the written head-to-heads on Compare.