Shortwave and Superhuman both aim at people who spend much of their day in email, and both lean hard on AI. They are priced in a similar range, so the choice comes down to how you want AI to help. Prices were checked on November 1, 2026.
1
People who want AI to automate inbox workShortwave
14-day trial; plans from about $30/month Shortwave describes itself as an AI agent app for business communication, starting with email. It can organize your inbox, schedule, write, search, summarize and automate workflows. It connects to tools such as Slack, Calendar, Notion, Asana and HubSpot, which helps if email is only one part of your work. Plans start with Business at $30 a month, and the higher Premier and Max tiers raise the AI usage, search history and filter allowances. A 14-day free trial is advertised.
Pick it if you want AI to take work off your plate, not just help you type.
2
People who want keyboard speed with AI helpSuperhuman
From about $25/member/month billed yearly Superhuman Mail is an email productivity app for Gmail and Outlook. Its focus is speed: it is built around keyboard shortcuts. It adds AI writing, summaries and search, inbox organization, reminders, read receipts and follow-up tracking. Teams get shared conversations and comments. Starter is $25 per member per month billed annually, Business is $33, and Enterprise is custom.
Pick it if you want to fly through email yourself, with AI as a helper.
Both are premium tools, and both cost several hundred dollars a year. Choose Shortwave if you want deeper AI automation and links to your other work tools, and are ready to pay more for higher tiers. Choose Superhuman if speed and a keyboard-driven workflow matter most, along with read receipts and follow-up tracking. Shortwave's 14-day trial makes it easy to test on a busy week before you commit.
