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Protime AI vs Shortwave

Two fact sheets from our own research, side by side — pricing, platforms, API access and status re-checked by us rather than quoted from the vendors. Protime AI starts at $7.85, Shortwave at $30. Only Protime AI has a free tier.

Protime AIA Swiss morning-briefing assistant that flags business-register risk, drafts email replies, and curates news.ShortwaveAI-first email client for Gmail with deep assistant search

Side by side

FactProtime AIShortwave
CategoryNews Monitoring & BriefingsEmail Management
Pricing modelFreemiumPaid
Starts at$7.85 month$30 month
Public APINoNo
PlatformsWebWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
CompanyProtimeShortwave Communications, Inc.
Last verifiedSep 1, 2026Sep 6, 2026

What our research says

Protime AI

Protime bundles three things a busy owner might otherwise check separately, partner risk, inbox replies, and news, into one morning briefing, and the Swiss business-register monitoring is a genuinely specific feature most general assistants don't offer. It's built around Swiss data sources and CHF pricing, so its core risk-alert value is strongest for people actually doing business in Switzerland.

Pros

  • Swiss business-register monitoring is a specific, verifiable data source rather than generic risk scoring
  • Bundles register alerts, inbox drafting, and news into a single daily briefing
  • 14-day trial requires no card to start
  • Optional AML/sanctions screening package for users who need it

Cons

  • Core value (register monitoring) is specific to Switzerland and less useful elsewhere
  • Pricing is spread across several overlapping tiers and add-ons in Swiss francs, which takes some reading to compare
  • Draft-reply quality in a user's own voice is hard to judge without testing it on real correspondence

Shortwave

The strongest AI layer on Gmail right now, priced accordingly: $30 a seat is Superhuman money for a product whose real value is search and the assistant, not keyboard shortcuts. Worth it only if you interrogate old mail rather than just triage new mail.

Pros

  • AI search across multi-year history is the feature rivals handle worst
  • Real desktop apps for macOS and Windows plus iOS and Android, not a web wrapper
  • Collaboration is built in rather than bolted on
  • Model class is an explicit priced choice instead of a black box

Cons

  • No free plan and no cheap individual tier any more
  • Gmail-only, which rules out a large share of business mail
  • The $120 Max seat is hard to justify outside very heavy use
  • No public API to build on

Which one fits

Choose Protime AI if you need

  • Business owners in Switzerland tracking partner and counterparty risk
  • Decision-makers wanting inbox replies drafted in their own voice each morning

Choose Shortwave if you need

  • People whose job is finding things buried in years of email: recruiters, founders, account managers
  • Small teams wanting shared threads and assignment without adopting a helpdesk
  • Gmail users who liked Google Inbox and want a modern equivalent

More comparisons

Browse all News Monitoring & Briefings →