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Shortwave vs Slashy

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. Shortwave starts at $30, Slashy at $25.

ShortwaveAI-first email client for Gmail with deep assistant searchSlashyEmail client that drafts replies in your voice, holds the meeting and chases threads that stalled

Side by side

FactShortwaveSlashy
CategoryEmail ManagementEmail Management
Pricing modelPaidPaid
Starts at$30 month$25 seat_month
Public APINoNo
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, AndroidWeb
CompanyShortwave Communications, Inc.Slashy, Inc.
Last verifiedSep 6, 2026Sep 6, 2026

What our research says

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

Slashy

Slashy's difference from the pile of inbox assistants is that one instruction spans the reply, the calendar hold and the attachment instead of just producing text. Style learning from your own sent mail makes the drafts usable rather than generic. It is priced like a premium client and there is no free tier, so the trial week is your only look before paying.

Pros

  • A single instruction can draft the reply, hold the calendar slot and attach the file
  • Drafts learn tone from your sent mail and from each correction you make
  • Meaning-based search across threads and attachments, not keyword matching
  • Finds stalled threads and prepares the follow-up before you notice
  • SOC 2 Type II and CASA Tier 2, with a stated no-training commitment from its model providers

Cons

  • No free tier at all — the only entry is a card-backed 7-day trial
  • $25 to $30 per seat per month is high for an inbox tool
  • Full inbox and calendar access is required for it to work at all
  • Enterprise pricing is unpublished

Which one fits

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

Choose Slashy if you need

  • Founders and investors whose inbox is the main coordination surface
  • People who spend more time scheduling than writing
  • Teams that want drafts prepared before they open the thread

More comparisons

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