Shortwave Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Shortwave pricing varies by team size and features, ranging from $0 to $100 per user/month in 2026. Your actual cost depends on the tier you choose, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: No free tier available
- Billing: Monthly and annual (save 15-20%)
- Hidden costs: Add ~35% for implementation, support, and training
Shortwave offers a freemium model with limited features; upgrade to unlock more.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- Core email productivity features
- Smart Bundles for email categorization
- Basic AI summaries
- Drag-and-drop bundle creation
- Travel and social media auto-bundling
- Basic AI assistant access
- Predictive autocomplete
- Snooze and reminders
- Calendar integration
What's NOT Included (Paid Only)
- Everything in Free plan
- Standard AI intelligence level
- AI-powered search (5-year history)
- Attachment analysis with AI
- AI memory and saved prompts
- Instant AI replies
- Personalized AI writing (Write in your Voice)
- Email splits, bundles, and delivery schedules
- AI-powered snooze
- Todos and read statuses
- Link tracking
- Snippets for quick responses
- Automatic follow-up reminders
- Thread sharing and team comments
- Assignees and shared labels
- Up to 50 threads per AI search
- 3 AI-powered filters
- ~150-300 daily AI requests
- No 'Sent with Shortwave' signature
- 14-day free trial included
Free Plan Limits
| Limit | Free Plan | Paid Plans |
|---|---|---|
| searchHistory | 90 days | Unlimited/Higher |
| accounts | 1 email account | Unlimited/Higher |
| aiFeatures | Basic AI only, not personalized | Unlimited/Higher |
| signature | Mandatory 'Sent with Shortwave' signature | Unlimited/Higher |
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like Everything in Free plan or Standard AI intelligence level
- You require premium support or SLA guarantees
- You need to remove branding or watermarks
- You need advanced integrations or API access
Hidden Restrictions on Free Plan
- Shortwave branding may appear on your content or communications
- Support is limited to community forums or email with longer response times
- Export options may be restricted or include watermarks
- API access is typically limited or not available
- Advanced reporting and analytics require paid plans
Free vs Paid: Which Do You Need?
Free Plan is Enough If...
- You're an individual or very small team
- You need only basic features
- You don't mind usage limits
- Branding on output is acceptable
- Community support is sufficient
You Need Paid If...
- Your team is growing beyond limits
- You need advanced features
- Professional branding is required
- You need priority support
- Integrations/API access is critical
Free vs Business Plan Comparison
| Free $0 | Business $30/user/month | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 9 included | 20+ included |
| Support | Community/Email | Priority Support |
| Branding | Shortwave branding | Your branding |
| Best For | Users wanting to try AI-powered email management with basic inbox organization before committing to a paid plan | Business professionals and teams needing everyday AI productivity for email management with full search history |
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Shortwave free?
Yes, Shortwave offers a freemium plan with 9 core features included. However, there are limits on searchhistory, accounts that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in Shortwave's free plan?
Shortwave's free plan includes: Core email productivity features, Smart Bundles for email categorization, Basic AI summaries, Drag-and-drop bundle creation, Travel and social media auto-bundling, and 4 more features. Key limits include searchHistory: 90 days, accounts: 1 email account, aiFeatures: Basic AI only, not personalized.
03 What's NOT included in Shortwave's free plan?
The free plan excludes: Everything in Free plan, Standard AI intelligence level, AI-powered search (5-year history), Attachment analysis with AI, AI memory and saved prompts. You'll also have Shortwave branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from Shortwave's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like Everything in Free plan or Standard AI intelligence level, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $30/user/month.
05 Is Shortwave's free plan really free forever?
Yes, Shortwave's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit. However, feature and usage limits may restrict what you can do without upgrading to a paid plan.
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