Shortwave Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Shortwave costs Free to $120 per user/month as of July 2026, with 5 plans available including a free tier. Plans: Free (free), Business at $30/user/month, Premier at $45/user/month, and Max at $120/user/month. Enterprise pricing is available on request. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: Yes
Shortwave offers 5 pricing tiers: Free, Business, Premier, Max, Enterprise. A free plan is available. Paid plans include Business at $30/user/month, Premier at $45/user/month, Max at $120/user/month. The Business plan is business professionals and teams needing everyday ai productivity for email management with full search history.
Yes, Shortwave offers a freemium plan as of July 2026. The free tier includes 8 features with limits on searchhistory and accounts. Paid plans start at $30/user/month (Business). Pricing verified from 5 sources by CostBench.
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
- Basic AI assistant access
- Predictive autocomplete
- Snooze and reminders
- Calendar integration
What's NOT Included (Paid Only)
- Standard AI intelligence level
- Full standard search history
- 5 years AI search history
- Max 50 threads per AI search
- 3 AI-powered filters
- AI integrations & web browsing
- AI autocomplete, summaries & attachment analysis
- Read statuses, link tracking, snippets & more
- 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 Standard AI intelligence level or Full standard search history
- 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 | 8 included | 9+ 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 8 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, Basic AI assistant access, and 3 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: Standard AI intelligence level, Full standard search history, 5 years AI search history, Max 50 threads per AI search, 3 AI-powered filters. 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 Standard AI intelligence level or Full standard search history, 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.