Cora vs Shortwave

Cora

• Gmail and Google Workspace users buried in newsletters and notifications
• People who want replies drafted for them but prefer to press send themselves
• Developers who want to give an AI agent access to their inbox through a CLI

Shortwave

• Gmail and Google Workspace users who want AI to triage and draft email
• Teams that want to comment on and assign email threads internally
• People who want Google Inbox-style bundles on top of Gmail

Cora

• Gmail and Google Workspace only: the site says Outlook and other email providers are not supported yet.
• There is no free plan. The pricing FAQ gives a 7-day free trial, while the help center's plans article says 14 days.
• Professional covers 2 email accounts; adding more needs Unlimited at $39 a month billed annually.
• Cora only handles mail that arrives after it is turned on, so it does not clear an existing backlog.

Shortwave

• Sign-in requires Gmail or Google Workspace. Microsoft 365 and Exchange are not supported, and other providers only work by forwarding mail to Gmail.
• Paid plans start at $18 per seat a month for individuals and $30 on the business plans, and AI usage on every plan is capped by a daily quota.
• The Business plan limits AI search to 5 years of history and allows 3 AI filters.
• Native apps cover Mac, Windows, iOS and Android; other platforms rely on the web app.

Cora

Inbox screening

Cora checks for new mail every 10 minutes and sorts each message by your rules first, then by AI. Mail that needs a prompt reply stays in the Gmail inbox and the rest is archived for the next Brief.

Twice-daily Briefs

A Brief summarizes newsletters, promotions, notifications and FYI messages by category, by default each morning and afternoon. It arrives as an email and can also be read on the web.

Draft replies in your voice

When Cora has enough context from your email history, it writes a reply and leaves it in your drafts folder for you to review, edit and send.

Cora Assistant

A chat on the web, also reachable by email, that searches your mail, creates categories and sender rules, and remembers facts and preferences you tell it.

To-do list

A built-in to-do list with priorities and due dates. Emails you send to yourself become to-dos automatically, and any email can be turned into one from its action menu.

CLI and agent access

A command-line tool, in beta for macOS and Linux, exposes the inbox, briefs, rules and to-dos as commands so that AI agents such as Claude Code can read and act on your email.

Shortwave

AI assistant

Prompt the assistant to organize the inbox, write in your own voice, search mail or schedule a meeting. It can also browse the web and analyze attachments.

AI filters

Describe a rule in plain English and it labels, stars or archives incoming mail. Business includes 3 AI filters, Premier 10 and Max 50.

Split inbox and bundles

Divide the inbox into tabs by sender, label or custom query, and triage promotions, newsletters and updates in bulk as bundles.

AI search

Ask questions across your mail instead of keyword searching. Business reaches back 5 years and reads up to 50 threads per search; Premier removes the history limit.

Team collaboration

Share a live thread with teammates, discuss it in private comments, assign emails with a done status, and keep shared labels, snippets and saved prompts.

Scheduling and follow-ups

The assistant checks availability, creates calendar events and writes scheduling emails. Snooze, delivery schedules and no-reply reminders are also included.

Cora

• Professional$20

  per month, billed annually ($240); $25 billed monthly

  2 email accounts, AI inbox organization, pre-drafted responses, daily Brief summaries and technical support.

• Unlimited$39

  per month, billed annually ($470); $49 billed monthly

  Everything in Professional with unlimited email accounts. The help center also lists priority support.

Shortwave

• Free$0

  Basic AI with a limited usage quota, 90 days of standard and AI search history, and up to 15 threads per AI search.

• Pro$18

  per seat / month

  For individuals: standard AI, full standard search history, 3 years of AI search history, AI web browsing and personalized AI writing.

• Business$30

  per seat / month

  Standard AI with a daily usage quota, 5 years of AI search history, up to 50 threads per AI search and 3 AI filters.

• Premier$45

  per seat / month

  Advanced AI with twice the Business usage, unlimited AI search history, up to 100 threads per AI search and 10 AI filters.

• Max$120

  per seat / month

  Expert AI with six times the Business usage, up to 150 threads per AI search and 50 AI filters.

Cora

• Annual discount

  Save 20% with yearly billing

  The pricing toggle states a 20% saving on yearly billing: Professional is $240 a year against $25 a month, and Unlimited is $470 a year against $49 a month.

• Other savings

  Cora Professional comes with an Every subscription

  Cora's help center says Professional is included at no extra cost with an Every subscription, which Every's plans page lists at $24 a month billed annually ($288) or $30 monthly.

Shortwave

No public discounts listed.