SaneBox vs Shortwave

SaneBox

• People who want to keep their current email app and add smarter filtering
• Inboxes crowded with newsletters and notifications
• Anyone who wants a reminder when a sent email gets no reply

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

SaneBox

• There is no free plan; a paid subscription is needed once the free trial ends.
• Snack covers 1 email account and 2 features, and Lunch covers 2 accounts and 6 features. Only Dinner includes everything.
• It is not an email client: the iOS and Android apps are companions for digests, snoozing and blocking senders.
• Prices here are the US App Store's in-app prices. SaneBox's own pricing page can show different figures and also sells a two-year term.

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.

SaneBox

SaneLater filtering

Analyzes how you handle email to judge what matters, then moves unimportant messages out of the inbox into a separate SaneLater folder.

SaneBlackHole

Send a sender to the BlackHole and their future messages are kept out of your inbox for good.

Daily Digest

A daily summary of the unimportant, unopened email that was filtered. Digests can also be processed in the iOS and Android companion apps.

Snooze and follow-up reminders

Snooze folders bring a message back to the inbox later, and SaneReminders flags sent emails that have not received a reply.

SaneDoNotDisturb

Holds incoming email during quiet time set aside for focused work and delivers it afterwards.

Works with your current email

Connects to Gmail, Microsoft 365, iCloud, Yahoo, Fastmail, IMAP and Exchange accounts, so its folders show up in whichever email client or device you use.

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.

SaneBox

• Snack$6.99

  per month, or $58.99 per year (App Store in-app prices)

  1 email account and any 2 SaneBox features of your choice.

• Lunch$11.99

  per month, or $98.99 per year (App Store in-app prices)

  2 email accounts and any 6 features, which can be toggled on and off from the account.

• Dinner$35.99

  per month, or $299.99 per year (App Store in-app prices)

  4 email accounts and access to every SaneBox feature.

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.

SaneBox

• Annual discount

  About 30% less with yearly billing

  On the App Store listing, Snack is $58.99 a year against $6.99 a month, Lunch $98.99 against $11.99 and Dinner $299.99 against $35.99, roughly 30% less than paying monthly.

• Education

  25% off for educational institutions

  SaneBox states that educational, non-profit and government agencies can get a 25% discount on any plan.

• Nonprofit

  25% off for non-profits and government

  The same 25% discount on any plan is offered to non-profit organizations and government agencies.

Shortwave

No public discounts listed.