Shortwave vs Spike
We give Shortwave and Spike the same GPA: 3.4 out of 4.0. Shortwave grades higher on ease of use and platforms. Spike grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Shortwave
AI email client for Gmail with an assistant, filters and split inbox
Spike
Chat-style email app with team chat, notes, tasks and video calls
How we grade them
| 3.4GPAShortwaveVery good | 3.4GPASpikeVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPro is $18 a seat a month, roughly double what paid email apps usually start at, and the business plans run $30, $45 and $120. You're paying for the AI, and even then every plan caps it with a daily quota. | ATeamspace Team is $4 a member a month billed annually, or $5 monthly, with your own domain, 100 GB each, a Shared Inbox and unlimited Spike AI. Email App Pro is $6. Both are well under what paid email usually starts at. Unlimited addresses in the Email App need Ultimate at $12. |
| Free plan and trial | BThere's a free plan, but it's a taster: basic AI with a limited usage quota, 90 days of search history, up to 15 threads per AI search, and a "Sent with Shortwave" signature on your emails. The paid plans come with a 14-day free trial. | BTwo free options. The Email App takes 1 email address, with 60 days of search history and 1 GB for notes and tasks. Teamspace Starter is free for up to 3 members with 15 GB each. Both stop at 10 queries per AI feature. |
| Features | AAn assistant that organizes, drafts, searches and schedules from a prompt, AI filters you write in plain English, a split inbox, and bundles for clearing newsletters in bulk. Teams get shared threads, private comments and assignments. Snooze and no-reply reminders are in there too. | AChat-style threads, a Priority Inbox, AI that drafts, summarizes and translates, shared notes and tasks, a unified calendar, and video calls people can join from a link. Teamspace adds channels, groups and a Shared Inbox. That's email and team chat in one app. |
| Ease of use | A4.7 from about 740 App Store ratings. It sits on the Gmail account you already have, and telling an assistant what you want in plain English is easier than building filters by hand. | B4.5 from about 4,200 App Store ratings. The Email App sits on top of the Gmail or Microsoft account you already have, and people who don't use Spike just get a regular email, so nobody else has to change a thing. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, and it connects to Slack, Notion, Asana and HubSpot. The big catch is the mailbox: Gmail and Google Workspace only. Microsoft 365 and Exchange aren't supported. | BWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, though no Linux app is listed. On the connecting side there's little on record: a WhatsApp integration from the Teamspace Team plan up, and that's about it. |
| Best for | Gmail users who want AI to run the inbox | email that reads like a chat |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Shortwave and Spike. How we grade
Where they differ
- Shortwave starts at $18 per seat / month (Pro, the individual plan). Spike starts at $4 per member / month, billed annually (Teamspace Team); Email App Pro is $6.
- Shortwave also covers chat assistant, AI search and templates.
- Spike also covers tasks, calendar, shared inbox, team chat and video calls.
At a glance
| Shortwave | Spike | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $18 per seat / month (Pro, the individual plan) | $4 per member / month, billed annually (Teamspace Team); Email App Pro is $6 |
| Free plan | Basic AI with a limited usage quota, 90 days of search history, up to 15 threads per AI search and a "Sent with Shortwave" email signature. | Email App Free: 1 email address, 60 days of search history and 1 GB of notes storage. Teamspace Starter: free for up to 3 members with 15 GB each. Both get 10 queries per AI feature. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the paid plans | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Shortwave Communications, Inc. | Spike, Inc. |
| Price read from | shortwave.com | spikenow.com |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Spike
- People who prefer chat-style conversations to long email threads
- Small teams that want email, chat, notes and calls in one app
- Managing several email accounts from a single inbox
Worth knowing
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.
Spike
- The free Email App plan handles 1 email address and searches only the last 60 days.
- Free plans allow 10 queries per AI feature, and the AI Feed of unread-mail summaries needs a paid plan.
- Shared Inbox, connecting your own domain and the WhatsApp integration need the Teamspace Team plan or higher.
- Apps are listed for Android, iOS, Windows and Mac, plus a web app. No Linux app is listed.
Key features
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.
Spike
- Conversational email
- Threads are shown as chat-like conversations grouped by person. People who do not use Spike receive a regular email.
- Unified and Priority Inbox
- Connect several email accounts to one inbox, with important messages sorted first. The free Email App plan takes 1 address, Pro takes 3 and Ultimate is unlimited.
- Spike AI
- Generates messages and replies with context, summarizes long threads and translates. Free plans get 10 queries per AI feature, and paid plans are unlimited.
- Channels, groups and Shared Inbox
- Teamspace adds public channels, private groups that outside guests can join, and from the Team plan a Shared Inbox for handling team email together.
- Notes, tasks and calendar
- Collaborative notes and tasks live in the inbox and can be shared with guests, next to a unified calendar that syncs work and business calendars.
- Video and audio calls
- Calls start from a conversation, and people without Spike can join by link with no app to install. Free plans are limited to 1:1 calls.
Plans
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.
Spike
Email App Free$0
Smart Inbox for 1 email address, 1:1 video calls, 60 days of search history, 1 GB of storage in notes and tasks, and 10 queries per AI feature.
Teamspace Starter$0
Up to 3 members with @spike.team addresses, 1 teamspace, 15 GB of storage per member and 60 days of search history.
Teamspace Team$4
per member / month, billed annually ($5 billed monthly)
Custom email domain, unlimited search history, 100 GB of storage per member, Shared Inbox and unlimited Spike AI.
Email App Pro$6
per user / month, billed annually ($8 billed monthly)
Unified inbox for up to 3 email addresses, unlimited search history, 5-person video calls, 5 GB of storage and unlimited Spike AI.
Teamspace Business$8
per member / month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly)
Everything in Team with 1 TB of storage per member, 500 MB file uploads, calls for up to 50 people and VIP support.
Email App Ultimate$12
per user / month, billed annually ($16 billed monthly)
Unlimited email addresses, 10-person video calls, 20 GB of storage, 1 GB file uploads and VIP support.
Ways to pay less
Shortwave
No public discounts listed.
Spike
- Annual discount
Save 20% to 25% with yearly billing
Teamspace Team is $4 per member / month billed annually against $5 monthly, a 20% saving. Email App Pro is $6 against $8 and Ultimate $12 against $16, which the page labels as 25% off.
- Other savings
Free custom domain for a year on annual plans
An annual Teamspace Team or Business subscription includes a new custom email domain free for 1 year, on extensions such as .net, .org and .co.uk.
