Shortwave vs Zero Mail (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Shortwave grades higher than Zero Mail: 2.6 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 4, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Shortwave grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and the free plan.
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
Zero Mail
Open-source AI email client that connects your existing inboxes
Which one is for you
Pick Shortwave if
- Fits if you're on Gmail and want AI to triage your inbox and draft replies
- Works for teams that want to comment on and assign email threads internally
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if your mail is on Microsoft 365 or Exchange, as sign-in needs Gmail or Google Workspace
- Pricey if you only want a tidier inbox, at $18 a seat a month before you reach the business plans
- Tight if you're staying free, with 90 days of search history and a Shortwave signature on your emails
- Watch out: every plan caps AI use with a daily quota, and Business allows just 3 AI filters
Pick Zero Mail if
- Fits if you want AI summaries and replies over a Gmail or Outlook inbox
- Works for developers who are happy with a beta and might self-host
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a finished product, because the site labels Zero beta
- Tight if you have more than one inbox, since free allows one connection
- Pricey if you want the full AI writing and summaries: Pro is $20 a month
- Watch out: no desktop or phone apps are listed, only the web
- Watch out: the pricing page does not say whether $20 is monthly or annual
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAShortwaveGood | 1.8GPAZero MailWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DPro is $18 a seat a month, where this category's middle is $8 and its dearest quarter starts at $14.99, and the business plans climb to $30, $45 and $120. You're paying for the AI, and even then every plan caps it with a daily quota. | DPro is $20 a month, which is where the dearest tenth of email tools starts. The page does not say whether that is billed monthly or yearly. |
| Free plan and trial | CThere's a free plan, but it's a taster: basic AI with a limited 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 trial. | CFree plan: one email connection, AI chat with the inbox, basic labeling and limited AI writing. Unlimited connections and full AI writing need Pro. There is a 7-day Pro trial. |
| Features | BAn assistant that organises, drafts, searches and schedules from a prompt, AI filters written in plain English, a split inbox, bundles for clearing newsletters in bulk, snooze, no-reply reminders, and shared threads with comments and assignments for teams. The inbox job is covered. | CAI chat, summaries, labels and writing on a keyboard-driven inbox. The site labels it beta, and the free plan limits the writing. |
| Ease of use | B4.75 from about 740 App Store ratings, too few ratings for our top mark. It sits on the Gmail account you already have, and you ask the assistant in plain English instead of building filters by hand. | CNo store rating on record. You connect your Gmail or Outlook accounts, and self-hosting is also offered. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, with Slack, Notion, Asana and HubSpot wired in. The catch is the mailbox rather than the device: Gmail and Google Workspace only, with Microsoft 365 and Exchange unsupported. | CWeb only. The site lists no desktop or mobile apps, and Gmail and Outlook are the connections named. |
| Best for | Gmail users who want AI to run the inbox | an AI layer over your existing inbox |
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 Zero Mail. How we grade
Price against what you get
Shortwave starts at $18 a month for each person and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Zero Mail starts at $20 a month and scores 2.0.
Shortwave scores higher and starts $2 a month lower. Of the other email apps on the chart, 1 scores higher than Shortwave for less, and 45 score higher than Zero Mail for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Zero Mail is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Shortwave also covers chat assistant, AI search and templates.
- Zero Mail also covers inbox filtering.
At a glance
| Shortwave | Zero Mail | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $18 per seat / month (Pro, the individual plan) | $20 per month (billing basis not shown) |
| 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. | One email connection, AI chat with your inbox, basic labeling and limited AI email writing. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the paid plans | 7-day free trial of Zero Pro |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Shortwave Communications, Inc. | Zero Email Inc |
| Price read from | shortwave.com | 0.email |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
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.
Zero Mail
- The site labels Zero as beta, and the vendor's pricing page does not say whether $20 is billed monthly or annually.
- The free plan allows one email connection; unlimited connections need Pro.
- Zero is a web client; no desktop or mobile apps are listed on the site.
- The pricing page lists Enterprise support and a Slack channel without prices.
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.
Zero Mail
- Keyboard-driven inbox
- Shortcuts for opening, replying, archiving and marking read, plus a command palette for search (Cmd+K), aim to process mail without the mouse.
- AI chat with your inbox
- Ask questions or give instructions in natural language, such as finding an invoice from a sender or replying to a person, on every plan.
- Summaries and AI writing
- Pro generates thread summaries and one-click replies; the free plan has limited AI writing.
- Labels and categories
- Free accounts get basic labeling; Pro adds automatic labeling to sort incoming mail.
- Self-hosting
- The README on GitHub describes running Zero on your own server, connected to Gmail and other providers.
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.
Zero Mail
Free$0
One email connection, AI chat with the inbox, basic labeling and limited AI writing.
Pro$20
per month, billing basis not shown
Unlimited connections, auto labeling, one-click AI writing and replies, and instant thread summaries.
EnterpriseCustom
Everything in Pro plus a dedicated Slack channel and priority customer support.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Shortwave or Zero Mail?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Shortwave starts at $18 per seat / month (Pro, the individual plan), and Zero Mail starts at $20 per month (billing basis not shown). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Shortwave or Zero Mail?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Shortwave and Zero Mail have a free plan.
Which platforms do Shortwave and Zero Mail run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Shortwave lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.