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Shortwave vs SaneBox
Shortwave and SaneBox are AI email tools, which sort, search or share email so people spend less time in their inbox. Our editors read both companies' own sites, then read what email-heavy professionals and support teams say about the two tools in public reviews, community boards and chat forums. The table below compares price, limits and features.
| What buyers compare | Shortwave | SaneBox |
|---|---|---|
| Price per monthSources 3, 4 | Business $30 per seat, Premier $45, Max $120 | Snack $4.54, Lunch $7.46, Dinner $22.04, billed every 2 years |
| Free plan or trialSources 3, 4 | 14-day free trial | 7-day free trial with every feature for up to 4 accounts |
| How usage is countedSources 3, 4 | Daily AI quota: about 150 to 300 standard AI requests on Business, 2x on Premier, 6x on Max | Features per account: 2 on Snack, 6 on Lunch, all on Dinner |
| Seats and usersSources 3, 4 | Priced per seat | Email accounts: 1 Snack, 2 Lunch, 4 Dinner |
| Integrations and featuresSources 3, 4 | Gmail client with AI search, summaries, autocomplete and AI filters. Tasklet for automated replies and 3,000+ apps | Works with any email client on desktop, iOS and Android. Nothing to install |
| Best forSources 1, 2 | Individuals and small teams living in Gmail who want AI summaries, search, and drafting inside a dedicated client | Individuals who want smarter folders and digests on top of Gmail, Outlook or other IMAP mail while keeping the email app they already use |
List prices in US dollars per month before tax, as published on each vendor's site on October 16, 2026, billed monthly unless the cell says otherwise. "Quote" means the vendor sets the price through its sales team. A green check marks a row where the published data shows a clear edge.
Which one fits
SaneBox works behind any email app for a few dollars per month, while Shortwave replaces your Gmail client with an AI one.
Choose Shortwave if
- You live in Gmail and want an AI client that searches, summarizes and drafts across your mail.
- You want to choose the model. Shortwave runs Claude models at levels from Basic to Expert.
- You search old mail a lot. Business keeps five years of AI search history and Premier keeps all of it.
Choose SaneBox if
- You want to keep your current email app. SaneBox sorts mail on the server, so it works with any client.
- You want unimportant mail moved out of your inbox and sent as a daily digest.
- You want a low price. Snack costs $4.54 per month billed every two years.
What buyers say
“SaneBox is better if you keep Outlook/Gmail/Apple Mail and just want triage folders. Shortwave is better if you’ll switch to a Gmail-only AI client for search and drafts.”
Semaphor · HN · · source
“Shortwave when LLM search over old Gmail is worth the lock-in. SaneBox when you refuse another client and just need the inbox quieter.”
NelsonMinar · HN · · source
“SaneBox sorts mail on the server behind the app I already use and sends a daily digest, for a few dollars a month. Shortwave replaces the Gmail client with AI search and drafting, which is more powerful but starts at $30 per seat.”
Independent consultant, solo practice
Representative buyer view
Verdict
Shortwave (6.9 out of 10, Conditional recommend) replaces your Gmail client with an AI one that searches, summarizes and drafts, starting at $30 per seat. SaneBox (6.6 out of 10, Conditional recommend) works behind whatever email app you already use and sorts unimportant mail into folders and a daily digest, for a few dollars a month.
Methodology
We read the Shortwave and SaneBox pricing pages and product sites on October 16, 2026 and recorded every published price, limit and plan feature. A cell reads "Not published" when the vendor does not state that detail on its site, and rows where neither vendor publishes anything were left out.
Scores, best-fit notes and buyer quotes come from the AIR reviews of each product, which weight practitioner reviews at 40%, hands-on product checks at 35%, pricing at 15% and docs at 10%. Paid reviews and pay-for-play sites are excluded. Quotes marked Representative buyer view are written by AIR to reflect buyer feedback and carry no source link.