Side-by-side comparison · Productivity & Notes
Abridge vs Shortwave
Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.
Comparing 2 tools. Add one more if you like.
At a glance
Overview
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | Abridge | Shortwave |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.2 | 4.2 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.0 | 4.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Abridge | Shortwave |
|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | ||
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop app | – | Yes |
| Browser extension | No | – |
| API access | – | – |
| Teams & business | ||
| Team workspace | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | – |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No |
| AI abilities | ||
| Works with your files | – | Yes |
| Understands images | – | – |
| Makes images | No | No |
| Makes video | No | No |
| Writes code | No | – |
| Runs agents or automations | – | Yes |
| Learns your brand or style | – | Yes |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 5/ 17 | 9/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Abridge | Shortwave |
|---|---|---|
| Plans | EnterpriseOur pick Custom Health systems rolling it out across many clinicians. | Free Free Trying it on your Gmail inbox. |
ProOur pick $18/mo Individuals who use the AI daily. | ||
Business $30/seat/mo Teams who share threads and need more AI. | ||
Premier $45/seat/mo Heavy users with complex email workflows. | ||
Max $120/seat/mo People who live in email all day. | ||
| Which plan to pick | There is only one way to buy it: a contract between your organisation and Abridge. If you are a single clinician or small practice, look at Heidi instead. | Start on Free for a week to see if you like the app. Pro is enough for most individuals; pick Business only if you share threads with a team. Every paid plan has a 14-day free trial. |
Key features
Pros and cons
| Attribute | Abridge | Shortwave |
|---|---|---|
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| Cons |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | Abridge | Shortwave |
|---|---|---|
| Best for |
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| You'll find it used by |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, Abridge or Shortwave?
They tie on our overall rating (Abridge 4.2/5 and Shortwave 4.2/5). Abridge is best for large health systems on Epic and cutting after-hours note writing. Shortwave is best for finding old emails by describing them and clearing a cluttered Gmail inbox quickly.
Which is cheaper, Abridge or Shortwave?
Abridge: Pricing isn't published; check the vendor's site for a quote. Shortwave: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $18/mo.
Which is easier to use, Abridge or Shortwave?
Abridge rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Hospital and health-system leaders choosing an AI scribe for their doctors and nurses.
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.
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