Side-by-side comparison · Productivity & Notes
Abridge vs Shortwave vs Wispr Flow
Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.
Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.
At a glance
Pick it if: Hospital and health-system leaders choosing an AI scribe for their doctors and nurses.
Pick it if: Busy Gmail and Google Workspace users who want AI to search, sort and draft their email.
Pick it if: Anyone who writes a lot during the day and is tired of typing it, including people who brief AI tools constantly.
Wispr Flow scores highest overall, but Shortwave gives you more for your money. Which one is right comes down to what you value most.
Overview
| Attribute | Abridge | Shortwave | Wispr Flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | Turns doctor–patient conversations into notes inside the hospital EHR. | AI email app for Gmail that searches, sorts, drafts and acts on your inbox for you. | Talk instead of type, anywhere on your computer or phone, and get clean text back. |
| Pricing model | Paid | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | See website | $18/mo | $15/mo |
| Free plan | No | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | No | No | No |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | Abridge | Shortwave | Wispr Flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.4Winner |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 4.5 | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 3.5 | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Abridge | Shortwave | Wispr Flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | No | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop app | – | Yes | Yes |
| Browser extension | No | – | No |
| API access | – | – | No |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | – | Yes |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes | – |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No | No |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | – | Yes | No |
| Understands images | – | – | No |
| Makes images | No | No | No |
| Makes video | No | No | No |
| Writes code | No | – | No |
| Runs agents or automations | – | Yes | No |
| Learns your brand or style | – | Yes | Yes |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 5/ 17 | 9/ 17 | 7/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Abridge | Shortwave | Wispr Flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | EnterpriseOur pick Custom Health systems rolling it out across many clinicians. | Free Free Trying it on your Gmail inbox. | Free Free Light users and trying it out. |
ProOur pick $18/mo Individuals who use the AI daily. | ProOur pick $15/mo, or $12/mo billed yearly Anyone who talks more than they type. | ||
Business $30/seat/mo Teams who share threads and need more AI. | Growth $23/user/mo, or $18/user/mo billed yearly Teams with security or compliance needs. | ||
Premier $45/seat/mo Heavy users with complex email workflows. | Enterprise Custom Large managed rollouts. | ||
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. | Free tells you within a day whether talking suits you. If you hit the weekly cap, which most people do fast, Pro on the yearly plan is the one. Growth is only about security paperwork. |
Key features
| Attribute | Abridge | Shortwave | Wispr Flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standout features |
|
|
|
Pros and cons
| Attribute | Abridge | Shortwave | Wispr Flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pros |
|
|
|
| Cons |
|
|
|
Who each one is for
| Attribute | Abridge | Shortwave | Wispr Flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for |
|
|
|
| You'll find it used by |
|
|
|
Questions people ask
Which is better, Abridge, Shortwave or Wispr Flow?
Wispr Flow scores highest overall in our ratings (Abridge 4.2/5, Shortwave 4.2/5 and Wispr Flow 4.4/5). 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. Wispr Flow is best for dictating emails and messages and long prompts for AI tools.
Which is cheaper, Abridge, Shortwave or Wispr Flow?
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. Wispr Flow: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $15/mo.
Which is easier to use, Abridge, Shortwave or Wispr Flow?
Wispr Flow rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Anyone who writes a lot during the day and is tired of typing it, including people who brief AI tools constantly.
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.
Swap in another tool
More tools from Productivity & Notes in the library.
