Side-by-side comparison · Productivity & Notes
Glean vs Granola 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 3 tools, the maximum.
At a glance
Pick it if: Mid-size and large companies whose knowledge is scattered across many apps and teams.
Pick it if: Founders, consultants and managers who sit in back-to-back calls and hate the awkward recording bot.
Pick it if: Busy Gmail and Google Workspace users who want AI to search, sort and draft their email.
Overview
| Attribute | Glean | Granola | Shortwave |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | Searches and answers questions across all your company's apps, with agents on top. | Takes meeting notes from your computer's audio, so no bot ever joins the call. | AI email app for Gmail that searches, sorts, drafts and acts on your inbox for you. |
| Pricing model | Paid | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | See website | $14/user/mo | $18/mo |
| Free plan | No | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | Yes | Yes | No |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | Glean | Granola | Shortwave |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.0 | 4.4Winner | 4.2 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 4.5 | 5.0 | 4.0 |
| 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. | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Glean | Granola | Shortwave |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | No | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop app | – | Yes | Yes |
| Browser extension | Yes | No | – |
| API access | Yes | Yes | – |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | Yes | – |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No | No |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | Yes | No | Yes |
| Understands images | – | No | – |
| Makes images | No | No | No |
| Makes video | No | No | No |
| Writes code | – | No | – |
| Runs agents or automations | Yes | No | Yes |
| Learns your brand or style | – | No | Yes |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 9/ 17 | 8/ 17 | 9/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Glean | Granola | Shortwave |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | EnterpriseOur pick Custom Companies with roughly 100 or more staff. | Basic Free Trying it, or anyone who only needs the last month of notes. | Free Free Trying it on your Gmail inbox. |
BusinessOur pick $14/user/mo Anyone in regular client or sales calls. | ProOur pick $18/mo Individuals who use the AI daily. | ||
Enterprise $35/user/mo Companies that need admin control over who records what. | 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 a quoted enterprise contract. Ask for a pilot on your own data before committing, and compare the quote against Microsoft 365 Copilot or Gemini if you already pay for one of them. | Start on Basic and see how it fits your week. If you find yourself wanting a call from six weeks ago, that's your signal to move to Business. Enterprise is only for IT-managed rollouts. | 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
| Attribute | Glean | Granola | Shortwave |
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | Glean | Granola | Shortwave |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | Glean | Granola | Shortwave |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, Glean, Granola or Shortwave?
Granola scores highest overall in our ratings (Glean 4.0/5, Granola 4.4/5 and Shortwave 4.2/5). Glean is best for finding information across many company apps and onboarding new staff faster. Granola is best for client and sales calls and interviews and one-on-ones. Shortwave is best for finding old emails by describing them and clearing a cluttered Gmail inbox quickly.
Which is cheaper, Glean, Granola or Shortwave?
Glean: Pricing isn't published; check the vendor's site for a quote. Granola: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $14/user/mo. Shortwave: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $18/mo.
Which is easier to use, Glean, Granola or Shortwave?
Granola rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Founders, consultants and managers who sit in back-to-back calls and hate the awkward recording bot.
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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