Side-by-side comparison · Productivity & Notes

Shortwave vs Todoist

Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.

Shortwave

4.2

From $18/mo

Details Visit

Best overall

Todoist

4.3

From $7/mo

Details Visit

Comparing 2 tools. Add one more if you like.

At a glance

Shortwave4.2

Pick it if: Busy Gmail and Google Workspace users who want AI to search, sort and draft their email.

Todoist4.3

Best overallBest valueEasiest to use

Pick it if: Anyone who wants a dependable task list that is fast to use and stays out of the way.

Overview

Attribute	Shortwave	Todoist
In one line	AI email app for Gmail that searches, sorts, drafts and acts on your inbox for you.	A simple to-do list that works everywhere and understands plain-English due dates.
Pricing model	Freemium	Freemium
Starting price	$18/mo	$7/mo
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Works with Claude Code	No	Yes

Rating breakdown

Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.

Attribute	Shortwave	Todoist
Overall rating	4.2	4.3Winner
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.	4.0	5.0
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.	4.5	4.0
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.	4.5	3.5
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.	4.0	4.5
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.	4.0	4.5

Feature comparison

A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.

Attribute	Shortwave	Todoist
Access & platform
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Mobile app	Yes	Yes
Desktop app	Yes	Yes
Browser extension	–	Yes
API access	–	Yes
Teams & business
Team workspace	Yes	Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO	–	No
Connects to other apps	Yes	Yes
Open source or self-hosted	No	No
AI abilities
Works with your files	Yes	Yes
Understands images	–	No
Makes images	No	No
Makes video	No	No
Writes code	–	No
Runs agents or automations	Yes	No
Learns your brand or style	Yes	No
Works in many languages	Yes	Yes
Capabilities score	9/ 17	9/ 17

Pricing

Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.

Attribute	Shortwave	Todoist
Plans	Free Free Trying it on your Gmail inbox.	Beginner Free Anyone with a simple list.
	ProOur pick $18/mo Individuals who use the AI daily.	ProOur pick $7/mo, or $5/mo billed yearly Anyone who wants more projects and the calendar view.
	Business $30/seat/mo Teams who share threads and need more AI.	Business $10/user/mo, or $8/user/mo billed yearly Small teams sharing a workspace.
	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	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.	Beginner is fine until you hit the five-project wall. Pro on the yearly plan is the obvious move after that. Business is for teams who want a shared space; it is not a substitute for a real project tool.

Key features

Attribute	Shortwave	Todoist
Standout features	AI search Shortwave Agent Bundles and splits Writes like you Emails as tasks Team features	Natural language entry Projects, labels and filters Everywhere Calendar layout Shared projects Claude connection

Pros and cons

Attribute	Shortwave	Todoist
Pros	Excellent natural-language email search Assistant can act on your inbox, not just draft Real free plan, and cheaper than Superhuman Apps on every platform Useful team features for shared threads	Fastest task capture of anything here Works on every device you own and syncs instantly Cheap, with a free plan that covers a lot Natural language dates and repeats just work Official Claude connection
Cons	Native support for Gmail and Google Workspace only AI quota on lower plans runs out for heavy users Means switching email apps, which takes adjustment Free plan adds a "Sent with Shortwave" signature and keeps only 90 days of search history	Not a project management tool: no timelines, dependencies or dashboards Prices went up at the end of 2025 Business plan lacks single sign-on The AI features are light compared with the rest of the category

Who each one is for

Attribute	Shortwave	Todoist
Best for	Finding old emails by describing them Clearing a cluttered Gmail inbox quickly Drafting replies in your own style Small teams sharing and commenting on threads	Personal task management Recurring reminders Quick capture from any device Tasks Claude can add for you
You'll find it used by	Founders Executives Consultants Sales people Small teams	Solo founders Freelancers Managers Students Small teams

Questions people ask

Which is better, Shortwave or Todoist?

Todoist scores highest overall in our ratings (Shortwave 4.2/5 and Todoist 4.3/5). Shortwave is best for finding old emails by describing them and clearing a cluttered Gmail inbox quickly. Todoist is best for personal task management and recurring reminders.

Which is cheaper, Shortwave or Todoist?

Shortwave: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $18/mo. Todoist: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $7/mo.

Which is easier to use, Shortwave or Todoist?

Todoist rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Anyone who wants a dependable task list that is fast to use and stays out of the way.

Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.

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