Side-by-side comparison · Productivity & Notes

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.

Shortwave

4.2

From $18/mo

Details Visit

Best overall

Wispr Flow

4.4

From $15/mo

Details Visit

Comparing 2 tools. Add one more if you like.

At a glance

Shortwave4.2

Best value

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

Wispr Flow4.4

Best overallEasiest to use

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	Shortwave	Wispr Flow
In one line	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	Freemium	Freemium
Starting price	$18/mo	$15/mo
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Works with Claude Code	No	No

Rating breakdown

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

Attribute	Shortwave	Wispr Flow
Overall rating	4.2	4.4Winner
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	4.5
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.	4.0	3.5
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	Wispr Flow
Access & platform
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Mobile app	Yes	Yes
Desktop app	Yes	Yes
Browser extension	–	No
API access	–	No
Teams & business
Team workspace	Yes	Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO	–	Yes
Connects to other apps	Yes	–
Open source or self-hosted	No	No
AI abilities
Works with your files	Yes	No
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	Yes
Works in many languages	Yes	Yes
Capabilities score	9/ 17	7/ 17

Pricing

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

Attribute	Shortwave	Wispr Flow
Plans	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	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	Shortwave	Wispr Flow
Standout features	AI search Shortwave Agent Bundles and splits Writes like you Emails as tasks Team features	Works in every app Cleans up as it goes Learns your words Matches the app Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android Team workspace

Pros and cons

Attribute	Shortwave	Wispr Flow
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	Output is clean enough to send without editing Works the same in every app, including terminals and browsers Much faster than typing for long prompts and emails Learns your names and jargon Good free plan to test the habit
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	Weekly word cap on Free is small Accuracy drops in noisy rooms and open offices Dictating out loud is awkward in shared spaces Your speech is processed in the cloud, which some workplaces won't allow Pro is pricey next to built-in dictation if you only use it occasionally

Who each one is for

Attribute	Shortwave	Wispr Flow
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	Dictating emails and messages Long prompts for AI tools Writing on your phone Capturing thoughts fast
You'll find it used by	Founders Executives Consultants Sales people Small teams	Founders Writers Developers Sales teams Anyone briefing AI

Questions people ask

Which is better, Shortwave or Wispr Flow?

Wispr Flow scores highest overall in our ratings (Shortwave 4.2/5 and Wispr Flow 4.4/5). 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, Shortwave or Wispr Flow?

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, 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.

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

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