Shortwave vs Clarity Inbox:
2026 Comparison

Shortwave reimagines how email looks. Clarity makes email stop taking so much of your day.

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Perplexity Gemini

The Bottom Line

Reclaiming time from email shouldn't require rebuilding your entire workflow around a new app. But that's the trade-off Shortwave asks for. It's an impressive email client — AI-powered search, smart filters in plain English, team collaboration. The catch is you have to leave Gmail, learn a new interface, and migrate. Gmail only. No Outlook.

Clarity doesn't ask you to change anything. It works inside Gmail or Outlook exactly as they are today. From day one it reads every email, labels by urgency and intent, queues draft replies in your voice, tracks every sent email automatically, and sends a morning brief. The work gets handled. You didn't move anything.

The question is what you're optimizing for. A better email experience — faster, prettier, smarter search — points to Shortwave. Getting your attention back from email entirely points to Clarity.

Clarity Inbox

Shortwave reimagines how email looks. Clarity makes email stop taking so much of your day.

Try Clarity free

Shortwave

“Automate your email with AI”

Platform Overview

Clarity Inbox

Best for: Gmail and Outlook users who want AI automation without switching apps

You don't want to switch away from your current Gmail or Outlook

You want AI to work fully automatically without prompting

You need automatic follow-up tracking on all sent emails

Shortwave

Best for: Gmail power users and teams wanting a premium AI email client

You want a premium new email client and are willing to migrate

Team collaboration — shared threads, commenting — is important

You want powerful AI-driven search across your entire inbox

Shortwave vs Clarity Inbox: At a Glance

	Clarity Inbox	Shortwave
Type of product	AI chief of staff for your inbox (Gmail + Outlook)	New AI email client — replaces your inbox UI
Setup effort	Low — connects to Gmail/Outlook in minutes	Medium — migrate to Shortwave's interface
Learning curve	Low — works automatically in the background	Medium — new interface and features to learn
Who it's best for	Users wanting AI automation in their current inbox	Teams wanting a new AI-first email client
Core strength	Automatic — labels, drafts, follow-up tracking	AI search, smart filtering, team collaboration
AI reply drafting	Yes — automatic drafts in your voice	Yes — learns your style when you write
Automatic follow-up tracking	Yes — all sent emails tracked	No
Outlook support	Yes	No — Gmail only
Team collaboration	No	Yes — shared threads and commenting
Free plan	Yes	Yes

Core Features

A feature-by-feature breakdown of what each product actually does.

Does it work inside your existing inbox or require a migration?

Clarity Inbox

Stays inside Gmail or Outlook. No migration.

Clarity connects to your existing Gmail or Outlook via OAuth. Your email stays where it is. Nothing to migrate, no new interface to learn. Up and running in minutes.

Works inside Gmail or Outlook
No migration or interface change
Setup in under 2 minutes

Shortwave

New email client, migration required

Shortwave is a separate email client. You switch from Gmail to Shortwave's interface, learn a new UI, and go through a migration. Gmail only, no Outlook support.

Replaces your Gmail interface
New UI to learn
Gmail only — no Outlook

What does the AI do automatically vs. when prompted?

Clarity Inbox

Fully automatic. No prompting needed.

Clarity reads and acts on every email without any input. Labels are applied, drafts are queued, and follow-ups are tracked automatically. You never need to ask.

Labels every email automatically
Drafts queued without prompting
Follow-ups tracked on all sent emails

Shortwave

AI assists when you write or ask

Shortwave's AI helps you write and search when you engage with it. Smart filters can be configured in plain English. Less fully automatic than Clarity's approach.

AI helps when you write or search
Smart filters require setup
Less automatic — more on-demand

What does collaboration look like?

Clarity Inbox

Built for individual inbox management

Clarity is designed for your personal inbox. It learns your writing style and priorities individually. No shared inbox or team assignment features.

Personal inbox focus
Individual writing style learning
No team setup required

Shortwave

Team inbox and collaboration features

Shortwave has thread assignment, private commenting, and shared inbox features for teams. If email collaboration across a team is important, Shortwave has that built in.

Shared threads and commenting
Email assignment to team members
Team-focused product design

Clarity Inbox

Try Clarity Inbox for free

Connects to your existing Gmail in 2 minutes. No migration, no rules to set up.

Get started for free

No credit card required

Pricing & Plans

Clarity Inbox

Free plan available

paid from $25/month

AI reply drafts in your voice
Automatic email labeling
Follow-up tracking
Morning inbox summary

Start for free

Shortwave

Free plan available · paid from $9/month

See Shortwave's website for full details

You want a premium new email client and are willing to migrate
Team collaboration — shared threads, commenting — is important
You want powerful AI-driven search across your entire inbox

See Shortwave's website for current pricing.

So, which one should you choose?

Choose Clarity Inbox if…

You don't want to switch away from your current Gmail or Outlook
You want AI to work fully automatically without prompting
You need automatic follow-up tracking on all sent emails
You use Outlook or need both Gmail and Outlook covered

Choose Shortwave if…

You want a premium new email client and are willing to migrate
Team collaboration — shared threads, commenting — is important
You want powerful AI-driven search across your entire inbox

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the main difference between Shortwave and Clarity Inbox?

Shortwave is a new email client you migrate to. You get AI-powered search, smart filters, and team collaboration features. Clarity works inside your existing Gmail or Outlook and automates the work: labeling, drafting, and follow-up tracking, without changing your interface.

Does Shortwave work with Outlook?

No. Shortwave is Gmail-only. Clarity Inbox supports both Gmail and Outlook.

Does Clarity automatically draft emails or do I need to ask it?

Clarity works automatically. It queues draft replies for emails that need a response without any prompting. Shortwave's AI assists when you're actively writing.

Does Shortwave track follow-ups?

Shortwave doesn't automatically track sent emails for replies. Clarity automatically tracks every email you send and surfaces unanswered threads before they fall through the cracks.