Shortwave and Spark are two of the most popular modern email apps, and both now lean heavily on AI. But they’re built for different users: Shortwave is a Gmail-native productivity tool for individuals, while Spark is a cross-platform client designed around team collaboration. This Shortwave vs Spark comparison helps you pick.
Quick Comparison
| Shortwave | Spark | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | $8.50/mo ($7 annual) | ~$8/mo |
| AI features | AI assistant, summaries, smart search | Smart compose, summaries, triage |
| Team collaboration | Limited | Strong (shared inbox, delegation) |
| Email accounts | Gmail-only | Gmail, Outlook, IMAP, iCloud |
| Best for | Gmail power users | Teams & multi-account users |
Pricing
Both have free plans and similar entry prices — Shortwave Personal at $8.50/month ($7 annual), Spark Premium around $8/month. The difference is what you’re paying for: Shortwave’s tiers unlock more AI credits and automation, while Spark’s paid plans unlock team and collaboration features.
Winner: Tie — similar cost, different value.
AI Features
Shortwave’s AI executive assistant is its headline feature: natural-language search across your inbox, smart summaries, and AI drafting that improves on higher tiers. It feels purpose-built around AI.
Spark offers AI compose, thread summaries, and smart triage too, but AI is one feature among many rather than the core identity. For pure AI inbox assistance, Shortwave goes deeper.
Winner: Shortwave.
Team Collaboration
This is Spark’s home turf. Shared inboxes, collaborative draft editing, comment threads, and email delegation make it genuinely good for support teams and small businesses handling email together. Shortwave is built for individual productivity and doesn’t match this.
Winner: Spark.
Platform & Account Support
Spark connects Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, and IMAP across Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android — ideal if you juggle multiple accounts or aren’t all-in on Google. Shortwave is Gmail-only, which is limiting if you use Outlook or want a unified multi-account inbox.
Winner: Spark.
Which Should You Choose?
- Choose Shortwave if: you’re a Gmail user who wants the deepest AI assistant for individual productivity.
- Choose Spark if: you work on a team, share an inbox, or need to manage multiple email accounts across platforms.
Bottom Line
Shortwave is the better AI-first client for solo Gmail power users, while Spark is the better choice for teams and anyone juggling multiple accounts across platforms. Both have free plans, so the easiest path is to try each for a week against your actual inbox.
See how they stack up against the premium option in Superhuman vs Shortwave, or browse the full best AI email clients roundup.