Decagon vs Shortwave: 2026 comparison
Conversational support agents that resolve tickets like your best reps.
AI email client — natural-language search, summary, scheduled send, and AI-drafted replies grounded in your inbox.
Decagon vs Shortwave — specs
| Spec | Decagon | Shortwave |
|---|---|---|
| Agent Rank | 72 / 100 (A) | 72 / 100 (A) |
| Autonomy | Autonomous | Assistant |
| Pricing | Subscription · Free tier | Freemium · from $9 |
| Open source | No | No |
| Capabilities | Tool use, Memory, RAG | RAG, Memory, Tool use |
| Integrations | 3 apps | 3 apps |
| Verified | Verified | Verified |
| Released | Apr 2025 | Feb 2025 |
Agent Rank breakdown
- Autonomy fit
- 9
- Capabilities
- 6
- Integrations
- 4
- Pricing value
- 9
- Polish & maturity
- 5
- Verifiability
- 10
Auto-computed from autonomy, capabilities, integrations, pricing, maturity and editorial verification. Updated every deploy. How is this computed?
- Autonomy fit
- 7
- Capabilities
- 6
- Integrations
- 6
- Pricing value
- 8
- Polish & maturity
- 6
- Verifiability
- 10
Auto-computed from autonomy, capabilities, integrations, pricing, maturity and editorial verification. Updated every deploy. How is this computed?
Pros & cons
- +Chat-first agent with consistently 65–75% tier-1 deflection in production
- +Deep integration with existing helpdesks (Zendesk / Intercom / Salesforce)
- +Mid-market priced — easier conversation than Sierra
- −Voice support exists but is not the strength
- −Sales-led — no self-serve sign-up
- −Per-resolution pricing can sting if tickets spike unexpectedly
- +Best AI-native email client in 2026 — search, summarize, draft all natural-language
- +Built specifically for Gmail; faster + smarter than Gmail itself
- +Cheap relative to Superhuman with better AI features
- −Gmail-only — no Outlook support
- −AI assistant is helpful but not yet revolutionary
- −Smaller user base means fewer integrations than Gmail/Outlook ecosystems
Pricing
- +Per-resolution pricing
- +Zendesk / Intercom integration
- +Onboarding included
- +Custom integrations
- +SSO + audit log
- +Dedicated CSM
- +Basic AI summary
- +90-day search
- +Unlimited search
- +AI assistant
- +Scheduled send
- +Shared inboxes
- +Send delegation
- +Admin controls
Which one should you pick?
Pick Decagon if cost is the main constraint or if you want the highest autonomy and the verification loop is in place.
Try Decagon →Pick Shortwave if its specific capabilities (RAG, Memory) match what you need.
Try Shortwave →Affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Frequently asked
Should I pick Decagon or Shortwave in 2026?+
Pick Decagon if cost is the main constraint or if you want the highest autonomy and the verification loop is in place. Pick Shortwave if its specific capabilities (RAG, Memory) match what you need. Most working teams running both can use Decagon for primary work and Shortwave for the workflows where its specific strengths matter.
What's the price difference between Decagon and Shortwave?+
Decagon starts at Subscription · Free tier; Shortwave starts at Freemium · from $9. Decagon is the cheaper entry option. For team deployments the TCO can differ — use the AI Agent Rank TCO calculator for your specific volume.
Which is more autonomous, Decagon or Shortwave?+
Decagon is the more autonomous of the two (Autonomous vs Assistant). Higher autonomy ships throughput faster but requires verification loops in place — see our autonomous-vs-copilot framing for when each tier wins.