Shortwave vs Tines AI: 2026 comparison
AI email client — natural-language search, summary, scheduled send, and AI-drafted replies grounded in your inbox.
Shortwave vs Tines AI — specs
| Spec | Shortwave | Tines AI |
|---|---|---|
| Agent Rank | 72 / 100 (A) | 73 / 100 (A) |
| Autonomy | Assistant | Semi-autonomous |
| Pricing | Freemium · from $9 | Subscription · Free tier |
| Open source | No | No |
| Capabilities | RAG, Memory, Tool use | Tool use, Memory |
| Integrations | 3 apps | 4 apps |
| Verified | Verified | Verified |
| Released | Feb 2025 | Apr 2025 |
Agent Rank breakdown
- 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?
- Autonomy fit
- 8
- Capabilities
- 4
- Integrations
- 8
- 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?
Pros & cons
- +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
- +Strongest human-in-the-loop story for security and IT workflows
- +Generous free tier (Community) is genuinely usable in production
- +Story-based composer is easier to read than YAML/JSON IaC alternatives
- −Narrower scope than Zapier / n8n — built for SecOps + ITOps, less for marketing
- −Sales-led above Community tier; pricing not transparent
- −AI agent features are newer than the core automation product
Pricing
- +Basic AI summary
- +90-day search
- +Unlimited search
- +AI assistant
- +Scheduled send
- +Shared inboxes
- +Send delegation
- +Admin controls
- +Unlimited workflows
- +Community connectors
- +Public-cloud only
- +Production support
- +Custom connectors
- +On-prem option
- +Multi-region
- +SSO + audit
- +Premium support SLA
Which one should you pick?
Pick Shortwave if its specific capabilities (RAG, Memory) match what you need.
Try Shortwave →Pick Tines AI if cost is the main constraint or if you want the highest autonomy and the verification loop is in place.
Try Tines AI →Affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Frequently asked
Should I pick Shortwave or Tines AI in 2026?+
Pick Shortwave if its specific capabilities (RAG, Memory) match what you need. Pick Tines AI if cost is the main constraint or if you want the highest autonomy and the verification loop is in place. Most working teams running both can use Shortwave for primary work and Tines AI for the workflows where its specific strengths matter.
What's the price difference between Shortwave and Tines AI?+
Shortwave starts at Freemium · from $9; Tines AI starts at Subscription · Free tier. Tines AI 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, Shortwave or Tines AI?+
Tines AI is the more autonomous of the two (Semi-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.