aiagentrank.io

Kore.ai vs Shortwavewhich AI support agent should you pick in 2026?

Enterprise agent platform with prebuilt vertical agents for banking, healthcare, and retail.

🎧SupportAutonomousSubscription
Tool useVoiceMemoryRAG

AI email client — natural-language search, summary, scheduled send, and AI-drafted replies grounded in your inbox.

🙋‍♂️PersonalAssistantFreemium · from $9
RAGMemoryTool use

Kore.ai vs Shortwave — specs

SpecKore.aiShortwave
Agent Rank70 / 100 (B)73 / 100 (A)
AutonomyAutonomousAssistant
PricingSubscriptionFreemium · from $9
Open sourceNoNo
CapabilitiesTool use, Voice, Memory, RAG, Multi-agentRAG, Memory, Tool use
Integrations4 apps3 apps
VerifiedVerified
ReleasedNov 2024Feb 2025

Categories: Kore.aiSupport · ShortwavePersonal

Agent Rank breakdown

Kore.ai
Agent Rank
70/ 100
BB-tier
Autonomie
9
Fähigkeiten
10
Integrationen
6
Preise
4
Reife
7
Verifizierbarkeit
6

Automatisch berechnet aus Autonomie, Fähigkeiten, Integrationen, Preisen, Reife und redaktioneller Verifizierung. Bei jedem Deploy aktualisiert. Wie wird das berechnet?

Shortwave
Agent Rank
73/ 100
AA-tier
Autonomie
7
Fähigkeiten
6
Integrationen
6
Preise
8
Reife
7
Verifizierbarkeit
10

Automatisch berechnet aus Autonomie, Fähigkeiten, Integrationen, Preisen, Reife und redaktioneller Verifizierung. Bei jedem Deploy aktualisiert. Wie wird das berechnet?

Pros & cons

Kore.ai
Pros
  • +Forrester Wave Leader 2026 — top "strength of offering" score
  • +Largest library of prebuilt vertical agents (banking, healthcare, retail, telco)
  • +Massive enterprise install base (Coca-Cola, Cisco, Pfizer, major US banks)
Cons
  • Best value for enterprise verticals; SMB pricing not competitive
  • UI/UX denser than newer competitors (Sierra, Decagon)
  • India-based engineering — time-zone friction for some US/EU customers
Shortwave
Pros
  • +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
Cons
  • Gmail-only — no Outlook support
  • AI assistant is helpful but not yet revolutionary
  • Smaller user base means fewer integrations than Gmail/Outlook ecosystems

Pricing

Kore.ai
Standard
Individuell
Mid-market
  • +Pre-built vertical packs
  • +Voice + chat
  • +Standard governance
Empfohlen
Enterprise
Individuell
Large orgs
  • +Custom verticals
  • +Multi-agent orchestration
  • +Advanced governance
Sovereign
Individuell
Regulated
  • +EU/US/India data residency
  • +BYO LLM
  • +Dedicated tenants
Shortwave
Free
Kostenlos
Personal
  • +Basic AI summary
  • +90-day search
Empfohlen
Plus
$9/Mo.
Individuals
  • +Unlimited search
  • +AI assistant
  • +Scheduled send
Business
$14/Sitz/Mo.
Teams
  • +Shared inboxes
  • +Send delegation
  • +Admin controls

Which one should you pick?

Kore.ai

Pick Kore.ai if you want the highest autonomy and the verification loop is in place.

Try Kore.ai →
Shortwave

Pick Shortwave if cost is the main constraint or if you want a vendor we've verified for accessibility and pricing accuracy.

Try Shortwave →

Affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Frequently asked

Should I pick Kore.ai or Shortwave in 2026?+

Pick Kore.ai if you want the highest autonomy and the verification loop is in place. Pick Shortwave if cost is the main constraint or if you want a vendor we've verified for accessibility and pricing accuracy. Most working teams running both can use Kore.ai for primary work and Shortwave for the workflows where its specific strengths matter.

What's the price difference between Kore.ai and Shortwave?+

Kore.ai starts at Subscription; Shortwave starts at Freemium · from $9. Shortwave 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, Kore.ai or Shortwave?+

Kore.ai 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.

Readers comparing Kore.ai and Shortwave also picked

Adjacent agents in the same category with overlapping capabilities — worth a side-by-side glance before you commit.

Want the real monthly cost at your volume? Run the TCO calculator →
← Build your own comparison
Kore.ai vs Shortwave (2026): which AI support agent wins? · AI Agent Rank