Shortwave alternative for Outlook and Gmail teams that want AI drafts
InboxManager is a Shortwave alternative for teams that want AI sorting, summaries and reply drafts without moving to a new email app, and without being limited to Gmail. It works inside your own Gmail or Outlook mailbox, so a mixed team on Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 can use one tool. Shortwave lists Business at 30 USD per seat a month. InboxManager starts at 24 USD a month billed yearly for an owner and an assistant.
Paste an email and watch it get sorted
- Nothing is sent without your OK
- Your mail is never used to train AI models
- Works inside Gmail and Outlook, no new email app
Your email, sorted
Your email, sorted
Category
Summary
Action items
- Due
- Suggested follow-up
- Sample inbox, fictional senders
-
Hi Priya, thank you for letting us know, and sorry about the mix-up with your Field Jacket.
Draft generated by InboxManager demo
Create your account to read the full draft, edit it and copy it into your mailbox.
Create accountWrite a reply draft
Priya Raman
Refund for order 48213, wrong size delivered
Summary
- Priya Raman received size L instead of the Field Jacket in size M from order 48213.
- She wants a full refund of 189 USD to her original card, not an exchange.
- The jacket is unworn with tags, and she needs an answer by Friday.
Sort your real inbox with InboxManager
Connect Gmail or Outlook and every new email gets a lane, a summary and a draft waiting for your OK.
USDper month
A sorted inbox at a glance
Every new email lands in one of five lanes, with a one-line reason next to it.
| Sender | Subject | Lane | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus Holt | Following up on the Q3 update | Important | Investor asks for numbers before Thursday's partner meeting |
| Priya Raman | Refund for order 48213 | Needs reply | Customer wants a return label and refund date by Friday |
| Brightline Supply | Invoice INV-20931 due October 24 | Needs reply | Vendor invoice due in five days, payment not yet confirmed |
| Elena Cruz | Re: Contract redlines | Waiting | You sent redlines Monday and she promised comments this week |
| Sam Whitaker | Re: Podcast guest slot | Waiting | Producer is checking dates and will confirm |
| Product Weekly | This week in SaaS pricing | Newsletters | Subscribed digest, nothing to act on |
| Team Calendar | Weekly planning moved to 10 am | Important | Internal schedule change that affects tomorrow |
| Growth Leads Co | 50 qualified leads a week, guaranteed | Spam and cold pitches | Unsolicited lead generation pitch, no draft written |
InboxManager and Shortwave side by side
Shortwave is its own email client with an AI assistant built in. InboxManager is a layer on top of the mailbox you already use. Shortwave figures come from the Shortwave pricing page in October 2026, InboxManager figures from our own pricing page.
| What you compare | InboxManager | Shortwave |
|---|---|---|
| Where you read mail | Your own Gmail or Outlook, web, desktop and phone | The Shortwave app on web, desktop and mobile |
| Accounts it works with | Gmail, Google Workspace, Outlook.com and Microsoft 365 | Built around Gmail and Google Workspace. Third-party reviews report no direct Outlook or Microsoft 365 support, so confirm in its help center |
| How you pay | Per workspace, Starter 24 USD a month billed yearly | Per seat, Business 30 USD, Premier 45 USD, Max 120 USD a month |
| Monthly billing | Starter 49 USD, Plus 149 USD for up to 5 people | Business 30 USD, Premier 45 USD, Max 120 USD per seat |
| Learning curve | None, same inbox as before | New client, new shortcuts, new layout |
| How mail gets sorted | Five lanes: Important, Needs reply, Waiting, Newsletters, Spam and cold pitches | Splits, labels and AI filters you set up in the app |
| AI reply drafts | Every plan, written in your voice from past sent mail | AI autocomplete and drafting on Business and up, with usage limits by tier |
| Thread summaries | Every plan | Instant AI summaries on Business and up |
| Assistant working in your mailbox | Included on Starter, with approval of sensitive replies | Shared access is handled by seat |
| Shared inboxes for info@ or support@ | From Plus, with assignment and collision detection | Team features per seat |
| Sends email by itself | Never, every draft waits for you | No |
What teams pay for Shortwave and for InboxManager
Per-seat pricing means every person who needs the AI is a paid seat, including an assistant who triages for an executive. At Business list price, billed monthly:
- One person on Shortwave Business, 30 USD a month
- A founder and an assistant, 60 USD a month
- Five people, 150 USD a month
- Ten people, 300 USD a month
InboxManager Starter covers an owner and an assistant at 24 USD a month billed yearly, and Plus covers up to five people at 74 USD a month billed yearly. Monthly billing is 49 and 149 USD. Even against Shortwave on monthly billing the difference for a five person team is 150 against 149 USD, but the yearly rate is half. Shortwave does not list annual pricing on its pricing page, so the yearly comparison is InboxManager billed yearly against Shortwave billed monthly.
When Shortwave is the better choice
Shortwave is a good product and some people should stay with it.
- 01 You live in Gmail, want a faster and more opinionated client, and enjoy learning new shortcuts
- 02 You want the AI to search across years of mail with an assistant chat, which is the core of its Premier and Max tiers
- 03 You are a single user on Google Workspace and do not need an assistant or shared inboxes
If you would rather keep Gmail or Outlook exactly as it is and have drafts, summaries and sorting appear in the threads you already open, InboxManager is the better fit.
A Shortwave alternative for Outlook and Microsoft 365
Teams on Microsoft 365 are the main reason people look for a Shortwave alternative. InboxManager connects through Microsoft Graph with Microsoft sign-in and works in folders and color categories, so Outlook on the web, on Windows and Mac and on your phone all show the same sorting. Details are on the Outlook AI assistant page.
A Shortwave alternative for Gmail and Google Workspace
In Gmail, InboxManager uses labels and puts each draft in the thread where you would start typing. You keep Gmail search, filters, add-ons and the mobile app. See the Gmail AI assistant page.
How to switch from Shortwave to InboxManager
Your mail stays in Gmail, so nothing is migrated and nothing is lost.
- 01 Paste a real email into the demo at the top of this page to see the lane, the summary and the draft
- 02 Create your account and connect Gmail or Outlook with Google or Microsoft sign-in
- 03 Write two or three rules in plain English for the senders your Shortwave splits used to catch
- 04 Run both for a few days, then cancel Shortwave in its account settings and remove its access in your Google Account security page
What is the best alternative to Shortwave?
It depends on what you miss. For AI drafts and sorting inside Gmail or Outlook with one workspace price, InboxManager fits. For a new fast client, Superhuman is the closest. For per-seat AI inside the inbox, Fyxer AI. Compare them on our best AI email assistant page.
Does Shortwave work with Outlook?
Shortwave is built around Gmail and Google Workspace, and third-party reviews report that it does not connect to Outlook or Microsoft 365 directly. Check the Shortwave help center for the current answer. InboxManager works with Outlook.com and Microsoft 365 through Microsoft sign-in.
How much does Shortwave cost?
Shortwave lists Business at 30 USD per seat a month, Premier at 45 USD and Max at 120 USD, with a 14 day free trial. Higher tiers add stronger AI models and more usage. Its pricing page does not show annual prices, so confirm current figures before buying.
Is Shortwave worth it?
Shortwave is worth it for a Gmail user who wants a fast client with a built-in AI assistant and is happy to switch apps. It is a weaker buy for mixed Gmail and Outlook teams, for assistants who need access to an executive's inbox, or for teams that want one price per workspace.
Can I use InboxManager and Shortwave at the same time?
You can, because InboxManager works on the mailbox and Shortwave only reads it. Two tools sorting the same mail will compete, so test them side by side for a few days and keep one.
Try the Shortwave alternative on your own email
Paste a message into the demo above to see its lane, a short summary and a reply draft, then connect Gmail or Outlook in a couple of minutes. To compare more tools, read the Superhuman alternative page, the Fyxer alternative page or the SaneBox alternative page.