Best Email Client · head-to-head
Shortwave vs Spark Mail
A sourced, side-by-side comparison for email client. Shortwave has the lower entry price. Every figure links to the vendor's own page and the date we captured it.
At a glance
- Price: Shortwave $0/mo vs Spark Mail $0/mo — Shortwave is cheaper to start.
- Free tier: Shortwave Yes; Spark Mail Yes.
- HIPAA: Shortwave —; Spark Mail No.
Side by side
| Shortwave | Spark Mail | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $0/mo (Free) | $0/mo (Free) |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA (BAA) | — | No |
| SOC 2 | — | — |
| GDPR | — | Yes |
| Best for | Gmail power users | individuals and small teams |
Sources — Shortwave: shortwave.com (verified 2026-06-18). Spark Mail: sparkmailapp.com (verified 2026-06-18).
Key features
Shortwave: AI-native inbox with executive assistant; Multi-tiered AI search over full email history; AI-powered filters and thread summarization; Contextual AI autocomplete
Spark Mail: Cross-platform (iOS, Mac, Windows, Android); Spark +AI meeting notes and AI assistant; Smart Inbox with priority triage; Team collaboration and shared drafts