reply2mail vs Shortwave
Chat-driven AI mail client for Gmail users.
Where Shortwave is strong
- Built by ex-Google Inbox engineers; popularised the chat-driven mail category.
- Native integrations for Slack, Notion, Asana, Hubspot, Linear — we don’t ship those yet.
- Mature features: "Splits", thread summaries, natural-language AI filter scripts.
Where we’re strong
- IMAP/SMTP support — Outlook, Yandex, Exchange, your own server. Shortwave is **Gmail-only.**
- Approval-first: every destructive op confirmed. Shortwave doesn’t enforce the same gate for AI actions.
- Single-tenant VPS install in the Business plan — Shortwave is pure SaaS.
- DPA/AVB pack for KVKK and GDPR; data residency is the customer’s choice.
Feature by feature
| Feature | reply2mail | Shortwave |
|---|---|---|
| Mail accounts it connects | Gmail, Outlook, Yandex + any IMAP | Gmail only |
| Approval gate for destructive actions | Explicit approval on every destructive op | No strict gate on AI actions |
| Data tenancy | Shared SaaS + single-tenant VPS in Business | Shared SaaS |
| Choose server region | Customer chooses (Business) | No — global SaaS |
| Knowledge base (RAG) | Yes — "Remember" + knowledge base | Yes — inbox + attachments |
| Audit log retention | 3 years, default | Not specified |
| Bring your own LLM key (BYOK) | Yes — OpenRouter BYOK | No |
| Native integrations | No — on roadmap | Slack, Notion, Asana, Hubspot, Linear, Calendar |
| Interface | Web — own chat surface | Web/Mac/iOS/Android — own mail client |
Verdict — which one fits you?
If your team is on Gmail and willing to switch mail client to Shortwave, it’s among the most polished products in the category. If you’re on Outlook, Yandex or your own mail server, Shortwave isn’t an option. For KVKK-grade data residency and an approval gate, look at reply2mail Business.
Other comparisons
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