InboxDraftWriter vs Shortwave: Free vs $30/seat
InboxDraftWriter matches or beats Shortwave on all 20 rows below and is ahead on 12. Prices from vendor pages on 24 Oct 2026.
InboxDraftWriter
Free · paid add-ons (WhatsApp, backup AI) at our cost
Shortwave
$30 / seat / mo; Premier $45; Max $120
Common complaint: Gmail only — no Outlook; replaces your mail client instead of working inside it.
| Feature | InboxDraftWriter | Shortwave |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail | ✓ | ✓ |
| Outlook / Microsoft 365 | ✓ | ✗ |
| Works inside your existing mail app (labels + drafts folder) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Auto-labelling with a reason for every label | ✓ | partial |
| Drafts in your voice in your Drafts folder | ✓ | partial |
| Never auto-sends (opt-in per rule, owner-confirmed) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Follow-up reminders + nudge drafts | ✓ | ✓ |
| Commitment tracker ("you promised X by Friday") | ✓ | ✗ |
| Scheduling replies from your real calendar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Meeting notes → recap draft | ✓ | ✗ |
| Daily digest | ✓ | ✓ |
| Daily digest on WhatsApp | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ask AI over your mail with citations | ✓ | ✓ |
| One-click unsubscribe + bulk cleanup | ✓ | ✓ |
| Team shared inbox, assignment, comments | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bills/invoices → CSV + Tally XML (GSTIN aware) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Push bills to Zoho Books / QuickBooks | ✓ | ✗ |
| Data residency in India (Surge's own AI server) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Metadata-only mode + retention window | ✓ | ✗ |
| Free; add-ons at cost, no seats or auto-converting trial | ✓ | ✗ |