§ Comparison · Updated May 2026

Glean vs Shortwave.

Glean and Shortwave are frequently shortlisted together. Both compete in the productivity space, so the right pick comes down to pricing model, ecosystem, and the specific features you'll lean on. This page lays out the spec sheet, an editor verdict, and answers to the questions people search before choosing.

§ Verdict

Highest rated

Glean

Editor score 4.5/5 — leads on overall quality across our evaluation.

Best value

Shortwave

freemium with paid tiers pricing — the lowest-friction option of the group.

Broadest feature set

Glean

5 headline features — the most all-in-one option.

§ Spec sheet

Rating

Glean

4.5

Shortwave

4.2

Pricing

Glean

Enterprise

Shortwave

Freemium

Category

Glean

Productivity

Shortwave

Productivity

Features

Glean

• Enterprise search
• Permission-aware knowledge graph
• AI assistant
• Agents over company data
• SaaS connectors

Shortwave

• AI email summaries
• AI search
• Drafting assistance
• Inbox bundles
• Team inbox workflows

Pros

Glean

+ Strong fit for large company knowledge retrieval
+ Designed around enterprise permissions

Shortwave

+ Strong Gmail-native productivity layer
+ AI search is useful for buried context

Cons

Glean

− Overkill for small teams
− Requires connector setup and internal data hygiene

Shortwave

− Gmail-focused
− Advanced AI and history features require paid plans

Use Cases

Glean

Enterprise searchInternal knowledge assistantEmployee onboardingSupport enablement

Shortwave

Email searchThread summariesInbox organizationDrafting replies

Visit

Glean

Shortwave

	Glean Enterprise AI search, assistant, and agent platform over company knowledge.	Shortwave AI email app for summarizing, searching, drafting, and organizing Gmail-heavy workflows.
Rating	4.5	4.2
Pricing	Enterprise	Freemium
Category	Productivity	Productivity
Features	• Enterprise search • Permission-aware knowledge graph • AI assistant • Agents over company data • SaaS connectors	• AI email summaries • AI search • Drafting assistance • Inbox bundles • Team inbox workflows
Pros	+ Strong fit for large company knowledge retrieval + Designed around enterprise permissions	+ Strong Gmail-native productivity layer + AI search is useful for buried context
Cons	− Overkill for small teams − Requires connector setup and internal data hygiene	− Gmail-focused − Advanced AI and history features require paid plans
Use Cases	Enterprise searchInternal knowledge assistantEmployee onboardingSupport enablement	Email searchThread summariesInbox organizationDrafting replies
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§ Best for

Pick Glean for

Enterprises who need enterprise search.

Read full review →

Pick Shortwave for

Gmail power users who need email search.

Read full review →

§ Common questions

Glean vs Shortwave — which is better?

It depends on what you're optimizing for. Glean edges Shortwave on our editor rating (4.5 vs 4.2), but ratings are a coarse signal. The verdict above breaks down which one wins for budget, feature breadth, and self-hosting.

Which of these is free?

Shortwave is the no-cost option in this comparison (freemium with paid tiers). The rest charge per seat, per token, or by usage.

When should I pick Glean over Shortwave?

Pick Glean when enterprise search matters more than Shortwave's strengths in email search. The "best for" callouts above translate this into concrete personas.

Are there other tools to consider?

Yes — every tool in this comparison has its own alternatives page that ranks the closest competitors. Click any tool name to drill into its full review and alternatives list.

Editorial verdicts, not algorithmicDisagree? Tell us →