What is the difference between Shortwave and Microsoft Copilot?

Shortwave focuses on AI thread summaries and is freemium, while Microsoft Copilot specializes in Office 365 integration and is freemium. Both are AI Productivity tools.

Is Shortwave or Microsoft Copilot better?

It depends on your needs. Shortwave excels at Excellent AI summaries, while Microsoft Copilot is known for Deep Office integration. Compare their features above to decide which fits your workflow.

Shortwave vs Microsoft Copilot

AI Productivity tools comparison · Updated 2026

Choosing between Shortwave and Microsoft Copilot? Both are popular AI Productivity tools. Shortwave starts at Freemium and focuses on AI thread summaries. Microsoft Copilot starts at Freemium and specializes in Office 365 integration. Here's a detailed side-by-side comparison to help you decide.

At a Glance

	Shortwave	Microsoft Copilot
Category	AI Productivity	AI Productivity
Pricing	freemium	freemium
Starting Price	Freemium	Freemium
Best For	productivity, email, gmail	productivity, microsoft, office
Features	6 listed	6 listed

Shortwave

AI email client for Gmail with thread summaries and smart bundling.

AI Productivity freemium

Visit Shortwave → Alternatives

Microsoft Copilot

AI assistant across Office 365 for documents, presentations, and email.

AI Productivity freemium

Visit Microsoft Copilot → Alternatives

Feature Comparison

Shortwave	Microsoft Copilot
✓ AI thread summaries	✓ Office 365 integration
✓ Email bundling	✓ Document drafting
✓ AI drafting	✓ Email summarization
✓ Instant search	✓ Data analysis
✓ Scheduled send	✓ Presentation creation
✓ Smart labels	✓ Web search

Pricing Comparison

Shortwave

freemium

Free basic plan. Personal $7/mo. Business $14/user/mo.

Microsoft Copilot

freemium

Free basic. Copilot Pro $20/mo. Microsoft 365 Copilot $30/user/mo.

Pros & Cons

Shortwave

Pros

+ Excellent AI summaries
+ Clean interface
+ Good free tier
+ Fast search

Cons

− Gmail only
− Smaller feature set than some
− Mobile app limited

Microsoft Copilot

Pros

+ Deep Office integration
+ Familiar interface
+ Enterprise-ready
+ Free tier available

Cons

− Requires Microsoft ecosystem
− Copilot Pro expensive
− Sometimes slow

The Verdict

Both Shortwave and Microsoft Copilot are strong AI Productivity tools. Shortwave stands out for Excellent AI summaries, making it ideal if that's your priority. Microsoft Copilot excels at Deep Office integration, which may be more important for your workflow.