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AI email assistant for small business: Shortwave, Superhuman and Gemini in Gmail, from each company's own pages
What Shortwave, Superhuman and Gemini in Gmail show on their own pricing pages, what each costs, where the AI is (it is listed on all three), a prompt for answering a customer email with ChatGPT or Claude, and the check to run before you send. Free PDF, no sign-up.
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Download the free PDF Download the email prompt + check-before-you-send checklistWhy people are searching for this
On November 5, 2026, typing ai email assistant into Google autocomplete suggested outlook, free, gmail, gmail free and free online. Owners and creators want the inbox handled, and they want it free.
Important: this guide was written from each company's own pricing pages, opened on November 5, 2026. None of the tools was tested on a live inbox for this guide, and plans, prices and limits change often.
Step 1: Shortwave
Shortwave's pricing page starts with a 14 day free trial and shows three plans, all priced per seat, per month.
| Plan | Price shown | Listed |
|---|---|---|
| Business | $30 per seat / month | Standard intelligence, more AI usage, 5 years of AI search history, max 50 threads per AI search, 3 AI powered filters, AI autocomplete, summaries and attachment analysis |
| Premier | $45 per seat / month | Advanced intelligence, 2x more AI usage, unlimited AI search history, max 100 threads per AI search, 10 AI powered filters |
| Max | $120 per seat / month | Expert intelligence, 6x more AI usage, max 150 threads per AI search, 50 AI powered filters |
The price is per person: the cheapest plan is $30 a month, so three people is already $90. The page does not say how good the AI answers are, and none were tested for this guide.
Step 2: Superhuman
Superhuman's pricing page shows three plans.
| Plan | Price shown | Listed |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $25 per member / month, billed annually | Email productivity, Superhuman AI, team collaboration, calendar and scheduling, unified admin and billing |
| Business | $33 per member / month, billed annually (15% off for teams of 5+) | Everything in Starter, plus the most advanced AI, auto drafts, Ask AI, Superhuman Mail MCP, custom auto labels, CRM integrations |
| Enterprise | Let's talk | Admin security and controls, single sign-on, customer success manager, team analytics, priority support |
Superhuman AI is listed in Starter; the most advanced AI and auto drafts are listed in Business, which costs $8 more per member. The page does not say what auto drafts write or how well, and none were tested.
Step 3: Gemini in Gmail (Google Workspace)
Gemini in Gmail is not a separate email app. It comes with Google Workspace, the business version of Gmail with an address at your own company name. Google's pricing page, with the annual toggle selected, shows:
| Plan | Price shown | Listed |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $7 per user / month | Secure custom business email, 30 GB pooled storage per person, Gemini AI assistant in Gmail |
| Standard | $14 per user / month | Everything in Starter, plus Gemini in Gmail, Docs, Meet and more, appointment booking pages, eSignature, 2 TB storage |
| Plus | $22 per user / month | Everything in Standard, plus 5 TB, Vault, more security and management controls |
In the comparison table, the line Gemini in Gmail - find, summarize, and write emails faster with AI has a check mark on every plan, including Starter. Gemini in Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive and Meet starts at Standard. The page shows these prices with a one year commitment selected, offers a 14 day trial at no cost, and prices can change, so check the toggle.
So where is the AI?
AI is listed on all three pages: Shortwave lists AI summaries, search and autocomplete; Superhuman lists Superhuman AI, with auto drafts on Business; Google lists a Gemini assistant in Gmail on every plan. What the pages do not say is how well any of them writes, or whether it sounds like you. Only a test in your own inbox can show that, and none was run for this guide, so none is rated here.
Step 4: write the reply with ChatGPT or Claude (my suggestion)
This step is not a company's feature; it is a way to get a first draft of a reply. It works with the free version of either one. Paste this into ChatGPT or Claude:
Here is an email from a customer: [paste the email here]. Write a short, friendly reply. My business is [what you do]. Answer only what they asked. Do not invent prices, dates, discounts or promises. If you need information from me, put it in [square brackets]. Keep it under 100 words.An example I wrote, not from any tool: Hi Sam, thanks for reaching out. I can do Thursday at two or Friday at ten. Which works better for you? Once you pick, I will send a short confirmation with the address.
Why the rules: an AI helper may invent a price you never quoted, promise a date you cannot keep, or sound like every other business. You are the one who has to stand behind what it sends.
Step 5: the check before you send
- Read the whole draft out loud.
- Check every name, number and date against your own records.
- Check that it answers the question the customer asked.
- Check the greeting and the name.
- Never let any AI send an email without you pressing the button.
Two minutes per email. An email that has gone out is one you cannot quietly take back.
What it costs
| Option | List price on the page |
|---|---|
| Google Workspace Starter (Gemini in Gmail) | $7 per user / month |
| Superhuman Starter | $25 per member / month, billed annually |
| Superhuman Business | $33 per member / month, billed annually |
| Shortwave Business | $30 per seat / month |
| Shortwave Premier | $45 per seat / month |
Prices are list prices before tax from each company's page on November 5, 2026, and can change.
Honest limits
- None of these tools was run on a live inbox for this guide.
- This guide cannot rate how well any AI feature writes, because none was tested.
- Plans and prices change often, so open the page before you decide.
- No tool knows which customer is waiting on a quote. That part is yours.
Questions people also ask
Is there a free AI email assistant?
None of the three pricing pages in this guide lists a free plan: Shortwave shows a 14 day free trial, Google Workspace offers 14 days at no cost, and Superhuman lists paid plans. You can also paste an email into the free version of ChatGPT or Claude and ask for a draft reply.
Is Gemini in Gmail included in Google Workspace Starter?
Google's pricing page lists a Gemini AI assistant in Gmail on Starter at $7 per user per month, and its comparison table shows a check mark for Gemini in Gmail on every plan. Gemini in Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive and Meet starts at Standard.
How much does Shortwave cost?
The page shows Business at $30, Premier at $45 and Max at $120 per seat per month, with a 14 day free trial.
How much does Superhuman cost?
The page shows Starter at $25 and Business at $33 per member per month, billed annually, with Enterprise on request.
Can AI write my customer emails for me?
It can draft them. Tell it not to invent prices, dates or promises, then read every draft yourself before you press send.
Sources
What Fynl.io is, and where it fits
Fynl.io is one portal a small business runs itself on, instead of five subscriptions that do not talk to each other.
The AI runs on your own Claude or ChatGPT API key. You keep the key, you pay the model provider directly, and there is no markup on top of it. There is no SMS or phone calling yet, and we would rather say so than let you find out later.
Fynl.io is for the business around the inbox: one portal for your contacts, calendar, quotes, invoices and email, with AI that runs on your own key. Fynl is not a replacement for the email tools compared in this guide.