Circleback.ai vs Shortwave (2026): Pricing, Features & Which to Choose

Who comes out ahead

Based only on the facts in our directory. The right pick still depends on the job you need done.

Lower starting price
Shortwave
From $7/mo against from $20.83/mo
Free plan
Tie
Both have one
Higher rating
Shortwave
4.2 against 4.4
Same job?
Yes
Both are Productivity tools

Side by side

Compared on	Circleback.ai	Shortwave
Our rating	4.2	4.4Better
Starts at	$20.83/mo	$7/moBetter
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Category	Productivity	Productivity
Plans	From $20.83/mo	From $7/mo
Key features	Automatic recording and transcription across Zoom, Meet, Teams, and Slack huddles AI-generated meeting notes, summaries, and action items Draft follow-up email generation after each meeting Direct CRM and workspace sync (HubSpot, Notion, Google Docs, Gmail) In-person conversation recording and transcription via mobile	AI-native email client built from scratch AI-powered search and thread summarization Built by former Google engineers Free tier for standard use Operating since 2020
Pros	Founding team has direct relevant experience (Stripe LLM integration, Tableau analytics) Free tier allows a full test before any subscription commitment Automatic CRM and workspace sync removes a manual data-entry step other note-takers leave to the user	Genuinely rebuilt email experience, not a plugin on a traditional client Strong technical pedigree from experienced former Google engineers Free tier available for standard use
Cons	Team-tier pricing ($25/user/month) scales up cost fast for larger organizations Crowded category with entrenched competitors like Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai, and Fathom Recording every meeting, including in-person ones, raises consent and privacy considerations in some jurisdictions	More features require a paid plan Switching email clients entirely is a bigger commitment than adding a plugin Smaller ecosystem than established mainstream email clients
Company	Circleback, founded 2023	Shortwave Communications, Inc., founded 2020

Prices come from each vendor's pricing page, last checked 20260718. Check the vendor before you buy.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Is Circleback.ai better than Shortwave?

In our reviews Circleback.ai scores 4.2 and Shortwave scores 4.4. The better pick depends on the job. Circleback.ai: AI meeting assistant recording, transcribing, and turning conversations into notes, action items, and CRM updates automatically. Shortwave: An AI-native email client built by former Google engineers.

Which is cheaper, Circleback.ai or Shortwave?

Shortwave has the lower starting price: from $20.83/mo for Circleback.ai and from $7/mo for Shortwave.

Do Circleback.ai and Shortwave have free plans?

Yes, both have a free plan.

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