HeyGen vs Shortwave

HeyGen and Shortwave sit in the same category. The verdict below is calculated for each role from the tasks, the role fit and the price.

Short answer

Shortwave wins for 14 of 20 roles in our data. HeyGen starts at $29/mo; Shortwave publishes no fixed price.

Role	Better choice	Why
Accountant	Shortwave	covers 2 of this role's tasks against 0; built for this role; works for free
Lawyer	Shortwave	covers 2 of this role's tasks against 0; works for free
HR manager	HeyGen	built for this role
Finance manager	Shortwave	covers 2 of this role's tasks against 0; built for this role; works for free
Manager	Shortwave	works for free
Marketer	HeyGen	higher total score on tasks and fit
Sales manager	HeyGen	higher total score on tasks and fit
Data analyst	Shortwave	covers 2 of this role's tasks against 0; built for this role; works for free
Teacher	Either one	even on tasks, Shortwave is cheaper to start
Executive assistant	Shortwave	works for free
Logistics manager	Shortwave	works for free
Procurement manager	Shortwave	covers 2 of this role's tasks against 0; built for this role; works for free
Secretary	Shortwave	works for free
Recruiter	Either one	even on tasks, Shortwave is cheaper to start
HR administrator	Shortwave	covers 2 of this role's tasks against 1; works for free
Tax consultant	Shortwave	covers 2 of this role's tasks against 0; built for this role; works for free
Auditor	Shortwave	covers 2 of this role's tasks against 0; built for this role; works for free
Economist	Shortwave	covers 2 of this role's tasks against 0; built for this role; works for free
Project manager	Shortwave	works for free
Social media manager	Either one	even on tasks, Shortwave is cheaper to start

	HeyGen	Shortwave
Vendor	HeyGen	Shortwave
Category	Other tools	Other tools
Free plan	Yes: A few short videos a month with a watermark and a length limit	Yes: A free plan with a shorter AI search history
Cheapest paid plan	Creator, $29/mo	price on request
Top plan	Creator, $29/mo	price on request
Tasks covered	2	2

HeyGen: Videos with a digital presenter from a script, and translation of finished videos in your own voice.

Shortwave: Email client for Gmail with an AI assistant that searches and answers across all your mail.

An avatar of a real person is created only with their recorded consent; after an employee leaves, videos with their avatar can no longer be used
Label a digital presenter in client videos as generated: hiding it creates a risk of claims and falls under disclosure rules
Check stress and pronunciation on a short fragment before rendering the full video

It works only with Gmail and Google Workspace; Outlook mail cannot be connected
The assistant indexes emails on the service's servers: for mailboxes with HR and banking mail, clear this with the company
Check a date or amount from the assistant in the email it cites

In our data Shortwave is the better choice for 14 of 20 roles. The table above shows the reason for each role.

HeyGen starts at $29/mo; Shortwave publishes no fixed price.

HeyGen: Yes. A few short videos a month with a watermark and a length limit. Shortwave: Yes. A free plan with a shorter AI search history.