Best of · Email
The best email apps in 2026
Nine email tools compared: clients for Gmail and Outlook, two email services of their own, a filter for the app you already use and two team inboxes. Each pick says who it suits and what it costs.
Updated Oct 4, 2026 · 9 tools · How we pick
Choosing an email app starts with a question that is easy to skip: do you want a better window onto the account you already have, or a different email service altogether? Most of the nine tools here are clients that sit on top of an existing account. HEY and Proton Mail are email providers in their own right, SaneBox is a filter that works inside whatever app you use now, and Front is a platform for teams answering shared addresses.
For the clients, the next question is which accounts they accept. Shortwave and Mimestream are built for Gmail only, Superhuman Mail for Gmail and Outlook, and Spark Mail and Missive take most providers, IMAP included. Then comes price. Spark Mail, Proton Mail and Shortwave have free plans, Superhuman Mail lists neither a free plan nor a free trial, and the other five offer trials of 7 to 30 days.
The picks run from the apps that suit the most people to those built for a narrower case, with tools for one person first and the two team inboxes last. Prices are the vendors' own, read on the date shown on each tool's page.
The shortlist
- 1Spark MailBest free client for several accountsFree plan · from $8.25/mo
- 2ShortwaveBest AI assistant for GmailFree plan · from $18/mo
- 3Superhuman MailBest for a high volume of emailFrom $25/mo
- 4Proton MailBest for private, encrypted emailFree plan · from $3.99/mo
- 5SaneBoxBest for keeping your current email appFree trial · from $6.99/mo
- 6HEYBest for screening who can email youFree trial · from $99/yr
- 7MimestreamBest native Mac app for GmailFree trial · from $49.99/yr
- 8MissiveBest for small teams sharing an inboxFree trial · from $14/mo
- 9FrontBest for support teams at volumeFree trial · from $25/mo
The picks in detail
- 01
Spark Mail
Best free client for several accountsEmail client with a unified smart inbox, AI tools and team featuresSpark Mail pulls Google, Outlook, iCloud, Yahoo, Exchange and IMAP accounts into one inbox on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android, and sorts personal mail apart from newsletters and notifications. Its free plan covers unlimited accounts with snooze, send later, reminders and a calendar, and it is the only free plan here that brings accounts from several providers together. Plus, at $8.25 per user a month billed annually ($99), adds sender screening with Gatekeeper, AI drafting and summaries, and shared threads with private comments.
Worth knowing: There is no web or Linux version, Gatekeeper, Priority and Spark +AI need Plus, and shared inboxes are limited to Pro at $16.58 per user a month billed annually.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $8.25 per user / month, billed annually ($99 / year)
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
- 02
Shortwave
Best AI assistant for GmailAI email client for Gmail with an assistant, filters and split inboxShortwave is a client for Gmail and Google Workspace built around an AI assistant: prompt it to organize the inbox, draft a reply in your own voice, search your mail or schedule a meeting. A split inbox and bundles let you triage promotions, newsletters and updates in bulk, and teammates can share threads, comment privately and assign emails. There is a Free plan with basic AI and 90 days of search history, and Pro for individuals is $18 per seat a month.
Worth knowing: Sign-in requires Gmail or Google Workspace (Microsoft 365 and Exchange are not supported), AI use on every plan is capped by a daily quota, and the Free plan adds a "Sent with Shortwave" signature.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $18 per seat / month (Pro, the individual plan)
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
- 03
Superhuman Mail
Best for a high volume of emailKeyboard-driven email client for Gmail and Outlook with built-in AISuperhuman Mail sits on top of a Gmail or Outlook account and is built for people who work through a lot of mail. Split Inbox divides messages into tabs that can each be worked through on their own, most actions have a keyboard shortcut, and Snippets insert saved text as you type. AI writing, instant replies, summaries and labels are on every plan, along with a calendar, booking links and shared threads with comments. It runs on the web, Mac, Windows, iOS and Android.
Worth knowing: There is no free plan and the pricing page mentions no free trial: Starter is $25 per member a month billed annually, or $30 billed monthly, and Auto Drafts and Ask AI need Business.
- Price
- $25 per member / month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly)
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- 04
Proton Mail
Best for private, encrypted emailEnd-to-end encrypted email service based in SwitzerlandProton Mail is an email provider rather than a client for an account you already have. Messages are end-to-end encrypted so that Proton itself cannot read them, email trackers are blocked, and hide-my-email aliases and a calendar are included. Its Easy Switch tool imports existing mail from Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo or Apple accounts. The free plan covers one address with up to 1 GB of storage, and Mail Plus, at $3.99 a month billed every 12 months ($47.88), is the lowest annual price in this list.
Worth knowing: The free plan allows 150 sent messages a day, and custom domains, the desktop apps and access from other email clients through Bridge all need a paid plan.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $3.99 per month, billed every 12 months ($47.88); $4.99 billed monthly
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- 05
SaneBox
Best for keeping your current email appAI email filtering that works inside the email app you already useSaneBox is not an email app at all. It connects to the account you already have (Gmail, Microsoft 365, iCloud, Yahoo, Fastmail, IMAP or Exchange) and moves unimportant mail out of the inbox into a SaneLater folder that shows up in whichever client you use. It also sends a daily digest of what it filtered, flags sent emails that got no reply and can hold incoming mail during focused work. Every plan has a 7-day trial with no credit card.
Worth knowing: There is no free plan, and the entry Snack plan ($6.99 a month or $58.99 a year, as listed in the App Store) covers 1 account and any 2 features; only Dinner includes everything.
- Price
- $6.99 per month, or $58.99 per year (App Store in-app prices)
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- 06
HEY
Best for screening who can email youEmail service and calendar with sender screening, from 37signalsHEY is its own email service from 37signals: signing up gives you a new @hey.com address rather than a client for Gmail or Outlook. First-time senders wait in the Screener until you approve or block them, newsletters go to a feed-style reader and receipts are filed in the Paper Trail. A calendar is included, and it has apps for the web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android. HEY for You is $99 a year, with a 30-day trial that needs no credit card.
Worth knowing: Existing mail history is not imported, only forwarded going forward; IMAP and POP are not supported, so it works only in HEY's own apps; and there is no free plan.
- Price
- $99 per year (HEY for You, annual billing only)
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- 07
Mimestream
Best native Mac app for GmailNative Mac email client built on the Gmail APIMimestream is a Mac app made specifically for Gmail. Because it uses the Gmail API, inbox categories, colored labels, server-side filters and Gmail search behave as they do in Gmail, inside a native app with system notifications, keyboard shortcuts and swipe gestures. It combines several Gmail accounts in an optional unified inbox and blocks email trackers. The Individual plan is $49.99 a year or $4.99 billed monthly, and can be shared with immediate family in the same household.
Worth knowing: It runs only on a Mac (macOS 12 or newer) and is built for Gmail accounts, and it is subscription only: an active subscription is required to keep using the app.
- Price
- $49.99 per year, or $4.99 billed monthly
- Runs on
- macOS
- 08
Missive
Best for small teams sharing an inboxTeam email client with shared inboxes, internal chat and rulesMissive puts shared addresses such as support@ or sales@ next to each person's own accounts in one app. Teammates discuss a thread in an internal conversation instead of forwarding it, assign conversations, turn emails into tasks and write a reply together in real time. It takes mail from Gmail, Microsoft 365, iCloud or any IMAP account alongside SMS, WhatsApp and live chat. Starter is $14 per user a month billed yearly, and the 30-day trial needs no credit card.
Worth knowing: There is no free plan, and Starter is limited to 5 users and leaves out rules, integrations and the AI assistant, which start on Productive at $24 per user a month billed yearly.
- Price
- $14 per user / month, billed yearly ($18 billed monthly)
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
- 09
Front
Best for support teams at volumeShared inbox and customer operations platform with AI and ticketingFront is a customer operations platform built around shared inboxes, for support and operations teams that work shared addresses at volume. Incoming messages can be assigned so everyone sees who is handling which conversation, with ticketing, automation rules, analytics and a knowledge base on top. From the Professional plan it combines email, SMS, Front Chat and WhatsApp in one inbox. Starter is $25 per seat a month billed annually.
Worth knowing: There is no free plan, Starter is capped at 10 seats and one channel type, and the Copilot, Smart QA and Smart CSAT AI tools cost extra per seat below Enterprise.
- Price
- $25 per seat / month, billed annually
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
How to choose
Keep your address or move to a new service?
Spark Mail, Superhuman Mail, Shortwave, Mimestream and Missive are clients for accounts you already have, and SaneBox works inside your current app. HEY and Proton Mail are email providers. Proton Mail can import existing mail from Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo or Apple accounts; HEY does not import mail history and only forwards new mail. HEY also works only in its own apps, while paid Proton plans can be read in Outlook, Thunderbird or Apple Mail through Bridge.
Check which accounts and devices it supports
Shortwave requires Gmail or Google Workspace, Mimestream is built for Gmail and runs only on a Mac, and Superhuman Mail covers Gmail and Outlook. Spark Mail takes Google, Outlook, iCloud, Yahoo, Exchange and IMAP accounts but has no web version. HEY and Proton Mail are the two with Linux apps, though Proton Mail's desktop apps need a paid plan and its Linux app is labeled beta.
Decide what you will pay
Spark Mail, Proton Mail and Shortwave have free plans. The lowest annual prices are Proton's Mail Plus at $47.88 for 12 months and Mimestream at $49.99 a year; HEY for You and Spark Mail's Plus plan are each $99 a year. Shortwave Pro is $18 per seat a month, and Superhuman Mail starts at $25 per member a month billed annually, with no free plan or trial listed.
One inbox or a shared one?
For a team answering addresses such as support@, Missive and Front are built around shared inboxes and assignment. Missive Starter is $14 per user a month billed yearly for up to 5 users; Front Starter is $25 per seat a month billed annually for up to 10 seats. Spark Mail offers shared inboxes on its Pro plan, and Superhuman Mail and Shortwave let teammates share threads and comment on them.
Common questions
Which email apps are free?
Spark Mail, Proton Mail and Shortwave have free plans. Spark Mail's covers unlimited accounts in a unified inbox with snooze and send later; Proton Free covers 1 address with up to 1 GB of storage and 150 sent messages a day; Shortwave's Free plan has basic AI and 90 days of search history. The other six are paid, and all but Superhuman Mail list a free trial.
What is the cheapest paid email app?
On annual billing, Proton's Mail Plus is the lowest in this list at $3.99 a month billed every 12 months ($47.88), followed by Mimestream at $49.99 a year and SaneBox's Snack plan at $58.99 a year as listed in the App Store. Billed monthly, Mail Plus and Mimestream are both $4.99.
Which email apps work with Outlook as well as Gmail?
Superhuman Mail is built for Gmail and Outlook accounts. Spark Mail takes Google, Outlook, iCloud, Yahoo, Exchange and IMAP accounts, Missive takes Gmail, Microsoft 365, iCloud and IMAP, and SaneBox connects to Gmail, Microsoft 365, iCloud, Yahoo, Fastmail, IMAP and Exchange. Shortwave and Mimestream are for Gmail only.
What is the best email app for a Mac?
Mimestream is a native Mac app made for Gmail, with inbox categories, labels and server-side filters working as they do in Gmail. If your mail is not in Gmail, Spark Mail has a Mac app that combines Google, Outlook, iCloud, Yahoo, Exchange and IMAP accounts, and its free plan includes unlimited accounts.
Which email apps suit a team sharing one address?
Missive and Front are built for shared inboxes. Missive Starter is $14 per user a month billed yearly for up to 5 users, and Front Starter is $25 per seat a month billed annually for up to 10 seats. Spark Mail also offers shared inboxes on its Pro plan at $16.58 per user a month billed annually.
Keep reading
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