Airmail vs Apple Mail
We give Airmail a 3.0 GPA and Apple Mail a 3.4, out of 4.0. Airmail grades higher on features. Apple Mail grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Airmail
Customizable email client for iPhone, iPad and Mac
Apple Mail
Free built-in email app for iPhone, iPad and Mac
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAAirmailVery good | 3.4GPAApple MailVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AAirmail Pro is $39.99 a year on the US App Store, far less than paid email apps usually cost, and iOS subscribers get Pro on the Mac free. Monthly is $7.99, so pay yearly. There's also Airmail for Business at $49.99 once, with no subscription. | AThe app costs nothing. iCloud+ at $0.99 a month adds 50 GB, throwaway addresses and email at your own domain, shared with up to five other people. Proton wants $3.99 for a plan with one custom domain. |
| Free plan and trial | BIt's free to download, but only for a single email account with limited capabilities. Multiple accounts and the unified inbox, which is why most people want an app like this, need Airmail Pro. | AThe whole app is free, and it reads Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo and Exchange accounts as well as iCloud. The tight spot is an iCloud address, which shares 5 GB with the rest of your iCloud. |
| Features | ASmart Inbox, snooze, Send Later, a privacy mode that blocks tracking pixels, and its signature trick: custom actions that chain label, forward and archive into one command, plus rules on the Mac. It shares to Todoist, OmniFocus, Things and Trello too. | BCategories, snooze, send later, unsend, VIPs and tracker blocking are all built in. But it's a plain mail app next to Outlook. One reviewer notes rules only live on the Mac, and the AI summaries hang on Apple Intelligence, which is still a beta. |
| Ease of use | C4.2 from about 4,200 App Store ratings, which is on the low side for a mail app. And an app built around customization asks more of you than one you just open. Fun if you enjoy that, tiring if you only want your email. | A4.6 from about 4.5 million App Store ratings. It's already on your iPhone, iPad and Mac, so there's nothing to download. Add your Gmail or Outlook account and your mail turns up. |
| Platforms and integrations | CiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Vision Pro, and it shares to plenty of apps, from Todoist to Dropbox and Google Drive. But it's all Apple. There's no Windows, Android or web version. | CiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision, and that's where it ends. No Windows app, no Android app. An iCloud address can be read at iCloud.com or in Outlook on Windows, but that's not this app. |
| Best for | Apple users who like to tinker with their inbox | everyday email if all your devices are Apple |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Airmail and Apple Mail. How we grade
Where they differ
- Airmail starts at $7.99 per month, or $39.99 per year (US App Store in-app prices). Apple Mail starts at $0.99 per month (iCloud+ with 50 GB).
- Only Apple Mail lists a web app.
- Airmail can be bought with a one-time purchase.
At a glance
| Airmail | Apple Mail | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $7.99 per month, or $39.99 per year (US App Store in-app prices) | $0.99 per month (iCloud+ with 50 GB) |
| Free plan | Free download for a single email account with limited capabilities. Multiple accounts, the unified inbox, agenda integration and realtime inbox monitoring need Airmail Pro. | The Mail app is free on Apple devices and works with iCloud, Gmail, Exchange, Yahoo, Outlook and other accounts. An iCloud Mail address draws on the 5 GB of free iCloud storage. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Bloop S.R.L. | Apple Inc. |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | support.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Airmail
- Apple users who want to tailor swipes, actions and layout in their email app
- Sending emails to task managers such as Todoist, OmniFocus or Things
- Organizations that want a one-time purchase with MDM configuration
Apple Mail
- iPhone, iPad and Mac owners who want a mail app at no cost
- Reading iCloud, Gmail, Exchange and Yahoo mail in one inbox
- People who want protection from email tracking built in
Worth knowing
Airmail
- Without Airmail Pro the app works with one account and limited capabilities; multiple accounts and the unified inbox are subscription features.
- The vendor lists apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Vision Pro only, so there is no Windows, Android or web version.
- The yearly Pro price differs by store: $39.99 on the iPhone and iPad listing and $49.99 on the Mac listing. The iOS listing also shows a $3.99 Airmail Pro purchase with no period.
- AI Composer is a separate in-app purchase on the Mac App Store listing, shown at $4.99 and at $14.99 monthly.
Apple Mail
- The app is listed only for Apple devices. Elsewhere, iCloud Mail is reached in a browser at iCloud.com, which Apple describes for iCloud Mail accounts, or in Outlook on Windows.
- iCloud Mail counts against iCloud storage, 5 GB on the free tier. When it runs out, the iCloud address stops receiving new mail until space is freed or bought.
- Hide My Email and Custom Email Domain need iCloud+, and Apple notes that Custom Email Domain is not available in all countries or regions.
- Priority Messages, summaries and Writing Tools depend on Apple Intelligence, which Apple labels a beta and limits to certain languages and regions.
Key features
Airmail
- Multiple accounts and unified inbox
- Add Gmail, iCloud, Exchange, Office 365, Outlook, IMAP and POP3 accounts and read them together in one unified inbox. Both are Airmail Pro features.
- Smart Inbox
- Filters newsletters and other distractions out of view so that only the more important messages are shown.
- Snooze and Send Later
- Snooze hides a message until it becomes relevant, and Send Later schedules a message to arrive at a chosen time.
- Custom actions and rules
- A custom action chains steps such as label, forward and archive into one command. On Mac, rules handle incoming mail automatically and sync between Macs through iCloud.
- Privacy mode
- Processes data locally on the device, blocks tracking pixels and stops images from loading automatically.
- AI assistant connection
- Airmail for Mac can connect to AI assistants such as Claude and Codex through the Airmail MCP, so an assistant can find messages, summarize threads and draft replies.
Apple Mail
- Every account in one inbox
- Add iCloud, Gmail, Exchange, Yahoo, Outlook and other accounts, then read them in a single inbox or one mailbox at a time, with filters for unread or flagged messages.
- Automatic categories
- Mail sorts incoming messages into Primary, Transactions, Updates and Promotions, which keeps receipts and marketing email out of the main list.
- Priority Messages and summaries
- With Apple Intelligence, urgent messages are shown in a section at the top of the inbox, messages and threads can be summarized, and Smart Reply drafts quick responses.
- Send later, snooze and unsend
- Schedule a message to send later, snooze one to come back to, or unsend it. On Mac, Mail can also remind you about messages that got no response.
- Mail Privacy Protection
- Hides your IP address from senders and downloads remote content privately in the background, so senders cannot tell whether or when a message was opened.
- Hide My Email and custom domains
- With iCloud+, send from unique, random addresses that forward to your real one, and use a domain you own with iCloud Mail, shared with up to five other people.
Plans
Airmail
Free$0
A single email account with limited capabilities; no multiple accounts or unified inbox.
Airmail Pro (iPhone and iPad)$7.99
per month, or $39.99 per year (US App Store in-app prices)
Multiple accounts, unified inbox, agenda integration and realtime inbox monitoring. The Mac listing says iOS subscribers get Airmail Pro on Mac free.
Airmail Pro (Mac)$7.99
per month, or $49.99 per year (US Mac App Store in-app prices)
The subscription bought through the Mac App Store. On Mac, Pro covers the smart inbox, custom actions, themes and a customizable layout.
Airmail for Business$49.99
one-time purchase (US App Store)
Separate app with Airmail Pro features unlocked and no subscription. Leaves out realtime inbox monitoring, Send Later and synchronized snooze.
Apple Mail
Mail$0
The Mail app on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision, plus iCloud Mail within the 5 GB of free iCloud storage.
iCloud+ 50 GB$0.99
per month
50 GB of iCloud storage, which iCloud Mail counts against, plus Hide My Email and Custom Email Domain.
iCloud+ 200 GB$2.99
per month
200 GB of iCloud storage with the same Hide My Email and Custom Email Domain features.
iCloud+ 2 TB$9.99
per month
2 TB of iCloud storage with the same mail features. Apple also sells 6 TB at $29.99 and 12 TB at $59.99 per month.
Ways to pay less
Airmail
- Annual discount
About 58% less with yearly billing
On the US App Store listing Airmail Pro is $39.99 a year against $7.99 a month, which works out to about 58% less than twelve monthly payments. On the Mac listing the yearly price is $49.99.
- Lifetime license
Airmail for Business is a one-time purchase
Airmail for Business costs $49.99 once on the US App Store, with Airmail Pro features unlocked and no subscription. It runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch.
- Education
Education discounts on Airmail for Business
The Airmail for Business listing says the app is available through Apple's business purchase marketplace and that educational discounts apply.
Apple Mail
- By country
iCloud+ is priced by country or region
Apple lists a monthly iCloud+ price for each country or region. On October 9, 2026 the 50 GB plan was $0.99 in the United States and Rs 75 in India, and the 2 TB plan $9.99 and Rs 749.
