Airmail vs MailMate
We give Airmail a 3.0 GPA and MailMate a 2.6, out of 4.0. Airmail grades higher on the free plan, features and platforms. MailMate grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money.
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
MailMate
Keyboard-driven IMAP email client for macOS with Markdown composing
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAAirmailVery good | 2.6GPAMailMateGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | A$10 every 3 months, plus any VAT, where the middle for email tools here is about $9 every single month. All features are included. And if you cancel, it drops to Free Mode and keeps every feature for non-business use. That's about as fair as a subscription gets. Businesses are required to stay in Paid Mode. |
| 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. | CNo free plan to start on. Trial Mode gives you every feature, currently for 14 days of active use, and then you need a license key from the subscription. Free Mode only arrives after a subscription ends, and it labels your outgoing mail "MailMate Free Mode" in its headers. |
| 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. | BMarkdown composing with a preview, shortcuts and custom key bindings, smart mailboxes built from conditions on any message header, and OpenPGP and S/MIME. Deep where it goes. But it connects through IMAP accounts only, the composer is plain text only, and the last public release is more than 4 years old. |
| 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. | BNo rating on record, so a B is our ceiling. It's an app you install and add accounts to. But formatting comes from Markdown, not toolbar buttons, and the whole thing is designed to be driven from the keyboard. Expect to learn its ways. |
| 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. | DIt runs on macOS only, and it connects to email through IMAP accounts. Bundles hook it up to third-party task managers, calendar managers and external text editors, and it works with BusyContacts and HoudahSpot. That's the lot. |
| Best for | Apple users who like to tinker with their inbox | keyboard-and-Markdown email on a Mac |
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 MailMate. How we grade
Where they differ
- Airmail starts at $7.99 per month, or $39.99 per year (US App Store in-app prices). MailMate starts at $10 every 3 months (local-currency equivalent plus any VAT).
- Airmail has a free plan. MailMate does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Airmail lists an iOS app.
- Airmail can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Airmail also covers inbox filtering.
- MailMate also covers Markdown.
At a glance
| Airmail | MailMate | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $7.99 per month, or $39.99 per year (US App Store in-app prices) | $10 every 3 months (local-currency equivalent plus any VAT) |
| 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. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Trial Mode: every feature, currently for 14 days of active use |
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Bloop S.R.L. | Freron Software |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | freron.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 6, 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
MailMate
- Mac users who prefer writing email in plain text or Markdown
- People who want to run their inbox from the keyboard
- Building detailed smart mailboxes and saved searches
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.
MailMate
- It runs on macOS only and connects to email through IMAP accounts.
- The composer is plain text only: formatting comes from Markdown rather than from toolbar buttons.
- The recommended download is a 2.0 beta that needs macOS 10.12 or later; the last public release is more than 4 years old.
- Businesses are required to stay in Paid Mode, and the subscription does not guarantee a reply to support emails.
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.
MailMate
- Markdown composing
- Emails are written in a plain text editor. Optional Markdown is converted to HTML for lists, tables, code segments and inline images, with a preview of what recipients will see.
- Keyboard control
- The app is designed to be driven from the keyboard, with shortcuts for searching, moving messages to a mailbox and tagging, and support for custom key bindings.
- Smart mailboxes and search
- Smart mailboxes are built from conditions on any message header, with nested All/Any rules, and any search can be saved as one. Clicking a name or subject runs a related search.
- OpenPGP and S/MIME
- Messages can be encrypted and signed with either OpenPGP or S/MIME from within the client.
- Bundles for other apps
- Bundles connect MailMate to third-party task managers, calendar managers and external text editors. They are fetched and updated separately from the app itself.
- Alternative layouts
- Besides the standard view there is a widescreen layout, a Correspondence layout showing related messages, a Statistics layout that counts header values, and Thread Arcs.
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.
MailMate
Paid Mode$10
every 3 months, plus any VAT
The MailMate Development subscription issues the license key and pays for ongoing development. All features are included, and business use requires it.
Free Mode$0
After a subscription ends, all features keep working for non-business use, and outgoing mail is labelled "MailMate Free Mode" in its headers.
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.
MailMate
- Nonprofit
Non-profit use can stay in Free Mode
The pricing page says non-profit use does not require Paid Mode, so the subscription can be cancelled and MailMate keeps all of its features in Free Mode.
