Airmail vs Mimestream
We give Airmail a 3.0 GPA and Mimestream a 2.8, out of 4.0. Airmail grades higher on the free plan and platforms. Mimestream grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money and features.
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
Mimestream
Native Mac email client built on the Gmail API
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAAirmailVery good | 2.8GPAMimestreamGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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$49.99 a year, or $4.99 billed monthly, about half the $9 a month that's typical for email tools here. That covers all your Google accounts on up to 5 devices, and immediate family in the same household can share it free. It is subscription only, with no one-time purchase. |
| 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. The trial is 14 days, fully functional, with no credit card required. After that an active subscription is required to keep using the app. Annual plans can be refunded within 30 days. |
| 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. | AIt's made for one thing, Gmail on a Mac, and it does that fully. Inbox categories, color-coded labels and Gmail search behave as they do in Gmail, and you can edit server-side filters and vacation replies inside the app. Add a unified inbox, templates, snooze, undo send and tracker blocking. |
| 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. If you know Gmail and you know a Mac, there's little to learn. The labels and categories are the ones you already have, with system notifications, keyboard shortcuts and swipe gestures on top. |
| 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. | DMac only. It requires macOS 12 Monterey or newer, and the site lists no iOS, Windows or web version. It's built for Gmail accounts, and the site doesn't mention support for other email providers. Beyond Gmail, the one tie-in listed is Apple Contacts. |
| Best for | Apple users who like to tinker with their inbox | Gmail as a native Mac app |
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 Mimestream. How we grade
Where they differ
- Airmail starts at $7.99 per month, or $39.99 per year (US App Store in-app prices). Mimestream starts at $49.99 per year, or $4.99 billed monthly.
- Airmail has a free plan. Mimestream 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.
- Mimestream also covers Markdown and templates.
At a glance
| Airmail | Mimestream | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $7.99 per month, or $39.99 per year (US App Store in-app prices) | $49.99 per year, or $4.99 billed monthly |
| 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 | 14-day fully functional free trial, no credit card required |
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Bloop S.R.L. | Mimestream, LLC |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | mimestream.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 4, 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
Mimestream
- Mac users whose email lives in Gmail or Google Workspace
- People with several Gmail accounts who want one unified inbox
- Households: an Individual license can be shared with immediate family
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.
Mimestream
- Mac only: it requires macOS 12 Monterey or newer, and the site lists no iOS, Windows or web version.
- Built for Gmail accounts; the site does not mention support for other email providers.
- Subscription only, with no one-time purchase, and an active subscription is required to keep using the app.
- A license covers up to 5 devices, and monthly plans are not refundable.
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.
Mimestream
- Gmail features in a Mac app
- Powered by the Gmail API, so inbox categories, color-coded labels and Gmail-backed search behave the way they do in Gmail.
- Server-side filters and vacation replies
- Create and edit Gmail filters and vacation responses from inside the app instead of going to Gmail's web settings.
- Multiple accounts and unified inbox
- Add all of your Gmail accounts, combine them in an optional unified inbox and send from any configured Gmail alias.
- Tracking prevention
- Blocks email trackers from more than 75 common services.
- Templates, snooze and undo send
- Pre-written templates with variables, snoozing a message to return later, send and archive in one step, and reopening a draft after sending.
- macOS integration
- Dark mode, keyboard shortcuts, system notifications, swipe gestures, a menu bar extra, image markup and Apple silicon optimization.
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.
Mimestream
Individual$49.99
per year, or $4.99 billed monthly
All of your Google accounts on up to 5 devices, with free sharing for immediate family in the same household.
Group$49.99
per seat / year, or $4.99 per seat billed monthly
Everything in Individual, plus centralized billing and seat management for teams and organizations.
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.
Mimestream
- Annual discount
About 17% less with annual billing
The annual plan is $49.99 a year, against $4.99 a month ($59.88 over twelve months) on monthly billing. Annual plans can also be refunded within 30 days.
