Cleanfox vs SaneBox (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Cleanfox grades higher than SaneBox: 3.0 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 4, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Cleanfox grades higher on value for money and the free plan. SaneBox grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Cleanfox
Free tool for unsubscribing from newsletters and clearing inboxes
SaneBox
AI email filtering that works inside the email app you already use
Which one is for you
Pick Cleanfox if
- Fits if your inbox is full of newsletters you never read
- Works for people who accept the data trade for a free cleaner
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you don't want your emails scanned, as the site says it sells statistics compiled from them
- Watch out: signing up joins NielsenIQ's online consumer panel, according to the site
- Skip it if you want an email client, as it cleans subscriptions only
- Watch out: the site says it can't connect to some providers
Pick SaneBox if
- Fits if you want to keep your current email app and move low-priority mail out of the inbox
- Works for schools, non-profits and government agencies, who get 25% off any plan
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as there's only a 7-day trial
- Pricey if you want every feature, since only Dinner has them all at $35.99 a month
- Not for you if you want a new email app, because SaneBox only filters the one you have
- Tight if you have more than 1 account on Snack or 2 on Lunch, which also ration you to 2 or 6 features
- Watch out: these are App Store prices, and SaneBox's own pricing page can show different figures
How we grade them
| 3.0GPACleanfoxVery good | 2.2GPASaneBoxFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AEverything is free. The cost is not money: the site says it sells statistics compiled from the transactional emails and newsletters it scans. | DSnack is $6.99 a month for 1 account and any 2 features, Lunch $11.99 for 2 accounts and 6, and the whole thing only arrives with Dinner at $35.99 a month or $299.99 a year, which is far above this category's $8 middle and its $25 dearest tenth. A steep climb for filtering. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with all features at no charge and no paid plan. | CNo free plan. You get a 7-day free trial of any plan with no credit card required, then it's a paid subscription or nothing. We think a week is short for a filter that has to learn your habits. |
| Features | CNewsletter detection, delete or keep per sender, deleted mail goes to the bin, and several providers. It does that one job, a smaller job than an email client, and the site says it can't connect to some providers. | CThe filtering job is done completely: learning what matters and moving the rest to SaneLater, a Daily Digest of what went, SaneBlackHole for senders you are done with, snooze folders and do-not-disturb. But it is a filter behind your mail app, not a mail app, and cheaper plans ration it to 2 or 6 features. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You connect your mailbox first, though it's one-click per newsletter after that. | B4.6 from about 650 App Store ratings, too few ratings for our top mark. There's no new app to learn either: its folders appear in whichever email client and device you already use. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iOS and Android, with Gmail and Outlook connections. No desktop app. | BA web account plus iPhone and Android companion apps, and it connects to Gmail, Microsoft 365, iCloud, Yahoo, Fastmail and other IMAP or Exchange accounts, so its folders turn up everywhere. Those phone apps aren't mail clients, and nothing beyond mail accounts is listed. |
| Best for | a free newsletter cleaner paid for by data | filtering the email app you already use |
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: Cleanfox and SaneBox. How we grade
Price against what you get
Cleanfox has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. SaneBox starts at $4.92 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7.
SaneBox scores higher, and starts $4.92 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other email apps on the chart, none scores higher than Cleanfox for less, and 6 score higher than SaneBox for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
At a glance
| Cleanfox | SaneBox | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free trial |
| Starts at | Free | $6.99 per month, or $58.99 per year (App Store in-app prices) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial of any plan, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | NielsenIQ | SaneBox, Inc. |
| Price read from | cleanfox.io | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Cleanfox
- Cleanfox is paid for by data: the site says it sells statistics compiled from the transactional emails and newsletters it scans.
- Signing up joins NielsenIQ's online consumer panel, according to the site.
- It cleans subscriptions only; it is not an email client and does not replace one.
- The site says it is unable to connect to some providers.
SaneBox
- There is no free plan; a paid subscription is needed once the free trial ends.
- Snack covers 1 email account and 2 features, and Lunch covers 2 accounts and 6 features. Only Dinner includes everything.
- It is not an email client: the iOS and Android apps are companions for digests, snoozing and blocking senders.
- Prices here are the US App Store's in-app prices. SaneBox's own pricing page can show different figures and also sells a two-year term.
Key features
Cleanfox
- Newsletter detection
- After you connect a mailbox, Cleanfox lists the newsletters it finds so that each one can be reviewed in turn.
- Delete or keep, per sender
- For each newsletter you can delete future emails automatically, delete emails already received, or keep it.
- Deleted mail goes to the bin
- Removed emails move to the inbox bin and are emptied automatically after a few days, so a mistake can be restored.
- Several providers and apps
- It works with Gmail, Outlook and other providers, and there are Android and iOS apps as well as the web version.
SaneBox
- SaneLater filtering
- Analyzes how you handle email to judge what matters, then moves unimportant messages out of the inbox into a separate SaneLater folder.
- SaneBlackHole
- Send a sender to the BlackHole and their future messages are kept out of your inbox for good.
- Daily Digest
- A daily summary of the unimportant, unopened email that was filtered. Digests can also be processed in the iOS and Android companion apps.
- Snooze and follow-up reminders
- Snooze folders bring a message back to the inbox later, and SaneReminders flags sent emails that have not received a reply.
- SaneDoNotDisturb
- Holds incoming email during quiet time set aside for focused work and delivers it afterwards.
- Works with your current email
- Connects to Gmail, Microsoft 365, iCloud, Yahoo, Fastmail, IMAP and Exchange accounts, so its folders show up in whichever email client or device you use.
Plans
Cleanfox
Free$0
All features at no charge; the service is funded by selling statistical data from scanned emails.
SaneBox
Snack$6.99
per month, or $58.99 per year (App Store in-app prices)
1 email account and any 2 SaneBox features of your choice.
Lunch$11.99
per month, or $98.99 per year (App Store in-app prices)
2 email accounts and any 6 features, which can be toggled on and off from the account.
Dinner$35.99
per month, or $299.99 per year (App Store in-app prices)
4 email accounts and access to every SaneBox feature.
Ways to pay less
Cleanfox
No public discounts listed.
SaneBox
- Annual discount
About 30% less with yearly billing
On the App Store listing, Snack is $58.99 a year against $6.99 a month, Lunch $98.99 against $11.99 and Dinner $299.99 against $35.99, roughly 30% less than paying monthly.
- Education
25% off for educational institutions
SaneBox states that educational, non-profit and government agencies can get a 25% discount on any plan.
- Nonprofit
25% off for non-profits and government
The same 25% discount on any plan is offered to non-profit organizations and government agencies.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Cleanfox or SaneBox?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Cleanfox is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $4.92 a month when paid by the year for SaneBox. Cleanfox is free, and SaneBox starts at $6.99 per month, or $58.99 per year (App Store in-app prices).
Which has a free plan, Cleanfox or SaneBox?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Cleanfox has a free plan. SaneBox does not, though it has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.