Compose AI vs Inbox Zero (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Compose AI grades higher than Inbox Zero: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Compose AI grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use. Inbox Zero grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Inbox Zero
Open source AI email assistant for Gmail and Outlook
Which one is for you
Pick Compose AI if
- Fits if you write in Chrome all day and want sentences finished for you
- Works for people who want a free trial of AI autocomplete before paying anything
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want an email app, because it has no inbox and works only as a Chrome add-on
- Not for you if you use Safari, Firefox or a phone, as no other browser or app is mentioned
- Watch out: the premium price isn't on the page we could read, so you can't tell what upgrading costs
- Watch out: the site footer shows 2024 and the homepage mentions no recent updates
Pick Inbox Zero if
- Fits if you want your Gmail or Outlook sorted into categories and replies drafted for you
- Works for people who want open-source code they can read through or host themselves
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you won't hand over a card to try something, because the 7-day trial needs one
- Skip it if your email isn't Gmail or Outlook, as those are the only accounts it supports
- Pricey if you want a second account, the meeting notetaker or Slack, which start on Plus at $28 a user
- Watch out: the free Tabs extension works with Gmail only, and the phone apps send you to the web for some settings
- Tight if you self-host to avoid paying, as that means running it on Docker, Vercel, AWS or Kubernetes yourself
How we grade them
| 2.4GPACompose AIFair | 2.0GPAInbox ZeroFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe extension is free, and a premium version exists, but its price sits behind a pricing page that wouldn't load. We can't say where it lands against the $8 email middle. | DStarter is $18 a user a month billed annually, $20 monthly, where the middle for email tools here is $8 and the dearest quarter starts at $14.99. A second email account, the meeting notetaker and Slack all need Plus at $28, and Professional is $42. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe site says the plugin is free to use forever, with a premium version adding personalization features. No card or time limit is mentioned. | DNo free plan on the hosted service, and the 7-day trial asks for a credit card up front, though refunds are offered within 14 days of upgrading. The Tabs browser extension is free, and the code is open source if you'd rather host it yourself. |
| Features | CAutocomplete, text generation and style personalization. It is a general writing helper, not an email client, so there is no inbox, folders or sending. | CMail sorted into categories like To Reply and Cold Email by rules you write in plain English, replies drafted in your tone, one-click unsubscribe from senders you never read, and an optional keyboard-first client. Its own gaps: Gmail and Outlook accounts only, and phone apps that send you to the web for settings. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. Install the extension and start typing, with nothing to set up. | CNo rating on record. You tell it what to do in plain English instead of building filters, but you're connecting accounts, teaching it categories and, if you want the extension or self-hosting, doing that setup too. |
| Platforms and integrations | CChrome only, according to the site. It names LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram, and no API. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android and a browser extension. You can talk to the assistant from Slack or Telegram, and it connects to Google Drive, OneDrive, Notion and Stripe. Gmail, Workspace and Outlook are the only accounts it takes. |
| Best for | autocomplete while you type in Chrome | an open-source AI assistant for your inbox |
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: Compose AI and Inbox Zero. How we grade
Where they differ
- Inbox Zero is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Compose AI also covers text expansion and long-form writing.
- Inbox Zero also covers chat assistant, email client, inbox filtering and workflow automation.
At a glance
| Compose AI | Inbox Zero | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | Not published | $18 per user / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | The site says the Chrome plugin is free to use, with a premium version that adds advanced features. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial on every plan; a credit card is required. Refunds are offered within 14 days of upgrading. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Compose AI, INC. | Inbox Zero Inc. |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | getinboxzero.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Compose AI
- The pricing page loads its plans with JavaScript and could not be read, so no premium price is listed.
- It is a Chrome plugin; the site mentions no other browsers or standalone apps.
- The site footer shows a 2024 copyright, and the homepage mentions no recent updates.
- It is a general writing tool, not an email client: it has no inbox of its own.
Inbox Zero
- There is no free plan for the hosted service: every plan starts with a 7-day trial that needs a credit card.
- It supports Gmail, Google Workspace and Microsoft Outlook accounts only.
- The AI meeting notetaker, Slack and app integrations, email digests and auto-filed attachments start at Plus.
- The free Inbox Zero Tabs browser extension works with Gmail only, and the mobile apps leave some settings to the web app.
Key features
Compose AI
- Autocomplete in any text field
- Suggests the rest of a sentence where you type, across the sites and tools the extension is allowed to run on.
- Text generation
- Generates text from a prompt, with emails, documents and chat messages named as example uses.
- Writing-style personalization
- The vendor says it learns the user's voice and suggests phrases in that style; the FAQ ties some personalization features to the premium version.
- Use-case pages
- Site pages cover copywriting, blogging, recruiting and social media posts, including LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
Inbox Zero
- AI labels and plain-English rules
- Incoming mail is sorted into categories such as To Reply, Newsletter, Marketing and Cold Email. You can add categories of your own and describe in plain English how the assistant should handle mail.
- Pre-drafted replies
- Emails that need a response get a draft written in your tone, based on your email history and calendar, waiting in the inbox for you to review and send.
- Bulk unsubscribe and archive
- Shows which senders you never read so you can unsubscribe from and archive them in one click. A cold email blocker and email analytics are part of every plan.
- Optional email client
- A keyboard-first client for Gmail and Outlook on web, desktop and iPhone, with a split inbox, a command palette, several accounts in one inbox and team comments that are never sent as email.
- Chat from Slack and Telegram
- The assistant can be reached from Slack or Telegram to read mail, draft replies and manage the inbox. The pricing page lists the Slack integration from the Plus plan.
- Open source and self-hosting
- The code is public on GitHub, with the web and desktop email client under the AGPL license. The docs cover self-hosting with Docker, on Vercel, AWS or Kubernetes.
Plans
Compose AI
Pricing could not be confirmed. See compose.ai.
Inbox Zero
Starter$18
per user / month, billed annually; $20 billed monthly
Sorts and labels every email, drafts replies in your voice, blocks cold emails, bulk unsubscribe and archive, email analytics and pre-meeting briefings.
Plus$28
per user / month, billed annually; $35 billed monthly
Adds 2 email accounts per user, the AI meeting notetaker, Slack and app integrations, email digests, auto-filed attachments and an unlimited knowledge base.
Professional$42
per user / month, billed annually; $50 billed monthly
Everything in Plus, plus team-wide analytics, priority support and a dedicated onboarding manager.
EnterpriseCustom
SSO, SCIM, on-premise deployment and a dedicated account manager, arranged with the sales team.
Ways to pay less
Compose AI
No public discounts listed.
Inbox Zero
- Annual discount
Save up to 20% with annual billing
Annual billing lowers Starter from $20 to $18, Plus from $35 to $28 and Professional from $50 to $42 per user a month. The pricing FAQ puts the saving at up to 20%.
- Education
Student discount on request
The pricing FAQ says students can email the company to have a discounted plan set up. The size of the discount is not published.
- Nonprofit
Nonprofit and open-source project discounts
The same FAQ answer covers nonprofits and open-source projects, which can email for a discounted plan. No rate is published.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Compose AI or Inbox Zero?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Compose AI has no price we could confirm, and Inbox Zero starts at $18 per user / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Compose AI or Inbox Zero?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Compose AI has a free plan. Inbox Zero does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Compose AI and Inbox Zero run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Inbox Zero lists a web app and macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. Both list a browser extension. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.