eM Client vs Spark Mail

eM Client

• Windows and Mac users who want a full desktop mail client
• People who would rather pay once for the current version
• Companies that license email software per device

Spark Mail

• People juggling several email accounts across desktop and phone
• Individuals who want a free client with a unified inbox and send later
• Small teams that want to comment on emails and draft replies together

eM Client

• The Free license is for personal, non-commercial use only, on one device with 2 email accounts.
• Thread view, notes, snooze, Send Later, undo send and message translation need a paid Personal or Business license.
• A one-time license covers the current major version only. Later major versions need a paid upgrade or the Lifetime Upgrades option.
• No Linux or web version is listed. The pricing page shows different prices by country; the figures here are the US ones.

Spark Mail

• The vendor lists apps for Mac, Windows, iOS and Android only; there is no web or Linux version.
• Gatekeeper, Priority, Spark +AI and third-party integrations require Plus or higher.
• Shared inboxes, read statuses and the HubSpot integration are limited to Pro and Enterprise.
• The free plan's AI is a limited preview: 5 meeting notes in total and 1 month of email history for the AI Assistant.

eM Client

Works with most email services

Connects to Google Workspace, Office 365, Outlook, Exchange and other services, and imports data from Microsoft Outlook, Thunderbird and other clients.

Calendar, tasks, contacts and notes

Calendars, tasks and contacts are part of every license, with a sidebar agenda of upcoming events, tasks and birthdays. Notes need a paid license.

PGP and S/MIME encryption

Messages can be encrypted and digitally signed with S/MIME or PGP. The pricing table lists this on the Free license too.

Snooze, Send Later and Watch for Reply

Paid licenses add snooze, scheduled sending, undo send, a watch for replies to sent messages, mass mail and a view of all attachments.

AI and translation

AI generates messages and replies or adjusts the tone of a draft through the AI Add-on, which subscriptions include. Paid licenses also translate incoming messages.

Chat and meeting integrations

Chat and online meeting integration are built in, and paid licenses add Microsoft Teams, Slack and Rocket.Chat integration.

Spark Mail

Smart Inbox and unified inbox

Brings every connected account into one inbox and separates priority mail from newsletters and notifications. Included in the free plan.

Gatekeeper and Priority

Gatekeeper lets you accept or block new senders before they land in the inbox, and Priority highlights chosen senders. Both are part of Plus and above.

Spark +AI and AI Assistant

+AI drafts, proofreads, summarizes and translates email. The AI Assistant answers questions about your mail, reaching back 1 month on Free, 1 year on Plus and without limit on Pro.

Snooze, Send Later and reminders

Snooze a message, set it aside, schedule a send or get a follow-up reminder. These scheduling tools are in the free plan.

Team collaboration

Share a thread with teammates, discuss it in private comments and write drafts together in real time. Shared inboxes for addresses such as support@ need Pro.

Calendar and AI meeting notes

A built-in calendar can add Zoom, GoTo or Microsoft Teams call links. AI meeting notes are capped at 5 in total on Free and 40 a month on Plus, and unlimited on Pro.

eM Client

• Free$0

  Personal, non-commercial use on one device with 2 email accounts and forum support. No snooze, Send Later, notes, thread view or translation.

• Personal (subscription)$39.95

  per year, for 1 user on up to 3 devices

  Individual use with unlimited email accounts, every feature, VIP support, new major versions and the AI Add-on included.

• Business (subscription)$49.95

  per device / year

  Company or institutional use, priced per device and lower in volume. Adds the License Manager, with VIP support and the AI Add-on included.

• Personal (one-time)$59.95

  one-time payment, for 1 user on up to 3 devices

  Never expires for the current major version and includes 1 year of VIP support. Later major versions and the AI Add-on cost extra.

• Business (one-time)$79.95

  per device, one-time payment

  Per-device company license that never expires for the current major version. Lifetime Upgrades are an optional extra.

Spark Mail

• Free$0

  Unlimited accounts, Smart Inbox, unified inbox, snooze, send later, reminders, calendar and 5 lifetime AI meeting notes.

• Plus$8.25

  per user / month, billed annually ($99); $10 billed monthly

  Adds Gatekeeper, Priority, Spark +AI, the AI Assistant with 1 year of history, 40 AI meeting notes a month, integrations and team collaboration.

• Pro$16.58

  per user / month, billed annually ($199); $20 billed monthly

  Everything in Plus, plus shared inboxes, read statuses, unlimited AI meeting notes, HubSpot integration and Spark CLI triage access.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Everything in Pro, plus security and controls, a dedicated success manager and 1:1 productivity coaching.

eM Client

• Lifetime license

  One-time payment instead of a subscription

  Personal at $59.95 or Business at $79.95 per device buys a license that never expires for the current major version. Optional Lifetime Upgrades extend it to all future versions.

• Nonprofit

  30% discount for NGOs

  The pricing page states that NGOs are eligible for a 30% discount, arranged by contacting eM Client.

• Education

  30% discount for schools and universities

  Schools and universities are eligible for the same 30% discount, arranged by contacting eM Client.

Spark Mail

• Annual discount

  Save 17% with annual billing

  The pricing page shows Plus at $99 a year instead of $120 and Pro at $199 a year instead of $240 when billed annually, a 17% saving over paying monthly.