Mailbird vs Spark Mail

Mailbird

• Windows users who want several email accounts in one desktop app
• People who would rather buy a license once than subscribe
• Keeping chat and calendar apps in a sidebar next to email

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

Mailbird

• The free version covers 1 email account on 1 device and leaves out email tracking, app integrations and Exchange support.
• There is no iOS, Android, web or Linux version; the pricing FAQ says mobile apps are on the roadmap.
• Mailbird for Mac needs macOS Ventura or later and cannot connect POP3 accounts.
• Prices here are US Mac App Store in-app prices. Mailbird's website prices Premium in local currency, marked down from a crossed-out list price, and its figures can differ.

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.

Mailbird

Unified inbox

Messages and contacts from several email accounts appear in one inbox. The free version is limited to 1 account, and Premium allows unlimited accounts.

Email tracking

Shows who opened a sent message and when. The comparison table lists tracking as unlimited on Premium and not included in the free version.

App integrations

Slack, WhatsApp, Dropbox, Google Calendar, Asana and other apps open inside Mailbird, and Premium can add any app or website as a custom app.

AI email writing

A ChatGPT integration drafts email text for you. The pricing table lists it as a Premium feature.

Snooze and send later

Snooze takes a non-urgent message out of the inbox until later, and send later schedules a message for a set time. On Mac both are listed under Premium, along with undo send.

Unsubscribe and block senders

Unsubscribe from mailing lists and block unwanted senders from inside the inbox. The pricing table lists both as Premium features.

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.

Mailbird

• Free$0

  Basic features for 1 email account on 1 device, with Knowledge Base support only.

• Premium (Yearly Plan)$34.49

  per year (US Mac App Store in-app price)

  Unlimited accounts, unlimited email tracking, templates, app integrations, Exchange support and email support, on up to 3 devices per license.

• Premium (One-Time)$159.00

  one-time payment (US Mac App Store in-app price)

  Premium bought once. The website calls it Pay Once, shows it at 75% off a crossed-out price in local currency, and sells a Lifetime Updates add-on.

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.

Mailbird

• Lifetime license

  Pay Once license instead of a subscription

  Premium is also sold as a Pay Once license with no renewals, and an optional Lifetime Updates add-on covers all future Mailbird versions. The US Mac App Store lists Premium One-Time at $159.00.

• Other savings

  Volume discounts from 2 licenses

  The pricing FAQ lists automatic discounts on multiple Premium licenses: 5% for 2 to 10, 10% for 11 to 25, 15% for 26 to 50, 20% for 51 to 100 and 25% for 101 or more.

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.