Mailbrew vs SaneBox (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, SaneBox grades higher than Mailbrew: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 4, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Mailbrew grades higher on value for money. SaneBox grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Mailbrew
Daily email digest of feeds, newsletters and saved links
SaneBox
AI email filtering that works inside the email app you already use
Which one is for you
Pick Mailbrew if
- Fits if you'd like one email with your feeds and newsletters instead of ten
- Works for people who save links and want them back in a digest
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: one digest, 26 sources and ads
- Skip it if you want a mailbox, as it doesn't host addresses
- Skip it if you want phone or desktop apps, as none are listed
- Watch out: the pricing page we read does not show a monthly-billed price
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
| 2.0GPAMailbrewFair | 2.2GPASaneBoxFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPro is $4.92 a month, billed yearly, between the cheaper quarter and the middle of what email tools charge. | 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 | COne digest, 26 sources and ads. You will want a second digest quickly. | 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 | CDigests by email or browser, RSS to email, a newsletter reader and saved links. It's a reading tool, not a mailbox, and apps beyond the web aren't listed. | 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 pick sources and build each digest yourself. | 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 | CWeb only, with Hacker News and YouTube as sources. No phone or desktop apps listed. | 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 daily digest of feeds and newsletters | 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: Mailbrew and SaneBox. How we grade
Price against what you get
Mailbrew starts at $4.92 a month and scores 2.0 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 for the same starting price. Of the other email apps on the chart, 40 score higher than Mailbrew 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
- Mailbrew also covers read later and rSS reader.
- SaneBox also covers inbox filtering and workflow automation.
At a glance
| Mailbrew | SaneBox | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $4.92 per month, billed yearly ($59) | $6.99 per month, or $58.99 per year (App Store in-app prices) |
| Free plan | 1 email digest, access to 26 sources and the newsletter reader, with ads included. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial of any plan, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Evernomic | SaneBox, Inc. |
| Price read from | app.mailbrew.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Mailbrew
- The free plan allows one email digest, 26 sources and shows ads.
- Pro is shown as billed yearly; the pricing page read does not display a monthly-billed price.
- Mailbrew is a reading and digest service, not a mailbox: it does not host email addresses.
- Apps beyond the web app are not listed on the pages read.
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
Mailbrew
- Digests by email or in the browser
- Each brew can arrive as an email or be read in the web app.
- RSS to email
- Any feed can be added to a digest, alongside sample sources such as news sites and YouTube channels.
- Newsletter reader
- Newsletters collect in a single place instead of the main inbox.
- Saved links
- A Saved tab keeps links to read later, and they can appear in digests.
- Public digests
- Pro lets you share a digest publicly.
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
Mailbrew
Free$0
1 email digest, the newsletter reader, 26 sources and private digests, with ads included.
Pro$4.92
per month, billed yearly ($59)
Unlimited email digests, all sources, public sharing of digests and no ads.
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
Mailbrew
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, Mailbrew or SaneBox?
As of Nov 13, 2026, they start at the same price. Mailbrew starts at $4.92 per month, billed yearly ($59), and SaneBox starts at $6.99 per month, or $58.99 per year (App Store in-app prices).
Which has a free plan, Mailbrew or SaneBox?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Mailbrew has a free plan. SaneBox does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Mailbrew and SaneBox run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only SaneBox lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. 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.