Mimestream vs Spark Mail
We give Mimestream a 2.8 GPA and Spark Mail a 3.8, out of 4.0. Mimestream grades higher on value for money. Spark Mail grades higher on the free plan, ease of use and 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.
Mimestream
Native Mac email client built on the Gmail API
Spark Mail
Email client with a unified smart inbox, AI tools and team features
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAMimestreamGood | 3.8GPASpark MailExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$49.99 a year, or $4.99 billed monthly, about half the $9 a month that's typical for email tools here. That covers all your Google accounts on up to 5 devices, and immediate family in the same household can share it free. It is subscription only, with no one-time purchase. | BPlus is $8.25 a user a month billed annually, which is $99 a year, or $10 monthly. That's about what paid email apps usually start at, and it adds Gatekeeper, Priority and the AI tools. Shared inboxes need Pro at $16.58. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan. The trial is 14 days, fully functional, with no credit card required. After that an active subscription is required to keep using the app. Annual plans can be refunded within 30 days. | AUnlimited email accounts in one Smart Inbox, with snooze, send later, reminders and a calendar, free for good. Most people could stop here. The AI on Free is only a taster: 5 meeting notes in total, and 1 month of history for the AI Assistant. |
| Features | AIt's made for one thing, Gmail on a Mac, and it does that fully. Inbox categories, color-coded labels and Gmail search behave as they do in Gmail, and you can edit server-side filters and vacation replies inside the app. Add a unified inbox, templates, snooze, undo send and tracker blocking. | AA unified inbox that separates personal mail from newsletters, Gatekeeper to screen new senders, AI that drafts, summarizes and translates, and a built-in calendar. Teams can share a thread, comment on it privately and write the reply together. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record, so a B is our ceiling. If you know Gmail and you know a Mac, there's little to learn. The labels and categories are the ones you already have, with system notifications, keyboard shortcuts and swipe gestures on top. | A4.6 from about 82,600 App Store ratings. Add your accounts and the Smart Inbox does the sorting for you. Snooze and send later are there from the start, on the free plan. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only. It requires macOS 12 Monterey or newer, and the site lists no iOS, Windows or web version. It's built for Gmail accounts, and the site doesn't mention support for other email providers. Beyond Gmail, the one tie-in listed is Apple Contacts. | AMac, Windows, iPhone and Android, and it takes Google, Outlook, iCloud, Yahoo, Exchange and IMAP accounts. Paid plans plug into Todoist, Asana, Trello, Notion and Slack. There's no web version and nothing for Linux, mind. |
| Best for | Gmail as a native Mac app | one inbox for all your email accounts |
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: Mimestream and Spark Mail. How we grade
Where they differ
- Mimestream starts at $49.99 per year, or $4.99 billed monthly. Spark Mail starts at $8.25 per user / month, billed annually ($99 / year).
- Spark Mail has a free plan. Mimestream does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Spark Mail lists Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Mimestream also covers Markdown.
- Spark Mail also covers meeting notes, calendar and shared inbox.
At a glance
| Mimestream | Spark Mail | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $49.99 per year, or $4.99 billed monthly | $8.25 per user / month, billed annually ($99 / year) |
| Free plan | None | Unlimited email accounts in a unified Smart Inbox with snooze, send later, reminders and calendar, plus 5 AI meeting notes in total and an AI Assistant preview limited to 1 month of email history. |
| Free trial | 14-day fully functional free trial, no credit card required | 7-day free trial of Plus and Pro when you subscribe directly in the app |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Mimestream, LLC | Spark Mail Limited |
| Price read from | mimestream.com | sparkmailapp.com |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Mimestream
- Mac users whose email lives in Gmail or Google Workspace
- People with several Gmail accounts who want one unified inbox
- Households: an Individual license can be shared with immediate family
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
Worth knowing
Mimestream
- Mac only: it requires macOS 12 Monterey or newer, and the site lists no iOS, Windows or web version.
- Built for Gmail accounts; the site does not mention support for other email providers.
- Subscription only, with no one-time purchase, and an active subscription is required to keep using the app.
- A license covers up to 5 devices, and monthly plans are not refundable.
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.
Key features
Mimestream
- Gmail features in a Mac app
- Powered by the Gmail API, so inbox categories, color-coded labels and Gmail-backed search behave the way they do in Gmail.
- Server-side filters and vacation replies
- Create and edit Gmail filters and vacation responses from inside the app instead of going to Gmail's web settings.
- Multiple accounts and unified inbox
- Add all of your Gmail accounts, combine them in an optional unified inbox and send from any configured Gmail alias.
- Tracking prevention
- Blocks email trackers from more than 75 common services.
- Templates, snooze and undo send
- Pre-written templates with variables, snoozing a message to return later, send and archive in one step, and reopening a draft after sending.
- macOS integration
- Dark mode, keyboard shortcuts, system notifications, swipe gestures, a menu bar extra, image markup and Apple silicon optimization.
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.
Plans
Mimestream
Individual$49.99
per year, or $4.99 billed monthly
All of your Google accounts on up to 5 devices, with free sharing for immediate family in the same household.
Group$49.99
per seat / year, or $4.99 per seat billed monthly
Everything in Individual, plus centralized billing and seat management for teams and organizations.
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.
Ways to pay less
Mimestream
- Annual discount
About 17% less with annual billing
The annual plan is $49.99 a year, against $4.99 a month ($59.88 over twelve months) on monthly billing. Annual plans can also be refunded within 30 days.
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.
