The HEY Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about HEY in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
HEY
The Insider’s Guide
Email service and calendar with sender screening, from 37signals
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among email apps, read from HEY’s own pages.
Made by 37signals LLC · checked Oct 4, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from HEY’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on HEY’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 4, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 19 of the 51 other email apps we grade
HEY is a standalone email service from 37signals. Signing up gives you a new @hey.com address, or a custom domain on HEY for Domains, instead of a client for an existing Gmail or Outlook account. First-time senders wait in a Screener until you approve them, while newsletters and receipts are routed to their own Feed and Paper Trail. A calendar is included, and mail is read in HEY's own apps because IMAP and POP are not supported.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about HEY, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Moving in is real work: a new address, a different routine, and none of your old mail comes along.
- 1
Best for a fresh email address with a bouncer on the door
HEY is its own email service, not an app for your Gmail.
- 2
Paid plans start at $8.25 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $99 per year (HEY for You, annual billing only).
- 3
You can try it first
30-day free trial of HEY for You, no credit card required. HEY for Domains has no free trial.
- 4
It runs on 6 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
- 5
The Screener
First-time senders land in the Screener, where you approve or block them before any of their email can reach your Imbox.
- 6
Imbox, The Feed and Paper Trail
Mail from approved senders goes to the Imbox, newsletters are shown in a feed-style reader, and receipts and confirmations are filed in the Paper Trail.
- 7
Reply Later and Set Aside
Move emails that need an answer into a Reply Later pile and work through them in Focus & Reply. Set Aside keeps messages on hand for reference.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 19 of 51
That is against the other email apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace HEY you would be making an email client: sending, receiving, threading and searching years of mail. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
HEY at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $99 per year (HEY for You, annual billing only)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial of HEY for You, no credit card required. HEY for Domains has no free trial.
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- Made by
- 37signals LLC
- Category
- Email Apps
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
- Store rating
- 4.6 on the App Store, 4,325 ratings
The report card
Best for a fresh email address with a bouncer on the door
HEY is its own email service, not an app for your Gmail. You get an @hey.com address and a Screener, where first-time senders wait until you say yes or no, and newsletters and receipts get their own corners. It's $99 a year with no free plan, it won't import your old mail, there's no IMAP, POP or integrations, and your own domain costs $12 a user a month with no trial.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | HEY for You is $99 a year, billed annually only, which works out at $8.25 a month, the middle for this category. It buys the address, the calendar and 100GB. Your own domain means HEY for Domains at $12 a user a month, and Families is $179 a year for five people. |
| Free plan and trial | C | No free plan. HEY for You has a 30-day trial with no credit card required. HEY for Domains has no free trial at all. |
| Features | C | The inbox ideas: a Screener on the door, a feed for newsletters, a Paper Trail for receipts, a Reply Later pile, a spy pixel blocker and a calendar. The holes are its own: no IMAP or POP, no integrations listed at all, and your old mail is never imported, only forwarded from now on. |
| Ease of use | B | 4.65 from about 4,300 App Store ratings, under the 4.7 an A needs. Moving in is real work: a new address, a different routine, and none of your old mail comes along. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, so every device is covered. That's the whole list, though: no IMAP or POP, no API and no integrations, so it only works in HEY's own apps. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who HEY is for
- Fits if you want to approve every new sender before they can reach your inbox
- Works for people ready to move to a new address and leave the old inbox behind
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want to keep your Gmail or Outlook address, as HEY is its own provider
- Not for you if you read mail in Apple Mail or Outlook, because there's no IMAP or POP
- Not for you if you want a free plan, since after the 30-day trial it's $99 a year, billed yearly only
- Watch out: your old mail isn't imported, only forwarded from now on
- Tight if you want your own domain, as HEY for Domains is $12 a user a month, billed monthly, with no trial
Good to know
Good for
- People ready to move to a new email address and a different inbox routine
- Anyone who wants to approve senders before they can reach the inbox
- Small teams that want email on their own domain with thread sharing
Worth knowing
- HEY is its own email provider, not a client for Gmail or Outlook; existing mail history is not imported, only forwarded going forward.
- IMAP and POP are not supported, so HEY works only in its own apps.
- HEY for You is billed annually only, and HEY for Domains is billed monthly with no free trial.
- There is no free plan.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$8.25
A month to start, paid by the year
HEY is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $99 per year (HEY for You, annual billing only).
HEY for Domains has no free trial at all.
HEY for You
$99
per year
A personal @hey.com address with HEY Calendar, 100GB of storage, apps on every platform and a HEY World blog.
HEY for Domains
$12
per user / month, billed monthly ($10 for the first user)
Email on your own domain for multiple users, with thread sharing, private team comments and email aliases.
HEY for Families
$179
per year, in total
Adds up to 4 additional people, each with their own @hey.com address, calendar and account.
Trying it first
30-day free trial of HEY for You, no credit card required. HEY for Domains has no free trial.
Read from hey.com on Oct 4, 2026.
How its prices have moved
- Jul 8, 2024HEY for Families: new, $179 per year, in total, for up to 4 additional peopleThe archived copy of 8 July 2024 introduces HEY for Families at $179 a year; the copy before it that we read, of 6 April 2024, still answers the family-plan question with "Not currently".
- Jan 16, 2021HEY for Domains: new, $12 per user / month, billed monthly, under the name HEY for WorkThe archived copy of 16 January 2021 lists HEY for Work at $12 per user a month, by invitation ahead of a public launch; the copy before it that we read, of 10 July 2020, has only the $99 personal plan. The plan is now called HEY for Domains.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
6
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android
Email service and calendar with sender screening, from 37signals. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: templates, calendar, email client.
The holes are its own: no IMAP or POP, no integrations listed at all, and your old mail is never imported, only forwarded from now on.
- The Screener
- First-time senders land in the Screener, where you approve or block them before any of their email can reach your Imbox.
- Imbox, The Feed and Paper Trail
- Mail from approved senders goes to the Imbox, newsletters are shown in a feed-style reader, and receipts and confirmations are filed in the Paper Trail.
- Reply Later and Set Aside
- Move emails that need an answer into a Reply Later pile and work through them in Focus & Reply. Set Aside keeps messages on hand for reference.
- HEY Calendar
- A calendar is included with HEY for You and HEY for Domains and lives in the same apps as email.
- Spy pixel blocker
- Blocks tracking pixels in incoming email and identifies the companies trying to track whether you opened a message.
- Workflows and Collections
- Workflows track an email through stages you define, and Collections bring several related threads together on one page.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
HEY is made by 37signals LLC.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
19/51
Other email apps it is graded above
HEY's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 19 of the 51 other email apps we grade, and level with 8.
It stands best on ease of use (B, above 32 of 51) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $8.25 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $4.99 for the category: 30 of the 45 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 7 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 52 email apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. HEY’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 11 of 51
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 51
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 51
- BEase of useAbove 32 of 51
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 15 of 51
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 50 email apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. HEY is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace HEY you would be making an email client: sending, receiving, threading and searching years of mail. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $99 a year.
What you could make
- Calendar and templates: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- An email client: sending, receiving, threading and searching years of mail.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
What this rests on. HEY’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Proton Mail, Superhuman Mail, Spark Mail, Shortwave and SaneBox
The 5 tools HEY is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.0GPA
Proton Mail
Free plan · from $3.99/mo
End-to-end encrypted email service based in Switzerland.
- Proton Mail has a free plan. HEY does not, though it has a free trial.
- Proton Mail is open source and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- HEY also covers templates.
- 2.2GPA
Superhuman Mail
From $25/mo
Keyboard-driven email client for Gmail and Outlook with built-in AI.
- Only HEY lists a Linux app.
- Only Superhuman Mail lists a browser extension.
- HEY also covers templates.
- 3.0GPA
Spark Mail
Free plan · from $8.25/mo
Email client with a unified smart inbox, AI tools and team features.
- Spark Mail has a free plan. HEY does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only HEY lists a web app.
- Only HEY lists a Linux app.
- 2.6GPA
Shortwave
Free plan · from $18/mo
AI email client for Gmail with an assistant, filters and split inbox.
- Shortwave has a free plan. HEY does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only HEY lists a Linux app.
- HEY also covers calendar.
- 2.2GPA
SaneBox
Free trial · from $6.99/mo
AI email filtering that works inside the email app you already use.
- Only HEY lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- HEY also covers templates, calendar and email client.
- SaneBox also covers inbox filtering and workflow automation.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
10
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is HEY free?
No, HEY is a paid product, but you can try it first. 30-day free trial of HEY for You, no credit card required.
How much does HEY cost?
HEY lists 3 plans. HEY for You: $99 per year.
What platforms does HEY work on?
HEY is available on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
How is HEY rated?
HEY's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.6 out of 5 from 4,325 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Is HEY open source?
HEY is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 4, 2026.
Who makes HEY?
HEY is made by 37signals LLC.
What are the alternatives to HEY?
The closest alternatives to HEY in our directory are Proton Mail, Superhuman Mail, Spark Mail, Shortwave and SaneBox.
How does HEY compare with other email apps?
HEY's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 19 of the 51 other email apps we grade, and level with 8.
Is HEY good value for money?
ToolGPA grades HEY C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $8.25 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $4.99 for the category: 30 of the 45 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of HEY?
To replace HEY you would be making an email client: sending, receiving, threading and searching years of mail.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from HEY’s own pages on Oct 4, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from HEY's own pages on 4 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-03-11.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by 37signals LLC. Prices change, so check hey.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- HEY, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/hey
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "HEY: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 4, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/hey
Know someone choosing between email apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/hey/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded email apps after HEY, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Email Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 52 email apps we grade, compared
- Microsoft Outlook Insider's GuideMicrosoft's email and calendar app for desktop, mobile and web3.6 GPA
- BlueMail Insider's GuideCross-platform email client with a unified inbox and built-in AI3.2 GPA
- Thunderbird Insider's GuideFree, open-source email app for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what HEY’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. HEY is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by 37signals LLC. Prices and plans change: check hey.com before you buy.