The Spike Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Spike 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.
Spike
The Insider’s Guide
Chat-style email app with team chat, notes, tasks and video calls
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among email apps, read from Spike’s own pages.
Made by Spike, Inc. · checked Oct 5, 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 Spike’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Spike’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 28 of the 51 other email apps we grade
Spike shows email threads as chat-like conversations grouped by person, while recipients outside Spike still get ordinary email. It comes in two forms. The Email App sits on top of an existing Gmail, Microsoft or other account, and Teamspace gives a team its own addresses along with channels, groups, collaborative notes and tasks, video calls and a shared inbox. Both have a free tier and run on mobile, desktop and the web.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Spike, taken from its own pages and our grades.
The Email App does sit on the Gmail or Microsoft account you already have, and the people you write to needn't change a thing.
- 1
Best for email that reads like a chat
Spike shows email threads as chat-style conversations grouped by person, while recipients still get normal email, and adds team chat, notes, tasks and calls.
- 2
Paid plans start at $4 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $4 per member / month, billed annually (Teamspace Team); Email App Pro is $6.
- 3
There is a free plan
Email App Free: 1 email address, 60 days of search history and 1 GB of notes storage. Teamspace Starter: free for up to 3 members with 15 GB each. Both get 10 queries per AI feature.
- 4
It runs on 5 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
- 5
Conversational email
Threads are shown as chat-like conversations grouped by person. People who do not use Spike receive a regular email.
- 6
Unified and Priority Inbox
Connect several email accounts to one inbox, with important messages sorted first. The free Email App plan takes 1 address, Pro takes 3 and Ultimate is unlimited.
- 7
Spike AI
Generates messages and replies with context, summarizes long threads and translates. Free plans get 10 queries per AI feature, and paid plans are unlimited.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 28 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 Spike 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.
Spike at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $4 per member / month, billed annually (Teamspace Team); Email App Pro is $6
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Spike, Inc.
- Category
- Email Apps
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
- Store rating
- 4.5 on the App Store, 4,239 ratings
The report card
Best for email that reads like a chat
Spike shows email threads as chat-style conversations grouped by person, while recipients still get normal email, and adds team chat, notes, tasks and calls. The free Email App takes 1 address with 60 days of search, and each AI feature stops at 10 queries. Your own domain and a Shared Inbox need Teamspace Team at $4 a member yearly, more than 3 addresses need Ultimate at $12, and there's no Linux app.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Teamspace Team is $4 a member a month billed annually, the cheapest quarter of a category whose middle is $8, and it brings your own domain, 100 GB each, a Shared Inbox and unlimited AI. Email App Pro is $6 for 3 addresses, and unlimited addresses means Ultimate at $12. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Two free options, both with caps you'll meet: the Email App takes 1 email address with 60 days of search history and 1 GB for notes, and Teamspace Starter covers 3 members. Each AI feature stops at 10 queries, and the AI Feed needs paying for. |
| Features | B | Chat-style threads with normal email going out the other end, a Priority Inbox, AI that drafts, summarises and translates, shared notes and tasks, a unified calendar, and calls people join by link. Teamspace adds channels, groups and a Shared Inbox, so the job is covered twice over. |
| Ease of use | C | 4.49 from about 4,200 App Store ratings, a shade under our bar for a B and middling for a mail app. The Email App does sit on the Gmail or Microsoft account you already have, and the people you write to needn't change a thing. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, which covers everything but Linux. The connecting side is thin, though: Gmail accounts and a WhatsApp integration from the Teamspace Team plan up, and nothing else on record. |
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 Spike is for
- Fits if long email threads drive you mad and you'd rather read them like a chat
- Works for a team of 3 or fewer starting out on the free Teamspace Starter plan
Who it is not for
- Tight if you're staying free with more than 1 email address, as the free Email App takes only one
- Not for you if you search old mail a lot and won't pay, since free plans only go back 60 days
- Skip it if you like email to look like email, because the chat layout is the whole idea
- Watch out: free plans allow 10 queries per AI feature, and the AI Feed needs a paid plan
- Pricey if you have more than 3 addresses, since that's Email App Ultimate at $12 yearly, $16 monthly
Good to know
Good for
- People who prefer chat-style conversations to long email threads
- Small teams that want email, chat, notes and calls in one app
- Managing several email accounts from a single inbox
Worth knowing
- The free Email App plan handles 1 email address and searches only the last 60 days.
- Free plans allow 10 queries per AI feature, and the AI Feed of unread-mail summaries needs a paid plan.
- Shared Inbox, connecting your own domain and the WhatsApp integration need the Teamspace Team plan or higher.
- Apps are listed for Android, iOS, Windows and Mac, plus a web app. No Linux app is listed.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$4
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Spike has a free plan. Paid plans start at $4 per member / month, billed annually (Teamspace Team); Email App Pro is $6.
Email App Free
$0
Smart Inbox for 1 email address, 1:1 video calls, 60 days of search history, 1 GB of storage in notes and tasks, and 10 queries per AI feature.
Teamspace Starter
$0
Up to 3 members with @spike.team addresses, 1 teamspace, 15 GB of storage per member and 60 days of search history.
Teamspace Team
$4
per member / month, billed annually ($5 billed monthly)
Custom email domain, unlimited search history, 100 GB of storage per member, Shared Inbox and unlimited Spike AI.
Email App Pro
$6
per user / month, billed annually ($8 billed monthly)
Unified inbox for up to 3 email addresses, unlimited search history, 5-person video calls, 5 GB of storage and unlimited Spike AI.
Teamspace Business
$8
per member / month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly)
Everything in Team with 1 TB of storage per member, 500 MB file uploads, calls for up to 50 people and VIP support.
Email App Ultimate
$12
per user / month, billed annually ($16 billed monthly)
Unlimited email addresses, 10-person video calls, 20 GB of storage, 1 GB file uploads and VIP support.
The free plan
Email App Free: 1 email address, 60 days of search history and 1 GB of notes storage. Teamspace Starter: free for up to 3 members with 15 GB each. Both get 10 queries per AI feature.
Read from spikenow.com on Oct 5, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save 20% to 25% with yearly billing
Teamspace Team is $4 per member / month billed annually against $5 monthly, a 20% saving. Email App Pro is $6 against $8 and Ultimate $12 against $16, which the page labels as 25% off.
Stated on spikenow.comOther savings
Free custom domain for a year on annual plans
An annual Teamspace Team or Business subscription includes a new custom email domain free for 1 year, on extensions such as .net, .org and .co.uk.
Stated on spikenow.com
How its prices have moved
- Jun 12, 2026Email App Pro: $5 per user / month, billed annually → $6 per user / month, billed annuallyThe archived copy of 12 June 2026 shows $6 a month on yearly billing; the copy before it, of 13 March 2026, shows $5. The price changed between the two. The monthly price is $8 in both.
- Jun 12, 2026Email App Ultimate: $10 per user / month, billed annually → $12 per user / month, billed annuallyThe archived copy of 12 June 2026 shows $12 a month on yearly billing; the copy before it, of 13 March 2026, shows $10. The price changed between the two. The monthly price is $16 in both.
- Jan 14, 2024Teamspace Team: $6 per member / month, billed annually ($8 billed monthly) → $4 per member / month, billed annually ($5 billed monthly)The archived copy of 14 January 2024 shows $4 a month on yearly billing and $5 on monthly; the copy before it, of 12 October 2023, shows $6 and $8. The price fell between the two.
- Jan 14, 2024Teamspace Business: $9 per member / month, billed annually ($12 billed monthly) → $8 per member / month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly)The archived copy of 14 January 2024 shows Business at $8 a month on yearly billing and $10 on monthly; the copy before it, of 12 October 2023, shows the same plan as Business+ at $9 and $12.
- Jan 14, 2024Teamspace Starter: Free for up to 5 members → Free for up to 3 membersThe archived copy of 14 January 2024 shows the free Starter plan for up to 3 members; the copy before it, of 12 October 2023, shows up to 5. The limit was cut between the two.
- Jan 14, 2024Email App Ultimate: Email App Business, $10 per user / month, billed annually → Email App Ultimate, $10 per user / month, billed annuallyThe archived copy of 14 January 2024 shows the top Email App plan as Ultimate; the copy before it, of 12 October 2023, shows it as Business at the same $10 a month on yearly billing and $16 on monthly.
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for “Unlimited”, against $15.99 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.
| Country | Price there | In dollars | Against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $19.99 | $14.05 | 12% less |
| Turkey | ₺699,99 | $14.24 | 11% less |
| Philippines | ₱ 899.00 | $14.31 | 11% less |
| India | ₹ 1,499 | $15.50 | about the same |
| Mexico | $349.00 | $19.18 | 20% more |
| United Kingdom | £14.99 | $19.82 | 24% more |
| Brazil | R$ 99,90 | $19.96 | 25% more |
| Germany | 17,99 € | $20.16 | 26% more |
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
5
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android
Chat-style email app with team chat, notes, tasks and video calls. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, tasks, calendar, email client, shared inbox, team chat, video calls.
Teamspace adds channels, groups and a Shared Inbox, so the job is covered twice over.
- Conversational email
- Threads are shown as chat-like conversations grouped by person. People who do not use Spike receive a regular email.
- Unified and Priority Inbox
- Connect several email accounts to one inbox, with important messages sorted first. The free Email App plan takes 1 address, Pro takes 3 and Ultimate is unlimited.
- Spike AI
- Generates messages and replies with context, summarizes long threads and translates. Free plans get 10 queries per AI feature, and paid plans are unlimited.
- Channels, groups and Shared Inbox
- Teamspace adds public channels, private groups that outside guests can join, and from the Team plan a Shared Inbox for handling team email together.
- Notes, tasks and calendar
- Collaborative notes and tasks live in the inbox and can be shared with guests, next to a unified calendar that syncs work and business calendars.
- Video and audio calls
- Calls start from a conversation, and people without Spike can join by link with no app to install. Free plans are limited to 1:1 calls.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Gmail
Spike is made by Spike, Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
28/51
Other email apps it is graded above
Spike's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 28 of the 51 other email apps we grade, and level with 7.
It stands best on features (B, above 30 of 51) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $4 a month for each person, against a middle price of $4.99 for the category: 16 of the 45 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 6 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. Spike’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 29 of 51
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 51
- BFeaturesAbove 30 of 51
- CEase of useAbove 0 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. Spike 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 Spike 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 $48 a year.
What you could make
- Tasks and calendar: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- An email client: sending, receiving, threading and searching years of mail.
- Chat that a whole team counts on staying up.
- One mailbox that several people work at once.
- Video calls.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Spike’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
Spark Mail, Missive, Front, Superhuman Mail and Shortwave
The 5 tools Spike is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.0GPA
Spark Mail
Free plan · from $8.25/mo
Email client with a unified smart inbox, AI tools and team features.
- Only Spike lists a web app.
- Spike also covers tasks, team chat and video calls.
- Spark Mail also covers meeting notes and templates.
- 2.6GPA
Missive
Free trial · from $14/mo
Team email client with shared inboxes, internal chat and rules.
- Spike has a free plan. Missive does not, though it has a free trial.
- Spike also covers calendar, team chat and video calls.
- Missive also covers workflow automation.
- 2.4GPA
Front
Free trial · from $25/mo
Shared inbox and customer operations platform with AI and ticketing.
- Spike has a free plan. Front does not, though it has a free trial.
- Spike also covers tasks, calendar, email client, team chat and video calls.
- Front also covers workflow automation.
- 2.2GPA
Superhuman Mail
From $25/mo
Keyboard-driven email client for Gmail and Outlook with built-in AI.
- Spike has a free plan. Superhuman Mail does not.
- Only Superhuman Mail lists a browser extension.
- Spike also covers tasks, shared inbox, team chat and video calls.
- 2.6GPA
Shortwave
Free plan · from $18/mo
AI email client for Gmail with an assistant, filters and split inbox.
- Spike also covers tasks, calendar, shared inbox, team chat and video calls.
- Shortwave also covers chat assistant, AI search and templates.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
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 Spike free?
Spike has a free plan. Email App Free: 1 email address, 60 days of search history and 1 GB of notes storage.
How much does Spike cost?
Spike lists 6 plans. Email App Free: $0.
What platforms does Spike work on?
Spike is available on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
Does Spike offer any discounts?
Spike publicly lists the following: Save 20% to 25% with yearly billing; Free custom domain for a year on annual plans.
How is Spike rated?
Spike's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.5 out of 5 from 4,239 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
Does Spike have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Spike is listed for Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
Is Spike open source?
Spike is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
What does Spike integrate with?
Spike's listing names Gmail and WhatsApp. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Spike?
Spike is made by Spike, Inc.
What are the alternatives to Spike?
The closest alternatives to Spike in our directory are Spark Mail, Missive, Front, Superhuman Mail and Shortwave.
How does Spike compare with other email apps?
Spike's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 28 of the 51 other email apps we grade, and level with 7.
Is Spike good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Spike B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $4 a month for each person, against a middle price of $4.99 for the category: 16 of the 45 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Spike?
To replace Spike 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 Spike’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Spike's own pages on 5 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-03-27.
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 Spike, Inc. Prices change, so check spikenow.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
- Spike, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/spike
- 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
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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, "Spike: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/spike
Know someone choosing between email apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/spike/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded email apps after Spike, 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 Spike’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. Spike is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Spike, Inc. Prices and plans change: check spikenow.com before you buy.