Looking for the best Mac OS email client? Your search ends here.

In this list, we’ll cover 12 of the best email clients for Mac. So you can find a Mac email client that’s right for you.

The average person spends ~3 hours in their inbox daily. Is your email client delightful to use? Or do you often need help finding simple settings?

A great email client strikes a delicate balance between features and ease of use.

Speed

Macbooks are currently some of the fastest laptops available. If you learn a few Macbook hacks, macOS can help you do even the basic things FAST.

Does your Macbook email client help you tackle your inbox quickly and efficiently?

Reliability

Is your email client reliable? Or does it often become slow, unresponsive, or freeze entirely? Buggy email clients that lag frequently will slow you down.

Security

Are your private emails stored with adequate security precautions? Or is your email client scanning your inbox to run targeted ads at you? They shouldn't.

Ecosystem

Does your email client work seamlessly on your desktop and mobile device? Can it integrate with third-party calendars (like Google Calendar) or video conferencing tools (like Zoom)? The best email clients work seamlessly with other tools. Not against them.

The best macOS email clients help you do more with less. So you’ll be less busy and more productive.

What are the Best Mac Email Clients?

Instant messaging tools like Slack and WhatsApp have made communication quicker and easier. But email is still a quintessential part of your digital life.

The right macOS email client will be crucial to your productivity system. You’ll spend less time in your inbox and be more effective at work (and outside it).

Without further ado:

12 Best Mac Email Clients:

Superhuman is the fastest email experience ever made.

Built for people and teams who get a high-volume of email, Superhuman is a gorgeous, blazingly fast, and delightful to use. We built Superhuman around the Inbox Zero philosophy to help you triage emails quickly and keep your inbox empty (or as empty as possible).

Superhuman has a clean, minimal, and intuitive layout designed to help you eliminate distractions and get through your inbox twice as FAST.

Here’s how it works:

Superhuman users SAVE 4+ hours each week. They also get through their inbox 2x FAST!

Unlike Gmail dark mode, Superhuman offers a stunning carbon theme that’s both delightful to use and easier on the eyes: 

But there's more. With 100+ features, Superhuman will help you end email anxiety once and for all.

Here are a few of them:

1. Blazing Fast 

In Superhuman, every action you take is quicker than 100ms. It’s the threshold at which interactions feel instantaneous. ⚡

From marking as read to searching emails. Everything is FAST: 

Fun fact: Opening an email takes just ~16ms. That’s faster than any macOS email app available today. Try it for yourself. 😉

Besides being blazing-fast, Superhuman’s robust workflows help you get things done quickly.

The best example? Instant Intros.

With Superhuman, you can handle introductions instantly. Thank the introducer, move them to BCC, and start replying. All with a one tap: 

The kicker: Superhuman for iPhone is now faster than ever!

2. Keyboard Shortcuts

With Superhuman, you can navigate your inbox without (ever) touching your mouse. 

Reply, search, archive, snooze emails, and more. All with keyboard shortcuts.

Don't worry if you can’t remember every shortcut. Superhuman offers an intuitive command palette to help you find any keyboard shortcut quickly.

Hit Cmd+K (or Ctrl+K on Windows) to open Superhuman Command:

Enter a few characters to find what you want. Like "sn" to Snooze, “rm” for Remind Me, or “ev” for Create an Event. Next to each action, you’ll see a shortcut. So you can do it faster next time! 

3. Split Inbox

We all get too many emails. We don't reply to our team on time. We overlook emails from VIPs. We miss notifications from tools like Google Docs, etc.

As a result, we lose opportunities, block our teams, or hurt our reputation.

Not anymore! With Split Inbox, you’ll be more effective at work:

With Split Inbox, you can:

• Quickly get to the messages that matter most.
• Experience fewer context switches and stay in flow longer.
• Achieve Inbox Zero in specific splits.

Split Inbox is especially powerful if you have high-volume inboxes. For such inboxes, it’s challenging to hit inbox zero in one go.

Split emails from your team. Or from VIPs. Or your most used tools — Trello, Jira, Google Docs — you name it.

• To create Team and VIP splits, hit Cmd+K → "Split Settings."
• To split a tool like Google Docs, hit Cmd+K → "Split" on a Google Docs email.

Even if your inbox is overflowing, you’ll respond faster to what matters most. 😀

That’s not all! With Superhuman, you can:

• Automate typing: Insert emails, phrases, or even attachments with snippets.
• See recent opens: Read statuses show who opened your email (and when).
• Work offline Search, reply, archive, and more. No internet required!
• Send later: Time your emails to go out at the right time (across time zones!)
• Remind me: Can’t deal with an email now? Hit Remind me. Can't deal with an email on your phone? Hit Remind me “on desktop”:

Lastly, Superhuman AI (now out of beta) will help you write entire emails, summarize long threads, and type up to 50% faster with real-time autocorrect.

The kicker? Superhuman AI can write emails in your tone and voice. 🤯

Here’s a quick demo:

Bottom line: If you get a high volume of emails daily and want an email client to help you improve email management and overall productivity, we built Superhuman just for you.

You can download Superhuman from the App Store (iOS and MacOS), Windows, and Chrome (web app). Plus, Superhuman is now available on Android! 

Sign up for Superhuman with your existing Outlook and Google accounts. No need to switch email providers! 

Pricing:

• Individuals: $25/month (billed yearly)
• Teams: $25/month/user for five users (billed yearly)
• Talk to sales for a discount if you're a bigger team. 😉

Superhuman is the most expensive macOS email client on this list.

But how much is 30h saved every month worth to you?

Regain your focus and win back time with Superhuman Mail

Keyboard shortcuts, AI triage, Reminders, Scheduled sends, Beautiful design

Get Superhuman for Email

With a 60% market share, Apple Mail is the most popular email client in the world today.

This popularity is mainly due to Apple Mail being the default email client on all Apple devices. Which includes iPhones, iPads, and Macs (Apple’s three best-selling products)

Apple Mail has been an average email client. Until now.

With a recent update, Apple gave Mail a much-needed facelift. 

Apple Mail is simple and easy to use, offers undo send, and supports PGP encryption. Plus, it’s deeply integrated across the entire Apple ecosystem. 

From spotlight search handoff to custom macOS notifications, Mail is a no-brainer for anyone in the Apple ecosystem looking for a consistent email experience across all their devices.

Apple Mail supports iCloud Mail. But you can add other email accounts (Exchange, AOL, Hotmail, etc.) to get all your emails in one place without leaving Apple Mail. 

Also called unified inbox: 

Bottom line: Apple Mail is your best bet if you value simplicity and reliability. 

Apple Mail has gotten better (especially in the last year). But, it still lacks advanced features, powerful search, and third-party app integrations.

Apple Mail won’t cut it if you're an email power user.

Top features: 

• Undo send: Made a mistake? Unsend an email for up to 10 seconds.
• Send Later: Scheduled emails to go out at a time or date of your choosing.
• Follow-up reminders: Follow up on emails at a better time or date.
• Missing recipients: Get an alert if you forgot to add a recipient.
• Focus Inbox: Get emails from specific senders when a focus mode is enabled.

Pricing:

Apple Mail is free but only comes with 5GB of iCloud storage.

For more storage, you’ll need an iCloud+ subscription:

Pricing varies by country. In the US, iCloud+ is priced at:

• 50GB: $0.99
• 200GB: $2.99
• 2TB: $9.99

Sidenote: All iCloud+ plans are billed monthly.

Here’s a complete list of iCloud+ plans and pricing (by country and region).

Love using Microsoft Office products? Outlook needs no introduction.

After iCloud and Gmail, Outlook is the third most popular email service. It’s bundled with all Windows products, so it’s the default email client at most organizations.

For personal use, Outlook offers basic email and calendar. But it’s free. If you’re obliged to use it professionally, Outlook is a decent email client.

Here’s what Outlook looks like on Mac:

Outlook supports secure SMTP, POP, POP3, STMP, and IMAP protocols. You can also use your existing Gmail, iCloud Mail, Yahoo! Mail, or Hotmail with Outlook.

The free plan offers 15GB of mailbox storage and a 34MB attachment limit. Plus, a OneDrive integration if you need to send large attachments.

If you use Microsoft 365 and need an email client that integrates seamlessly with Office apps, Outlook is the best choice. 

Key Features: 

• Free email and calendar
• 15GB free mailbox storage
• POP, IMAP, and SMTP support
• Customizable swipe gestures (on mobile)
• Focused Inbox (like Gmail’s Priority Inbox)
• Web Office apps (Powerpoint, Excel, etc.)
• OneDrive integration (+ 5GB free storage)

Sidenote: Outlook for Web is free (not desktop). To get the Outlook macOS email client, you must buy a Microsoft 365 subscription.

Pricing:

Outlook's best features are reserved for Microsoft 365 customers. Ad-free email. Deep integration with all Office apps. Plus, the Outlook email app for MacOS.

The free version shows ads. Plus, Microsoft support for Outlook is nonexistent.

Optional Reading: 8 Outlook Alternatives (Free & Paid)

Thunderbird is a free, open-source email client by Mozilla. The team behind Firefox.

It offers features like Thunderbird Look & Feel (customize the look and feel), Smart Folders, Large File Management, Mail Account Setup Wizard (simplifies IMAP, SMTP, and SSL/TLS setup), Tabbed Email (emails open in tabs like Firefox), and more.

Thunderbird even lets you filter and organize emails as you see fit. You can access emails, calendars, and contacts all in one place: 

It's easy to log in (via Google, Yahoo!, etc.) and be up and running in a few minutes. Thunderbird will let you manage multiple email accounts from a single unified inbox.

Thunderbird is one of the few Mac email clients that offers OpenPGP end-to-end encryption.

User donations fund Thunderbird. This means they don’t need to collect user data, sell ads, or train their AI with your private emails. 

The best part: Thunderbird is entirely free.

Thunderbird doesn’t have the most forward-thinking design or a delightful user interface. But it’s popular among developers and ex-Outlook users looking for a privacy-focused Outlook alternative.

Top features: 

• End-to-end encryption 
• Free to download and use
• Customizable look and feel
• Themes and add-ons 
• Address book
• Tabbed email
• Phishing protection
• Quick Filter toolbar

In addition to being available for Windows and Mac, Thunderbird is one of the few email clients to offer a Linux app.

Pricing: Free.

Thunderbird user experience is far from polished. For specific features, you'll need to leave the app or download add-ons for scheduling emails or sharing calendars.

Thunderbird doesn’t offer iOS or Android apps. If you want a great email experience across platforms, look elsewhere. But If privacy is your top priority, Thunderbird is your best bet!

Spark is an elegant and versatile email client for Mac. Notable features include scheduled emails, reminders, and to-dos. Its “Smart Inbox” automatically categorizes and prioritizes all incoming emails.

Pin emails you want to act on, snooze emails you'll reply to later, and bulk delete emails you no longer need. Spark integrates with many third parties like Google Drive, Evernote, Todoist, etc. 

Spark is cross-platform. It’s available on Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, and Apple Watch! Plus, Spark works with any IMAP or POP3 email client.

In a nutshell, here’s how Spark works:

Here’s what the Spark inbox looks like on a Mac:

Spark is great for individuals. But it's better for teams. You won't find team features like shared draft collaboration, email delegation, in-line comments, and chat with colleagues on other email clients.

Finally, Spark offers a command palette that works just like Superhuman. (You’re welcome, guys.) 😉 

Top features: 

• Smart Inbox: Groups notifications and newsletters separately.
• Gatekeeper: Accept or block first-time email senders.
• Priority sender: Highlight VIPs for quick identification.
• Keyboard shortcuts: Navigate your inbox faster (like Superhuman).
• Team collaboration tools: Shared inboxes, drafts, and assignments.

Pricing: 

Spark email for Mac is free, but it’s extremely limited. 

You don’t get AI email features (compose, summary, or email templates). Nor can you block unwanted emails, mute email threads, or group by sender. Team features like shared inboxes, shared drafts, and team roles are also absent.

For all of the above, you’ll need to upgrade to Spark's premium plans:

The team plans might be overkill for some individual users. Spark may not be the right choice if you’re looking for a simple, no-frills, single-player email client.

Airmail is a fully featured and award-winning email client built.

It’s easy to use, customizable, and combines multiple email accounts (Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, etc.) into a unified inbox.

Airmail was built from the ground up for iOS, macOS, and watchOS, Which means you get features like a today widget, dark mode, iCloud sync, etc.

All Apple-exclusive features.

Some feature highlights include snoozing or scheduling emails, smart mailboxes (to filter newsletters and other digital distractions), and a privacy mode.

Airmail was built with Apple’s design philosophy in mind. Plus, it’s an Apple Design Award 2017 winner:

Unlike Apple Mail, Airmail offers more robust search functionality. Its AI composer will help you save time by quickly replying to emails. 

Like Gmail (and Superhuman), Airmail offers keyboard shortcuts. With AppleScript support, you can automate sending emails.

Top features:

• Unified Inbox: Manage multiple accounts (Gmail, iCloud Mail, etc) from one inbox.
• Ecosystem: Airmail’s features align directly with the latest Mac and iOS releases.
• Keyboard shortcuts and multi-touch gestures
• Touch Bar support
• Apple Watch app
• AppleScript automation

Pricing:

Airmail isn’t as polished as other email clients. But if you’re looking for a Mac email app that plays well with the Apple ecosystem – Airmail is a great choice!

HEY is the new kid on the block, unlike most Mac email clients on this list. 

Created by Basecamp, HEY is a premium email service. Touted as a “reinvention of email,” –  HEY offers an exciting set of features and an opinionated take on what email should be. 

Spy pixel blocking, email screening, paper trails, email feed, and a focus “Imbox” are HEY’s biggest highlights.

What separates HEY from other email clients? The screener. You can screen first-time senders and decide if you want to allow or block unwanted emails in your inbox:

If you’re curious, here’s a full tour of HEY:

The kicker: When you sign up for Hey, you’ll get your @hey.com email address.

Key features:

• Screen first-time senders
• Share emails via links
• Built-in ‘reply later’ feature
• Read receipt and spy pixel blocking
• Email newsfeed to batch-read emails

Note: HEY isn’t a full-fledged macOS email app. Which means it’s missing key email features. Even HEY for iOS and Android are web apps.

Limited integrations, missing features, and a web experience might turn away email power users. If you don’t mind using a web email app, HEY is still a decent email client.

You'll also have to give up your existing email addresses to use HEY. Or at the very leat, setup mail forwarding.

Pricing:

• $99/year for personal usage
• $12/user/month for companies

Con: Due to HEY’s vertical integration, you can’t use a @hey.com email address with other email clients. Plus, you can’t use multiple email accounts on HEY.

Since HEY is webmail, customization is strictly limited.

Optional Reading: Superhuman vs. Hey: Which Email Client is Right for You?

Mimestream is the newest macOS email client. It came out of a year-long beta just a few months ago.

Mimestream is less of an email client and more of a Gmail app. It relies on the Gmail API for practically everything. Search, filter, archive, you name it.

Mimestream offers all the features Gmail does, but better. Keyboard shortcuts, improved search, unsend emails, etc.

Unlike Gmail, Mimestream deeply integrates with macOS. 

This means you get: 

• A lightweight and fast email client
• Optimized for Apple Silicon
• System-level notifications
• Focus filters
• Swipe gestures

Here’s a quick overview of Mimestream:

Key features: 

• Inbox categories
• Filters and labels 
• Gmail aliases
• Gmail templates
• Vacation responder
• Calendar invite responses

Note: Mimestream only supports Gmail (for now). There are no Windows or mobile apps. Outlook support is in the works.

Pricing: 

• For individual users: $49.99/year.
• For companies: $49.99/user/year.

Mimestream offers a 12-day free trial if you want to try it out first. 

If you’re looking for a native Gmail client for macOS, Mimestream is a great option!

eM Client offers a calendar integration, chat function, contact management, notes, and more. It's available for Windows and Mac. However, it doesn’t offer a mobile app, which is a major con if you want to email on the go. eM Client has a free version, although it's limited. It includes two email addresses and a support forum.

eM Client does support PGP encryption. This encryption program increases email security and privacy for digital signatures, files, and messages.

You can easily integrate and synchronize eM Client with apps like Dropbox, One Drive, and Google Drive.

Top features:

• Desktop email client (no mobile apps)
• Simple, clean interface
• Chat feature
• Calendar and to-do list
• Contact management
• Email snoozing and scheduling
• PGP encryption
• Integrations with many third-party tools

eM client supports Yahoo, AOL, Gmail, Microsoft Exchange Server, iCloud, etc.

If you’re a casual user and need a free email client, eM Client is a solid option. Advanced features require a paid subscription; you can still do plenty with the free version of eM Client. 

Note: eM Client’s free version is limited to only two accounts, and you cannot use it for commercial purposes.

Pricing: 

• Free for individuals (limited features and personal use only)
• $49.95 for individuals (commercial use included)
• $188.95 for teams of 10

Unlike other email clients, eM clients offer a lifetime license to their paid version (with all future upgrades). The lifetime upgrade is available for a one-time payment of $70.

Canary Mail used to be all about encryption. But now it's rebranded as an AI-focused email client.

Canary’s new AI Copilot can: 

• Summarize long threads
• Write entire emails
• Prioritize emails

And much more.

Privacy is still at the heart of Canary Mail. With PGP encryption, secure send, impersonation detection, data loss prevention, biometric app locks, etc, it’s hard to find a more secure email client for Mac.

Besides privacy and AI, Canary Mail offers smart filters, powerful email triage, and a bulk cleaner to delete emails. Its Natural Language Search helps you find emails by typing natural search queries like “email from last week.”

Note: You can’t undo send emails on Canary Mail (yet). Plus, it supports limited integrations.

Top features:

• AI Copilot
• Impersonation detection
• End-to-end encryption
• Zero ads or data mining
• Read receipts
• Bulk cleaner
• Send later

Pricing: 

• Free: For students and personal use. 
• Pro: $20/year for professional and small teams.
• Enterprise: $100/user/year.

Canary Mail offers a 28-day (no credit card) free trial. Take advantage of it! 

Mailspring used to be Nylas Mail (a free, open-source mail client). Now, it’s faster, more efficient, and subscription-based.

Advanced search, unified inboxes, easy RSVPs, extensive language localization, and an intuitive email signature editor are some of its best features.

Mailspring also offers rich contact and company profiles so you can write the perfect cold email:  

It’s not as robust as Superhuman contact panes, but still helpful! 

Plus, Mailspring offers both read receipt and link tracking. These features can help you close more deals if you’re in sales.

Key features:

• Mac, Windows, and Linux apps 
• Multiple accounts (IMAP & Office 365)
• Themes and layouts (plus dark mode)
• Touch and gesture support
• Advanced shortcuts
• Undo sent emails

You’ll need to upgrade to Mailspring Pro for: 

• Powerful templates
• Rich contact profiles
• Company overviews
• Follow-up reminders
• Read receipts
• Link tracking
• Send later
• Snooze emails
• Mailbox insights

Pricing: 

For $8/mo, you get access to all Pro features above.

Postbox is a desktop-only PC and Mac email client with impressive features. 

Fast searches, powerful email triage, and professional writing tools, all wrapped in a visually stunning design. Postbox is clean, user-friendly, and easy to set up. It works with any IMAP or POP account like Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, AOL, Office 365, and more. 

Postbox is extremely privacy-focused. They don’t scan your emails, target you with 3rd party ads, or sell your data to anyone. We (at Superhuman) agree that inbox privacy is paramount.

If you're considering Postbox, you must go elsewhere for your mobile email needs. But If you value aesthetics and powerful search capabilities, try Postbox!

Top features:

• Customizable Quick Bar
• One-click unsubscribe
• OpenPGP encryption
• Swipe gestures on macOS
• Touchbar support

Postbox also offers Code View, an HTML editor feature that allows you to customize your email design to the last pixel. You won’t find this feature on most email clients.

Note: Postbox lacks essential features like snooze, undo send, and send later. The worst part: no mobile apps.

Pricing: 

Postbox offers a 30-day free trial. For a lifetime license, you’ll pay $49. 

Keep in mind you’ll be charged a small fee every time you contact support for help. Which isn't ideal.

What is a Mac Email Client?

An email client is an application that runs natively on your Mac.

Take Apple Mail. It’s a free email client default on iPhone, Mac, and iPad:

A web email client, on the other hand, runs on your browser. 

Gmail’s web app is the most famous example. It’s only accessible via a browser like Chrome, Safari, etc. Unless you download the native Gmail client. 

Outlook on the web is another example:

Some email clients offer both webmail and desktop apps. Like Outlook or Superhuman:

Email clients and webmail have their pros and cons.

Desktop email clients offer a few clear benefits: 

• Speed: Desktop email clients are faster than webmail apps because the IMAP protocol is efficient. It only transmits the minimal amount of data required to process email.
• Organization: A major draw for email clients is the ability to filter, sort, flag, and file your email in a manner that suits you best. This functionality is limited on webmail.
• Work offline: Accessing email without the internet is flawless on desktop email clients. Offline mode can be valuable for business travelers working on flights without WiFi.
• Unified Inbox: Let's say you have a Gmail and a Yahoo! account. Many email clients let you manage both from the same interface without switching websites.
• Backups: A desktop email client stores all your data locally. If your email provider suddenly goes offline, you can still access all your emails.
• Customizable: A native email client offers more customization options.

Here’s a great Reddit comment that dives deeper into webmail vs desktop mail:

MacOS Email Clients: How to Decide

We covered twelve popular email clients for macOS. So which email app is best?

Short answer: It depends.

Your use case and budget will determine which Mac email client is right for you. 

Review each email app's features. Read reviews on G2 and Capterra. Sign up for a free trial (if it’s available). And decide!

Still prefer Gmail? Our Gmail hacks will help you master Gmail in 15 minutes.

Looking for a Mac email client that's blazingly fast, feature-rich, and delightful to use? Try Superhuman.

Turn your inbox into your most effective productivity tool

Keyboard shortcuts, AI triage, automated follow ups, scheduled sends

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