Recent years have shown that email is going nowhere. No matter how much you use slack, teams, and other remote work tools in your workplace, at some point you still have to check and respond to emails, even if it’s just in your personal life. And, short of radically recalibrating the way you approach things, your best bet is probably to use a good email app, or at least one that doesn’t actively bother you.
I’ve been using email since 1995 (my dad set me up because I was five) and I’ve been working fully remotely since 2012. I’ve spent more time fiddling with email than anyone else should. I’ve tried just about every so-called fix, system, or solution available (you should see my gmail tags), and have long since come to the conclusion that the best solution is to take a deep breath and accept that email will never be amazing. a good application and a patient attitude are the only way.
I spent time with the best email apps on all devices, and here are my picks for the eight best desktop and mobile email apps for all the big platforms.
the 8 best email clients
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windows mail for the best free windows email app
mailbird for the best windows email app
apple mail for macos best free email app
airmail for macos best email app
apple mail for ios best email app
look for an alternative to apple mail for ios
gmail for best android email app
edison mail for a gmail alternative for android
what makes a great email client?
Let me start here: This is an article about the best email clients (a.k.a. email apps), not the best email services. we’re looking at apps that run on your devices and allow you to check your email service. for example, all of the email clients on this list will work with your aol.com email address (aol is an email service). Some apps on this list, like outlook and gmail, are the name of an email client and an email service, but what I was testing here was the app itself.
This list also focuses on the best email apps for the four most popular platforms: Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android. think of it as a sort of email star list. If you like what you see here but want more niche options, like the best email apps for security or customization, check out our platform-specific lists.
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the best email clients for windows
the best email clients for mac
best email apps for iphone
best android email apps
This also means that we are not considering any web applications for this list. Actually, the web apps for most major email services aren’t that bad, believe it or not (the gmail web app, for example, works fine even in mobile web browsers). This means that if you’re going to go to the effort of setting up a dedicated email app for desktop or mobile, and maybe even pay for one, you’d better get a few things right. This is what I wanted the best apps to be and do:
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platform specific. PCs have different interface and usability conventions than Macs; An iPhone doesn’t work the same as an Android phone, and dedicated email apps should respect all of that. I was looking for email apps that were explicitly designed to work well with the device they were on, take advantage of platform-specific features, and generally be nice to citizens.
supports major email services. While I can’t promise these email apps will work with every email service out there (they won’t), I’ve made sure they work fine with the big ones like gmail and outlook, and enable other accounts via pop3 . or imap protocols. In short, if you’re using a regular email account and not something like hey or proton, all of these selections should work for you.
nails the basics. this is not a list of the eight most interesting email applications. it’s more about the least interesting eight who completely get out of your way. I didn’t want apps that would do a song and dance when checking your inbox or sending email. all of these apps do the basics and do it well.
good value for money. there are a lot of free apps on this list because a lot of free apps work great with email. For a paid app to make this list, it had to offer a solid upgrade over the free apps at a reasonable price. Similarly, there are no ad-supported applications in this list.
modern and usable. Application conventions develop and change over time. I wasn’t looking for cutting-edge apps that pushed the boundaries of what’s possible with software, but I did want up-to-date apps with modern features and design sensibilities.
Apart from a few additions for the sake of completeness, I mostly considered apps that had already made it to one of our other best email app lists. Of those 30+ apps, I excluded any that obviously didn’t meet the above criteria, and then started testing. I connected my accounts and for a couple of days I used them to check and send emails. Since I was primarily looking for apps that got the basics right, simply using them as part of my regular routine was a much better protocol than trying to stress test every corner and split every menu.
Of all the apps I tried, I’ve selected eight (two for each platform) that I think are the best for most people. are here.
best free windows email client
windows mail
if you haven’t tried windows mail in the last decade, your expectations are far from reality. I was surprised at how nice and easy to use the built-in mail app in windows 10 and 11 is.
mail is one of the best basic email applications you can use. doing the most common things is simple and follows decades of email conventions. It has an inbox for new messages, an outbox for sent messages, and a nice composer. is all most people need.
but the windows developers have also incorporated some great features. There’s a focused inbox that automatically filters the emails you read most often, so messages from friends and family don’t get caught up in all your newsletters. It also comes with a calendar and integrates with Microsoft To Do, so you can use it as part of a more complex productivity system. There are even robust customization options tucked away in the settings: you can change the theme or colors, set up notifications, and set up autoresponders with just a few clicks.
if you’re using windows, mail should be the first application you try. if you need more powerful filters or deeper integrations with other services, you’ll have to look elsewhere. But for most people, it’s more than enough to be the best free email client for windows.
windows mail price: free
best windows email client
mail bird
if you live in your email inbox, use windows and are willing to pay for the best experience possible, look no further than mailbird. It’s the best Windows email app you can get, though it will cost you around $40 per year, depending on the plan you subscribe to.
mailbird has a sleek and modern design (although you can customize it a lot if you want). while it does the basics of sending and receiving email very well, it’s the nice quality-of-life features that make it our top choice of windows here. for example, you have the ability to snooze emails or undo sents, and there’s a unified inbox, which is useful for people who handle large volumes of email or manage multiple accounts.
That said, I’d be remiss not to mention one of Mailbird’s most prominent non-email features: 3rd party integrations. Depending on your subscription, you can add personal apps (like WhatsApp and Instagram) and productivity apps (like Slack, Dropbox, and Google Calendar) as your own panels in Mailbird, so you can configure your maximum productivity settings.
really, the only other contender for this spot on the list was outlook, microsoft’s other email application. If you already pay for Microsoft 365, it probably beats Mailbird. but if you don’t use office, want a better email experience, and don’t mind paying a few bucks a month, mailbird is the way to go.
mailbird pricing: standard home plan starting at $39/year; business standard and home premium plans from $59/year with third-party integrations
best free email client for mac
apple mail
apple mail comes installed with macos, reason enough for most people to give it a try first. And to be honest, unless you’re an expert in email apps, you really don’t need to try anything else. In recent years, Apple has updated the app and it has a nice modern user interface as well as a solid set of features.
All your mailboxes, folders and accounts are available in the left sidebar, either separately or in a unified mailbox that combines all your accounts. emails are automatically grouped into threaded conversations separated by subject.
One feature I love is Smart Mailboxes, which filter emails as they come in based on rules you set up. it’s the kind of thing that isn’t always included with free apps. to set one up, go to mailbox > new smart mailbox and set a series of rules, such as unread messages from some specific people or emails with attachments that you haven’t responded to yet.
apple mail also integrates very well with the rest of the apple ecosystem. You can send large files using Send Mail, which uploads them to iCloud for easy sharing. With Transfer, you can start composing an email on your Mac and then pick it up in the exact same place in the Mail app on your iPhone. If you know you’re not looking for a specific set of features that Mail lacks, it’s the best email app for most Mac users.
apple mail price: free
best email client for mac
airmail
airmail is best described as apple mail with a few more features. it’s just as fast and clean, but for people who spend a lot of time answering emails every day, it might be a better option. I’ve used it for years, and as much as someone might say this about an email app, I love it.
Take shortcuts: By default, Airmail uses the same keyboard shortcuts as Apple Mail, but you can set most of them to something different if you want. You can also scroll through your inbox using your touchpad: swipe left or right with two fingers to archive or delete a message. As with keyboard shortcuts, you can also set your own custom swipe actions, like snooze or mark an email as read, in Airmail preferences.
airmail rules are like apple mail smart mailboxes, but with even more options. Do you want emails from certain senders to notify you, receive an automated reply, and then be archived in a special folder? you got it or how about automatically retrieving emails from that company that won’t remove you from their email list so it looks like your account doesn’t exist anymore? as easy as a few clicks. just look in the airmail preferences and go to the city.
despite all that, airmail is still fast, clean and gets the basics right.
Airmail price: Free for many features; paid plan from $2.99/month
best email app for iphone
apple mail
Just like windows mail and apple mail on mac, the best email app for most iphone users is the one that comes pre-installed: in this case, apple mail again. while not a radical suggestion, I hope its inclusion here will reassure you that you’re not missing out on any magical email solutions if you just stick with the default app.
email on the iphone is basic without being too simple. works with all major email services without any problem. really, it’s a great app for checking your emails and responding to the most important ones when you’re away from home. I’d avoid using it to send a long breakup email (with a person or a subscription service), but the same goes for any smartphone email app, regardless of platform.
a really nice touch is the vip inbox. this allows you to turn off notifications for most emails on your phone, while setting up a list of contacts whose emails will keep coming. It’s great if you want your boss or partner to be able to email you when you’re away from your computer, without being constantly bombarded by newsletters. if you’re waiting for a reply to a specific thread, you can also turn on thread-specific notifications. in your inbox, swipe left on the email you want to be notified about replies to, then tap more > notify me.
Without doing anything too fancy, Apple Mail comfortably stands as one of the best email apps on iOS.
apple mail price: free
best apple mail alternative for iphone
perspective
To almost everyone’s surprise, outlook is one of the best email apps for iphone users. (In fact, Outlook was in the top three apps for almost every category on this list, but somehow, it’s at its best on iOS.) strikes a very good balance between usability and power.
Although the desktop version of outlook is a powerhouse, it can feel a bit overloaded with features. that’s not a problem on ios. is a nice, fast and modern email app with enough extra features to stand out from the crowd. for example, it integrates with onedrive, google drive, and dropbox so you can easily manage your files and there’s a built-in calendar for easy scheduling.
By default, outlook divides your inbox into a focused inbox for your most important emails and another inbox for the rest. isn’t perfect from the start without a bit of tweaking (tap the three little dots, then move to the focused inbox on any messages that end up in the wrong place, and it’ll get better over time), but it helps you scan your inbox on the go, without getting bogged down.
Overall, outlook is a super solid option for anyone who feels apple mail is too basic. and it’s free
outlook price: free
best email app for android
gmail
The situation of the email application in android is a bit complicated. Most phones come with two email apps pre-installed: one called Mail or similar from the phone manufacturer, and then Google’s Gmail. default mail apps from manufacturers tend to be basic but functional, so I really wouldn’t recommend them. Gmail, on the other hand, is excellent, and despite the name, it also works with other major email services. (although of course it works better with gmail. see why I called it a mess?)
Anyway, the gmail app will be quite familiar to anyone who has ever used the gmail web app. If you use Gmail, it has the same three smart categories (Main, Social, and Promotions) that automatically classify your incoming emails into separate inboxes. if you use a different service (or don’t have smart categories turned on in your gmail account), it works like a more traditional email client with a single primary inbox. it’s still great, but gmail users definitely get the best experience.
Using the gmail app is quick and easy. touch an email to open it or swipe to archive it. It’s nothing radical, but it’s an incredibly functional mobile experience. and really, that’s one of the best things you can say about the gmail app: it’s not a stripped-down web app; rather, it is designed specifically for smartphones.
If you have an android phone, gmail should be the first app you look at. (if you use gmail, it should probably be the app of choice just for the added features). it comes pre-installed, it’s fast and modern, and it sets the bar very high.
gmail prices: free
best gmail alternative for android
edison mail
If you don’t use Gmail or want an email app that takes automated inbox management to the next level, Edison Mail is what you’re looking for. It’s also available on iOS, MacOS, and Windows, but tops the list for Android because it’s so much more enjoyable to use than most other Android alternatives.
Like all the apps we’ve seen here, edison is fast, modern, and easy to use. his inbox is divided into a focused inbox, which has the emails edison thinks are important, and another for the rest. but it’s under wizard in the sidebar (or by tapping the wizard button in the top right of the inbox) where the real ranking is.
by default, edison pulls all subscriptions (which you can unsubscribe from with a single tap), travel confirmations, package tracking emails, invoices or receipts, event confirmations or coupons, so that they are easily accessible. edison will also display them automatically when they are relevant; for example, it will show you your hotel details before you need to check in or alert you when a bill is about to come due. It saves you from having to star or sort messages that you know you’ll need to go back to.
edison is free to use, though there is a paid premium tier called edison mail+ that adds security-focused features like automatic sender verification that can protect you from phishing attempts. It’s a nice feature, but at $14.99 per month I think it’s really not worth it, unless you’re inundated with phishing attempts or use edison on all your devices and want to support continued development of the app.
edison mail price: free; Starting at $14.99/month for Edison Mail+, which adds more security-focused features.
what is the best email app for you?
If you choose one of the apps on this list, you’ll be perfect when it comes to managing your inbox. but if you’re looking for something more specialized, check out the deep dives we linked to above; will give you even more options for the best email apps for every device.
This article was originally published in 2018 by jill duffy.
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