The best Mac email app depends on your accounts and on where you want the AI to run. Apple Mail is free and built in. Outlook for Mac is the pick for Microsoft accounts. Thunderbird is free and open source. Mimestream is the native choice for Gmail alone. LocalInbox, which we make, runs its AI on your Mac, works with Gmail, iCloud and any IMAP account, and is paid for once.
We make LocalInbox, so it's listed first. Every other app links its sources and the month we checked them.
Pick by what you need
- Free and built into macOS: Apple Mail
- Outlook.com or Microsoft 365 mail: Outlook for Mac
- AI on your Mac, Gmail, iCloud and IMAP in one inbox, paid once: LocalInbox
- A team that shares email, on every platform: Spark
- Keyboard speed for Gmail and Outlook, on every device: Superhuman
- One app on Mac, iPhone, iPad and Vision Pro: Airmail
- One AI mail app on Mac, iPhone, Windows and Android: Canary Mail
- Free and open source, on Windows, Mac and Linux: Thunderbird
- Only Gmail, in a native Mac app: Mimestream
- Mail, calendar and contacts in one app on Windows and Mac: eM Client
- Every Gmail feature, with nothing to install: Gmail on the web
- Email as chat, with team chat beside it: Spike
At a glance
| App | Price | Where AI runs | Accounts | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LocalInbox | One-time licence: $19 early access, then $49 | Apple's on-device model, or a model you run in Ollama or LM Studio, on your Mac | Gmail, iCloud, Yahoo, AOL, Fastmail, Zoho, GMX, Proton Bridge, any IMAP; not Outlook.com or Microsoft 365 yet | Mac |
| Apple Mail | Free with macOS | Apple Intelligence, on-device on supported Macs | iCloud, Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, Exchange, any IMAP | Mac, iPhone, iPad |
| Outlook for Mac | Free with personal accounts, with ads; a premium subscription removes them | Microsoft Copilot, in Microsoft's cloud; not for Gmail, Yahoo or iCloud mailboxes | Microsoft 365, Outlook.com, Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, IMAP, POP | Mac, with separate Outlook apps for Windows, iPhone, Android and the web |
| Spark | Free plan; Plus $10/month, Pro $20/month (or $99 and $199 a year) | On-device and/or third-party AI providers, per Spark's privacy policy | Gmail, Outlook, Exchange, iCloud, Yahoo, IMAP | Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad, Android |
| Superhuman | Starter $30/month, or $25/month billed yearly; Business $40/month, or $33/month billed yearly | In the cloud, with OpenAI as its generative AI provider | Gmail and Outlook | Mac, Windows, web, iPhone, Android |
| Airmail | Free for one account; Pro $5.99/month or $29.99/year on Airmail's help page, varying by region | Outside AI assistants you connect, such as Claude or Codex | Gmail, Google Workspace, iCloud, Exchange, Office 365, Outlook, IMAP, POP | Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro |
| Canary Mail | Free without AI; Growth $36/year, Pro+ $100/year | Triage on your device; drafts and summaries on hosted cloud AI | Gmail, Outlook, Exchange, Office 365, iCloud, Yahoo, Zoho, Proton Mail | Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows, Android |
| Thunderbird | Free (donations welcome) | No built-in AI | Any IMAP or POP account | Windows, Mac, Linux, Android |
| Mimestream | $49.99/year or $4.99/month | No AI features | Gmail and Google Workspace only | Mac |
| eM Client | Free for 2 accounts; $39.95 one-time, or $24.95/year with the AI add-on | OpenAI, in the cloud | Gmail, Exchange, Microsoft 365 and other email services | Windows and Mac, with free iPhone and Android apps |
| Gmail on the web | Free; Gemini comes with Google Workspace or a Google AI plan | Gemini, in Google's cloud | Gmail; Gmailify and POP fetching from other accounts end in 2026 | Any web browser, plus iPhone and Android apps; no Mac app |
| Spike | Free with limited AI; Pro $6, Ultimate $12 per user a month, billed yearly | Spike AI, an online service; 10 queries per tool on the free plan | Gmail, Microsoft and other email accounts | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android, web |
The apps
LocalInbox
LocalInbox is a native Mac email app with on-device AI. It sorts, summarises and answers mail from every account on your Mac. No AI cloud. Pay once.
Choose it when:
- AI on your Mac, Gmail, iCloud and IMAP in one inbox, paid once.
Apple Mail
Both keep your mail between your Mac and your provider. LocalInbox is for people who live in email and want it triaged for them, with the same privacy.
Choose it when:
- You need Exchange or Outlook today: LocalInbox's Microsoft sign-in isn't available yet.
- You want the same app on iPhone and iPad.
Outlook for Mac
Outlook is the natural choice for Microsoft 365 and Outlook.com mail. LocalInbox is for Gmail, iCloud and IMAP accounts, with no ads and AI that stays on your Mac.
Choose it when:
- You use an Outlook.com, Hotmail or Microsoft 365 account: LocalInbox's Microsoft sign-in isn't available yet.
- Your work runs on Microsoft 365 and you want Microsoft's mail and calendar in one app.
Spark
Spark is a good fit for teams that share email across platforms. LocalInbox is for people on a Mac who want smart mail without a subscription or a cloud in the middle.
Choose it when:
- You need the same mail app on Windows or Android.
- Your team shares and comments on email together.
Superhuman
Superhuman is built for teams on Gmail and Outlook across devices. LocalInbox gives one person on a Mac the same speed for a one-time price, with AI that stays on the Mac.
Choose it when:
- You need the same app on your phone and in a browser.
- Your company uses Superhuman's team features.
Airmail
Airmail suits people who want one mail app on Mac, iPhone, iPad and Vision Pro. LocalInbox is for the Mac, with AI built in and no subscription.
Choose it when:
- You want the same mail app on iPhone and iPad.
- You use Exchange or Office 365 today.
Canary Mail
Canary fits people who want one AI mail app on every platform. LocalInbox is for the Mac, with all of its AI on the Mac and no subscription.
Choose it when:
- You want one mail app on Mac, iPhone, Windows and Android.
- You use Outlook or Exchange today.
Thunderbird
Thunderbird is the free, open-source choice across Windows, Mac and Linux. LocalInbox is for people on a Mac who want triage and AI built in.
Choose it when:
- You want a free, open-source mail app.
- You use Windows or Linux too and want the same app everywhere.
Mimestream
Mimestream is excellent if all your mail is Gmail and you want Gmail's labels and filters exactly. LocalInbox is for mixing accounts in one inbox, with on-device AI.
Choose it when:
- All your mail is Gmail and you rely on Gmail labels and server-side filters.
- You prefer signing in with Google to using an app password.
eM Client
eM Client suits people who want mail, calendar and contacts in one app on Windows and Mac, Exchange included. LocalInbox is for the Mac, with AI that never leaves it.
Choose it when:
- You need the same app on Windows and Mac.
- You want mail, calendar and contacts in one app.
Gmail on the web
Gmail in the browser is free and has every Gmail feature. LocalInbox gives Gmail a native Mac app, with your other accounts beside it.
Choose it when:
- You want every Gmail feature exactly as Google designs it: labels, filters and categories.
- You use Gmail on many computers and don't want to install anything.
Spike
Spike suits people and teams who like email as chat, on every device. LocalInbox is for the Mac, with your mail kept between your Mac and your provider.
Choose it when:
- You like email as a chat, with team chat beside it.
- You want the same app on your phone, your computer and the web.
Sources
Facts about each app were checked in October 2026 and can change. Each comparison page links its sources, and facts about LocalInbox come from its own documentation.
Questions
Which Mac email apps run AI on-device?
Apple Mail and LocalInbox both use Apple's on-device model, and LocalInbox can also use a model you run in Ollama or LM Studio. Canary sorts mail on your device but uses hosted cloud AI for drafts and summaries. Outlook, Gmail, eM Client, Superhuman and Spike use cloud AI, Spark can use third-party AI providers, Airmail connects to outside assistants, and Thunderbird and Mimestream have no built-in AI.
Which Mac email apps don't need a subscription?
Apple Mail, Thunderbird and Gmail on the web are free, and Outlook for Mac is free with ads. eM Client and LocalInbox sell one-time licences. Spark, Canary, Spike and Airmail have free versions with paid subscriptions, and Superhuman and Mimestream are subscriptions.
Is LocalInbox the best email app for Mac?
It's the best fit if you want AI that runs on your Mac, Gmail, iCloud and IMAP accounts in one inbox, and a one-time price. If you need Outlook.com or Microsoft 365, the same app on your phone, or a free app, one of the other picks suits you better.