Are you someone who uses a browser to check their email or you have realized the power of email clients?
Free Mail App For Mac
Thunderbird is an open source project, which means anyone can contribute ideas, designs, code, and time helping fellow users. Thunderbird is a free email application that’s easy to set up and customize - and it’s loaded with great features! Your system doesn't meet the requirements to run Thunderbird. Top Free Email Programs for Windows 10 in 2021. All email programs listed below have one thing in common: you can use them for free. Some give you the option to pay for a premium version and unlock extra features, but it’s up to you to decide if you want to spend money to simplify your email management.
I was the first in the line who would use a browser to check & respond to my emails.
To be honest, I’ve always found Mac’s integrated Mail app to be a bit too clumsy for my taste. And if I am not able to find my way around the email easily – I’m probably not going to like the app.
Luckily, one afternoon, I came across a perfect email client that allowed me to sync all my emails into one client and keep my emails synchronized across my laptop, tablet and phone.
Can you guess what email client I am talking about?
If you can’t – no worries. The bright side is that this post isn’t only going to show you how to choose an email client that could improve the way you use the email.
But you will also find out top picks down below, so keep on reading!
Quick jump to…
Windows and Mac have built-in email apps
Don’t get me wrong – built-in email apps aren’t that bad after all. But personally, I think that they might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Windows has a built-in email app called Mail App which is a pretty simplistic email client that is easy to use. My favorite thing about it is the ability to easily connect multiple email accounts to one integrated client.
On the other hand, Mac computers have their own version of the Mail App as well. In my opinion, its interface is a bit outdated which might have you thinking that it is easy to use.
Well, the big downside of Mac’s Mail App is that it isn’t really efficient at keeping a track of multiple email accounts at once. There are all sorts of folders that appear after each email account add-on you do and it’s just not as pretty as Windows’ Mail App.
But on the bright side, Mac’s Mail App is really strong when it comes down to emails. They are perfectly categorized and you even get the ability to have both your email list and specific emails open in one tab.
While people simply settle for the integrated email app that comes with their favorite device – we believe that you should at least give yourself a chance to browse available email clients.
Why?
There are companies that specialize in creating the best possible email clients so not only you get a pretty interface, but you also get a chance to improve your productivity, change the way your workflow works, or even have higher security for your most important email accounts.
Top email clients for Windows and Mac
- For Mac:Spark & Airmail
- For Windows:Mailbird
- For Best Productivity:PostBox (Windows & Mac)
- For Increased Security:Canary Mail (Mac) & The Bat! (Windows)
- For Gmail:Kiwi (Windows & Mac)
For Mac: Spark
I like to think about Spark as a combination of integrated Mac and Windows email client. Its interface is very minimalistic (which is very similar to Mac integrated email client) and yet it has the ability of organization (such as the one available in the Windows integrated email client).
It accepts multiple accounts and I was able to add two of my emails to test and see how Spark handles it. I was also able to allow Spark to access my reminders, contact, and calendar. This definitely helps keep my workflow going without manually having to enter my contacts or dates into my calendar.
Inside the Spark, 3 main columns offer everything you need to see at one time. Your email accounts and its inboxes, list of emails for a selected email account, and an individual email reading & answering section.
The feature I like the most is the ability to easily clean up your email by sliding the email from the list and choosing a function such as a snooze, delete, or move. This might seem insignificant – but it allows a quick & efficient way around emails without having to look for additional options.
Also, remember how I like all the functions listed at the top? That’s exactly how Spark lists its functions.
Pros
- Easily syncs in multiple email accounts
- Easy-to-use interface
- Efficient & lightweight app usage (50mb in size)
- Functions listed at the top for quick use
- Integration with Mac’s calendar, contacts, and reminders
- Quickly dealing with repetitive emails by adding people to the TO, CC and BCC fields in templates.
Cons
- Stores your email account credentials & emails on their server and then direct them to your device
Price
- Free – up to 5 GB and 2 active collaborators
- Premium – $6.39 for each active user – up to 10 GB and an unlimited number of active collaborators
- Enterprise – price on request – on-demand for large teams and companies
For Mac: Airmail (also great)
Airmail is one of the sleekest and minimalistic email clients I’ve ever experienced on a Mac computer.
An intuitive design that features colors and is collapsible is definitely the best feature of Airmail. It allows you to expand or minimize the email client according to your needs.
When I am browsing through my emails – I can keep Airmail collapsed which retains my focus on my email list. But if I want to answer an email or write a new email, I can expand the interface with only two clicks.
I especially liked reply templates that saved me time when I was writing some business outreach emails and even a “send later” function was pretty convenient since it allowed me to postpone my ready emails and send them automatically for me.
Pros
- Attractive collapsible interface
- Ready reply templates
- Send later function
- Easy integration with all Apple devices
Cons
- The latest paid version has changed adding additional subscription model for existing services
- Customer service isn’t very responsive
Price
- Free Version
- Paid Version – $3.75/month or $12.51/yearly
For Windows: Mailbird
Mailbird is very similar to Windows’ integrated email client – but it has features that are very rare to see in other email clients.
Not only Mailbird worked on combining simplicity with functionality, yet they have worked hard to create unique layouts for users to find their best way to work around emails.
But this isn’t everything. Upon choosing the layout I liked the most, I was then able to further customize the layout.
I believe this is an ideal feature for heavy users who want the ability to create their own workspace inside the email client rather than adjusting to a standard-type layout of usual email clients.
What Is The Best Free Email For Mac Users
What I’ve also noticed is that Mailbird is very compatible with every Microsoft app there is which allows smooth synchronization and integration of data from other apps you have on your computer.
But Mailbird took it to the next step by allowing integration with third-party software & apps such as Slack, Dropbox, Facebook, and even WhatsApp.
Not only you get to have all your emails in one place – but it also takes care of all your messages, which is something I really like.
I believe that Mailbird is on the right track to change the way we use our emails and the way we communicate whether it’s for business or for personal needs.
Pros
- Easy & efficient use
- Customizable layout versions
- Incredible app integration
- Affordable prices
Cons
- Doesn’t feature any functions that help automate email responses
- Folder organization could be improved
Price
- Free version to try
- Mailbird Pro Personal – $1.52/monthly or $36.95/one-time
- Mailbird Pro Business – $2.35/monthly
Mac Os Email Client
For Best Productivity: PostBox (Windows & Mac)
If you took Mac’s integrated email app and turned it into a sleek & a bit more efficient version – you’d get PostBox.
PostBox is available for both Windows & Mac, it accepts multiple email accounts (any IMAP or POP) account.
What’s so special about PostBox is that it’s a stripped-down version of most email clients, and yet keeping the interface to a bare minimum helps keep everything organized. Everything I needed was just one click away which improved the way I use an email.
But what I actually liked the most is the colorful interface that helps users navigate since it shifts focus from reading the folders to memorizing the icons & colors. This itself increases the efficiency of a heavy-email user.
Are you wondering what’s the most innovative feature? It’s the search button.
The search button within an email client isn’t something new. But what PostBox did is they added on the search button for the whole email account – instead of the specific folders only.
Pros
- The most minimalistic interface with an efficient way around the email
- Use of colored icons for folders & functions that are easy to memorize
- Ability to search for something throughout the whole email
- Efficient organization of multiple accounts at the same time
Cons
- Marker for unread emails is a bit too small and should be larger
Price
- Trial – Free
- 1-Year License – $19/user
- Lifetime License – $39/user
For Increased Security: Canary Mail (Mac)
Canary Mail looks very much like an integrated Mac Mail app. But don’t let this make you think that Canary Mail isn’t worth your time.
I like how Canary Mail keeps up with Apple’s OS and with every OS version, Canary Mail redesigns its email client for the best performance.
Therefore, Canary Mail is really snappy and quick that won’t slow you down at any time. But why is it better than settling down with an integrated Apple Mail App which is free?
The main reason is security.
Canary Mail is full of security features that you won’t find on integrated email clients. These features include end-to-end encryption and smart filters to ensure that no one can access your emails. Other than these security features, you will also benefit from full PGP support, on-device fetch, and biometric app lock.
My favorite feature is the one-click unsubscription that helps you remove your email from unwanted email lists in a matter of seconds.
Pros
- Increased security measures
- Often app updates
- Quick & seamless integration
- Simple interface
- One-time subscription pricing plans
Cons
- Pro Upgrade version includes some of the existing features that were taken away from Pro version users and were used to double-charge the same users
Price
- Canary Mail Pro – $25/one-time
- Canary Mail Pro Upgrade – $12.50/one-time
For Increased Security: The Bat! (Windows)
The Bat is one of the most sophisticated email clients for Windows that pays a lot of attention to security.
However, one thing you should know is that it has a steep learning curve. You will actually need to spend time learning how The Bat works in order to use it to its fullest capacity.
But once I spent some time with The Bat!, my favorite was definitely seamless creation of virtual folders that improve the high-volume email management.
On the other hand, I appreciated the high-security features such as OpenPGP message decryption and encryption of local data. Along with these security features, there are many more features that you just can’t find in any other email client.
If you’re a “power-user” who needs ultimate privacy – The Bat! is exactly what’s it’s made for.
Plenty of other features you will come across once you start learning how to use The Bat! are Inbox Analyzer, integration of RSS feeds directly in the email client,
Pros
- Features highly innovative features
- Top-notch security protection
- Ability to integrate plenty of third-party apps
- Included antivirus and spam filter to combat scam and spam emails
Cons
- A slight learning curve
Price
- The Bat! Home – $49.99/one-time
- The Bat! Professional – $59.99/one-time
For Gmail: Kiwi (Windows & Mac)
Is Gmail your favorite webmail email client and no other integrated or third-party can offer you seamless integration with your Gmail account?
Kiwi is the ideal option since it’s solely made for Gmail integration with the additional integration of all G Suite apps.
Even the Lite version of Kiwi enabled me to have my Gmail and all of my G Suite apps available on my desktop – and even better yet, on my phone.
But what I’ve noticed is that Kiwi also has the ability to send large attachments – much larger than Gmail can handle on its own.
However, Kiwi doesn’t only integrate well with G Suite. It can also integrate third-party apps through plugins. I was able to integrate the Boomerang app but it looks like it’s the only app you can integrate for now.
Its interface is very simple and yet you even get to choose your favorite color to make navigation a lot easier.
Pros
- Ability to integrate Gmail and G Suite directly into a desktop-based email client
- Ease of use with multiple accounts
- Ability to send massive attachments
- Simple interface with the ability to handle multiple windows
Cons
- Needs more third-party options
- Could make some innovative features rather than just transferring all Gmail features
Price
- Kiwi Lite – Free for 30 days
- Kiwi Premium – $36/one-time
Other email clients worth mention
For now, CleanMyMac X isn’t a solid contender. In fact, we’d come across other extremely promising competitors too. So, if you are not ready to spend on CleanMyMac X, you can try one of the following tools.
eM Client (Windows & Mac)
You can think of eM Client as a stripped-down version of almost every integrated email client – and yet it’s improved with wise & modern interface reconstruction.
If no other email client seems like a great option – eM client is available for both Windows & Mac operating systems which makes it available to almost anyone.
It integrates well with most email servers so you will be able to organize your emails in one place. The one downside I noticed is that the free version of eM Client limits you to only two email accounts.
However, additional features such as calendar, tasks, contacts, and even chat make this one of the most productive email clients available for both operating systems.
Price
- Free Version
- Pro Version – $37.25/one-time
Polymail (Mac)
Polymail is a refreshed email client that features a modern and sleek look. Its interface structure looks very familiar to Mac’s Email App and Slack management app which isn’t a bad thing.
Since it resembles the two common apps – it adds it touch which enables everyone to combine email and chat-messaging apps such as Slack.
Therefore, if you’re looking to keep & manage your emails and conversations in one place – Polymail is the ideal option.
The only downside is that this modern piece of the email client is available only for Mac and iOS devices, at least for now.
Price
- Trial – Free for 14 days
- Basic – $10/month
- Premium – $24/month
- Enterprise – $49/month
MailTrim (Windows & Mac & Linux)
MailTrim is a worthy mention, just in case you are looking for a free email client for personal and professional use. It’s seamless and had only the necessary features in order to provide friendly interface as complex features might annoy users.
The specialty about MailTrim is that it enables an intelligent way to receive and sort all emails into different categories for quick access – even if you’re receiving them from different accounts.
Along with S/MIME and PGP encryption vouches, you have private and secure email collaboration. It also helps you to streamline the workflow along with the features such as contacts management, calendar, signature, etc.
Mailtrim works for all desktops-Mac, Windows, and Linux. And, it integrates with a few third-party platforms, such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and CRM.
Price
- Free
Microsoft Outlook (Windows & Mac)
Outlook is one of the most overlooked email clients since every Microsoft Windows user has it installed on their computer.
However, what not many people know is that Outlook is a really efficient email client that can be easily integrated with other Microsoft Office products.
This means that you will be able to use Outlook for much more than just an email organization. With the integration of Microsoft Calendar – you can keep your busy lifestyle organized while staying on top of your emails.
And what’s the good news? Microsoft released a version for Mac so you can experience all benefits on Mac computers as well.
Price
- Free Trial
- Outlook Standalone Premium Version- $19.95/year
- Outlook for 1 PC/User- $139.99/one-time
- With Office 365 Home- $9.99/month
- With Office 365 Personal- $6.99/month
Free Email For Mac Users
How to choose a better email client?
It’s true that email client choice depends a bit on personal preference. However, there are email clients that have features that others don’t and also have things organized in a way to actually improve the usage.
You probably understand what you want and don’t want from an email client at this point. But down below, you will find a guide that might help you find something better and find out a feature that might change the way you handle your emails.
Best Free Email For Mac Users
So before you start choosing your preferred email client – here’s what you should pay attention to:
- Ideal features
- Type of usage (casual user or a heavy user)
- Compatibility
- Speed and efficiency
- Interface
Ideal features
Since everyone has been an email user for a couple of years at least, it’s at least easy to know what your needs are.
Everyone will have different needs and features are the ones that will fulfill them.
What’s also great to know is that almost all email clients tend to use their features as the selling point. Therefore, this gives you a chance to understand what an email client can do for you even before giving it a try.
Personally, I need an email that has a hassle-free way to add multiple email accounts and yet have an organized approach to all of my emails inside the email client’s interface. From there, I know that I need the most important functions listed at the top and I also require a minimal distraction.
Most webmail clients didn’t fulfill my needs, and even though integrated email clients managed to fulfill my needs to a certain point – I find the third-party email clients to know exactly how to help email users.
But for you – the needs might be totally different and therefore, read on to the type of usage to try and understand your needs (if you don’t know them yet).
Type of usage
I hope that you aren’t one of the email hoarders that has 999+ emails just sitting in the inbox. However, even if you are and you occasionally browse for most important emails – there is still a solution.
But if you are a heavy user who depends on the email to run an online business, do their work remotely, or simply improve the way they communicate online – organization & reliability is crucial.
Even if you are a casual email user who doesn’t use an email for business yet only has personal needs that need to be fulfilled – you can still improve the way you keep an eye on your email and the way you respond to your emails.
Compatibility
When you know your needs and what features you need the most – it’s important to think ahead.
What devices are you using? Do you read & respond to emails from your tablet or a phone?
It would be silly to change the device you’re using to match the email client. Therefore, think of this ahead so you don’t end up disappointed in the end.
The good news is that most email clients are compatible with smartphones so you will always be able to stay connected to your email in an organized & efficient way, even when you’re on the go.
Speed and efficiency
How many times did you find yourself trying to multitask while you wait for your integrated email to open?
It’s true that internet connection is important – but some integrated email clients are simply not snappy enough to provide efficient & quick use.
You can easily determine these factors by testing the email client out. But checking out reviews such as the ones you will find below will also tell you a lot more than the official page would.
Interface
Lastly, the interface is the main thing you will be seeing every single time you use your email and it’s the main thing that will keep you working efficiently while staying organized.
Therefore, you need to “click” with your interface. I am not only discussing the visual attractiveness of the email client.
But what I’m suggesting is that you would benefit from an email client the most if you spent a bit of time learning your way around its interface.
In closing
How much would your email performance improve if you decided to switch from a web-based email interface to a desktop email client?
No matter on what server is your email hosted – you can integrate it into any of these email clients.
Most of them offer a free trial, and you could even use some of them for absolutely free. But our specific guide – I’m sure that you won’t have trouble choosing the best email client for your needs.
The search for best email apps for mac os is a never ending one and we cannot say that one email client serves the purpose of different types of users. Whenever we talk about Productivity Apps for Mac, Email Client stands first in the line and we need choices to see which one meets our requirement. Couple of years ago we wrote Best Email Apps for Mac OS X Mountain Lion that includes both premium and free mail apps for mac.
We also have the list of paid, premium email client apps for mac that you may want to check and purchase. Most of the Macbooks and iMac’s now running OS X Yosemite, so its time to bring the updated list of email apps for mac for the year 2015.
Also, if you have recently bought a new Mac, then do check Essential Mac Apps for New Macbook, iMac list. Its not just about reading and replying an email anymore. We do business through emails and it is the ultimate point of contact for most of the people in Corporates, Organizations, Small and Medium Companies, Freelancers and so on.
You may have to use and find which email suits for your needs and very well compatible with the devices you own. There are very less number of mail apps available for mac, and you easily select the one for you by giving it a try on your Mac, iPhone and Windows Computers if you have any at office or home.
Best Free Mail Apps for Mac
Without further delay, here we have the list of mail apps for mac os x that are tested and compatible with latest OS X Yosemite. The apps listed here require minimum OS X 10.7 and above to run.
Sparrow mail app was very popular when it released couple of years ago. Unfortunately Google acquired Sparrow and killed the popular mac mail app. Sparrow is still used by many users because of its clutter free mail reading experience and works well on iPhone as well. It was a premium app when it was released and no updates since then, so it is not recommended to buy that app for $9.99 now.
We have advanced mail apps with tons of essential features added that receives regular updates from its developers. Lets explore the list of such beautiful free email apps for mac os.
Mailbox App
Pretty popular mail app for iPhone mainly for its “Reminder” feature. Simply “Swipe” to perform several actions to organize and manage your multiple email accounts. The unified mailbox app experience stays with mac version too. If you are using Mailbox App on iPhone then you will get the same feel once you installed it on your mac. As it uses dropbox authentication, you will be logged in automatically once you supplied the dropbox details after installing mailbox on mac.
Just one drawback i felt while using mailbox app on mac is its pure white and the gray font color makes it hard to look at for long time. So i did sent a feedback as its in beta stage, the developer team responded to consider it in upcoming updates. Rest, its just a beautiful mail app for mac without any doubt. They recently made it as public beta, so anyone can download mailbox app.
Availability: Mac OS X, iPhone and Android
DownloadMailbox App for Mac
Inky Mail App
This mail app has a beautiful clutter free design with sharp and beautiful fonts across the application. The blue and white combination is an excellent choice and i felt google+ application kind of feel while using this app. Filtered Inbox separates newsletters, social notifications from personal messages that highlights the importance to respond quickly. All newsletters quarantined into Subscriptions so that you can read them when you have time. Daily Deals separates the offers, promotional mails, coupon codes and discount related emails to another view.
Notes let you type messages quickly and maintain a local draft copy inside Inky Application. Package Tracking and Maps are another two cool feature additions that completes Inky mail app as a rock star in the productivity apps arena. You can use all your Gmail accounts, Yahoo mail accounts, IMAP or POP accounts and more to sync and access in all you devices.
Availability: Mac OS X, Windows, iPhone and iPad
Download: Inky for Mac
Mailplane App
If you use mostly Gmail for your Personal and Business requirements then Mailplane Email Client App for Mac is just for you. Mailplane brings the gmail experience without loosing the design and quality of Gmail web interface. It just creates multiple tabs for each accounts, so you can switch, browse, view and edit calendars, notes, manage all your accounts settings without logging out. Its just like a dedicated browser for emails on mac computer. Mailplane comparison with Google Chrome browser shows how efficient and brilliant this application can be in terms of features.
Notifications, Keyboard Shortcuts, Attachment management, Connecting with Mac Apps like Evernote, Pages, Keynote, PDFPen, iPhoto makes this app more powerful and productivity beast when you use it in your mac.
Availability: Mac OS X
Download: Mailplane for Mac
Free Email For Mac
Thunderbird for Mac
If you have used Ubuntu or any Linux flavors, then this name must be familiar to you. It is a pretty popular Email Client for Linux and being an open source email client, it just gets better every day and pretty stable for Linux platforms. Thunderbird App is also available for Mac OS X users, to bring the same design and features to be your favorite mac email client. Latest update brings several new feature additions such as Tabbed Email Browsing, One-Click Address Book, Attachment Reminder, Multiple-Channel Chat, Web Search feature, Effective Filter Toolbox, Advanced Email Search Tools, and a lot more.
Thunderbird Email Client also supports add-ons and mozilla has built a separate addon directory that are compatible for thunderbird and you can access it from its official website.
Availability: Windows, Linux and Mac OS X
Download: Thunderbird for Mac
I hope you have found your alternative to mac mail app from this list today.
Did we miss anything? Feel free to include it in the comment section below. Thanks for reading and dont forget to share a word about this post with your friends and followers across Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. Have a wonderful productive day.