Best AI email client for Mac, compared

The best AI email client for a Mac is Alrighty if you want the AI you already use, such as Claude or ChatGPT, to work in your iCloud, Gmail and Outlook mail, plus reply drafts in your own voice. Spark is the pick for AI on every device, with AI off until you turn it on. Superhuman and Shortwave are AI-first apps for Gmail users. Canary is the cheapest AI plan with iCloud support. Apple Mail and Outlook come with AI from Apple and Microsoft. eM Client and Airmail sell AI as an add-on.

This page is about full mail apps with AI inside. If you want an assistant that plugs into Gmail or Outlook, such as Gemini, Copilot or Fyxer, see our list of the best AI email assistants. If you want less AI, not more, see email apps without AI. If you want Gmail with a different AI than Gemini, see our Gemini in Gmail alternatives.

Most lists of AI email clients rank writing features. They rarely say which AI company reads your mail, whether the AI starts on its own, or what the AI costs on top of the app. This page answers those three questions for each Mac mail app.

How we checked

We read each vendor's own pricing, help and privacy pages on November 3, 2026, and every fact links to its source. For Alrighty, we read our own code. Where a vendor's page does not answer a question, we say "not stated" and do not guess. We did not test the apps. Alrighty is our app, and it's listed first.

AI email clients for Mac at a glance

App	What the AI costs	Accounts	Which AI company	On by default
Alrighty	14-day trial, then Free or Pro	iCloud, Gmail, Outlook	OpenAI and TypeSafe; or the AI you connect	Your own AI: off. Reply drafts and Clean up: on
Spark	Plus $10/mo or $99/yr	iCloud, Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, IMAP	Microsoft's Azure OpenAI	No, "turned off" by default
Superhuman	$25/member/mo, billed yearly	Gmail, Microsoft 365	Not named	Not stated
Shortwave	$30/seat/mo	Gmail	Anthropic's Claude, plus OpenAI and its own models	Not stated
Canary	Growth $36/yr	iCloud, Gmail, Outlook, Exchange, IMAP	OpenAI, Anthropic, Cohere, Google and others	Not stated
Apple Mail	Comes with macOS	iCloud, Gmail, Exchange, others	Apple	Summaries show once Apple Intelligence is on
Outlook	Microsoft 365 Personal, $9.99/mo	Microsoft 365, Outlook.com, Gmail, iCloud, IMAP	Microsoft	Not stated
eM Client	In the $49.95/yr Personal plan	Google, Microsoft 365, Exchange, iCloud	OpenAI	Not stated
Airmail	Ai Composer, $14.99 monthly in-app	Gmail, iCloud, Exchange, Office 365, IMAP	Not named	Not stated

"Not stated" means the vendor's pages we read don't say. It does not mean the answer is bad.

Alrighty: best AI email client for Mac with the AI you already use

Alrighty is a desktop mail app for Mac, Windows and Linux that puts iCloud, Gmail and Outlook in one inbox. Its AI starts from one idea: most people already write email with an AI. They copy a message into a chat, work on a reply there, and paste it back. Alrighty removes those steps.

What the AI does.

• Your own AI reads your mail. A local MCP server on your Mac lets Claude (the desktop app and Claude Code), ChatGPT's desktop app, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, OpenCode, Antigravity or a local model read and search your mail across every account. The setup guide has the steps for each one, and our guide to letting Claude read your email walks through Claude.
• It works in a window you watch. That AI can open Alrighty in a window of its own and do the work: open mail, write replies, file messages. Nothing sends until you click Send.
• Reply drafts in your voice. When you reply, Alrighty can write a draft from the conversation and from what you sent that person before. It is always a draft. You send it.
• Answers from your mail. Ask a question and get the answer with the emails it came from.
• Sorting. It can sort new mail into groups you make, and Clean up sorts senders into the ones you probably don't want (scams, cold outreach, newsletters you never open).

Which AI company reads your mail. With your own AI, it's the assistant you connect, so a local model keeps everything on your Mac. Alrighty's built-in features send only the emails they need to Alrighty's server. For answers and reply drafts, the server calls OpenAI's GPT-6.1 Terra, and a DeepSeek model at Together AI names each chat. For Clean up and sorting into groups, it calls Jev, a model from TypeSafe. Sorting sends the sender, subject and start of the body. Clean up sends each sender's address, three facts the receiving server found, and up to 3 of their newest emails.

On by default. Partly. The link to your own AI is off until you turn it on. Once you're signed in to Alrighty, a reply draft starts when you open a reply, and Clean up sorts senders in the background.

What it costs. A 14-day trial with no card, then a Free plan or Pro. Free has a small monthly AI allowance and no sorting into groups.

What it can't do. On a Mac, it needs Apple silicon. There's no iPhone or web app, and no calendar. It takes iCloud, Gmail and Outlook accounts only, so no Yahoo, Fastmail or other IMAP. It's a new app with no long track record yet.

Pick it if you already use Claude, ChatGPT or another assistant and want it in your mail on your Mac, with drafts you approve.

Spark: best AI email client across Mac, iPhone, Windows and Android

Spark, from Readdle, runs on Mac, iPhone, Windows and Android and takes iCloud, Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, Exchange and IMAP (Spark).

What the AI does. Spark +AI covers compose, translate, summaries, My Writing Style, templates, meeting notes, an AI Assistant, Auto-Drafts and Autopilot (Spark).

Which AI company reads your mail. Microsoft's Azure OpenAI. Spark says Azure OpenAI "will not retain the data for more than 30 days," "does not use this data to train models," and "Spark does not store this data" (Spark).

On by default. No. Spark's help says "By default, Spark +AI is turned off." On a Mac you turn it on in Spark Settings under Spark +AI, and "You can disable it in your Settings anytime" (Spark).

What it costs. AI is "available as a part of the Spark paid plans." Free has a limited preview. Plus is $10 a month or $99 a year, and Pro, with Autopilot and Auto-Drafts, is $20 or $199 (pricing).

What to know. Some Spark features "require our server-side email processing to work," and for IMAP and Exchange accounts Spark stores your login, encrypted, in its database (Spark). Our Spark alternatives page covers this.

Pick it if you want one AI mail app on every device, and want to choose when the AI turns on.

Superhuman: best AI email client for Gmail and Microsoft 365 teams

Superhuman runs on Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android and the web, and is "Built for teams that use Gmail or Outlook" (Superhuman).

What the AI does. Starter includes Superhuman AI: Write with AI, Instant Reply, Auto Summarize, Autocorrect and Autocomplete. Business adds Auto Drafts, Ask AI, custom AI labels and the Superhuman Mail MCP (plans). Its assistant "can draft and, if you choose, send emails" (Superhuman).

Which AI company reads your mail. Not named. Superhuman's privacy policy says "we restrict our AI service providers from training their models on user content," and "You can decide whether Superhuman can use your user content to train our AI models."

On by default. Not stated on the pages we read.

What it costs. Starter is $25 per member per month, billed yearly. Business is $33 (plans).

What it can't do. No iCloud, Yahoo or other IMAP accounts. If that rules it out, see our Superhuman alternatives.

Pick it if your mail is Gmail or Microsoft 365 and your team will pay for speed and AI.

Shortwave: best AI email client for Gmail search

Shortwave is a Gmail app for Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android (Shortwave).

What the AI does. AI search in plain English, "a smart tl;dr right at the top of every email," replies that learn "your unique voice and style from the emails you send," and AI filters (Shortwave).

Which AI company reads your mail. Shortwave names its models, which few apps do. Its plans run on Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 4.6 and Claude Opus 4.6 (pricing). Its security page says "besides Google Cloud, we only use OpenAI, Anthropic, and Pinecone," that "The vast majority of our AI workloads use open source models that run on hardware we control," and that "Your email content is never used to train third-party AI models." Your mail is stored in Shortwave's Google Cloud.

On by default. Not stated.

What it costs. Business is $30 per seat per month, Premier $45 and Max $120, with a 14-day free trial (pricing).

What it can't do. Microsoft 365 and Exchange are "not supported at this time," and iCloud, Yahoo and Outlook.com work only by forwarding into Gmail (Shortwave). There's no unified inbox.

Pick it if you're on Gmail and want the strongest AI search, and you're fine with your mail stored in Shortwave's cloud.

Canary Mail: best low-cost AI email client with iCloud

Canary runs on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows and Android, and takes iCloud, Gmail, Outlook, Exchange and IMAP (Canary).

What the AI does. AI Copilot writes and replies, and summarizes mail (pricing).

Which AI company reads your mail. Canary's privacy policy says Copilot uses "top-tier providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Cohere, Google and others," and that Canary opted out of data sharing so those models aren't trained on your data. It does not say which provider handles a given request.

On by default. Not stated.

What it costs. Copilot starts on Growth at $36 a year. There's no monthly billing: "Any monthly price shown on the pricing page is a monthly equivalent of the yearly plan." Paid plans come with a 7-day trial and no card (pricing).

What it can't do. The free plan lists no AI.

Pick it if you want AI with iCloud, Gmail and Outlook for the least money, on more than one kind of device.

Apple Mail: best free AI email client, built into the Mac

Apple Mail comes with macOS. On macOS 27 it takes iCloud, Gmail, Exchange, school, work and other accounts (Apple).

What the AI does. With Apple Intelligence, "A short summary automatically appears under each unread email in your inbox," you can summarize a long thread, and "Apple Intelligence can suggest replies to emails you receive" (Apple). Writing Tools can rewrite and summarize text.

Which AI company reads your mail. Apple. Some tasks run on the Mac. Others go to Private Cloud Compute, which "uses larger, server-based models," and Apple says "The data being processed in Private Cloud Compute is not stored or made accessible to Apple" (Apple).

On by default. Summaries show on their own once Apple Intelligence is on. You can turn them off in Mail > Settings > Viewing by deselecting Summarize Message Previews.

What it costs. Nothing extra.

What it can't do. "Apple Intelligence on macOS 27 is not available in all languages or regions." Mail search depends on Spotlight and can miss mail; see our Apple Mail search guide.

Pick it if you want light AI help with no new app and no new company. If Apple Intelligence doesn't work for you, see our Apple Intelligence in Mail alternatives.

Outlook: best AI email client if you pay for Microsoft 365

Outlook for Mac is free in the Mac App Store and takes Microsoft 365, Outlook.com, Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, IMAP and POP accounts (App Store).

What the AI does. Copilot "drafts emails and summarizes lengthy email threads" (Microsoft). Microsoft's Mac release notes add Copilot rewrites, attachment summaries and Prepare with Copilot (Microsoft). Once Outlook is signed in with a licensed account, Copilot works for every account in it, including Gmail and iCloud (Microsoft).

Which AI company reads your mail. Microsoft.

On by default. Not stated. For a personal Microsoft account, Copilot has a Turn on Copilot switch in Outlook for Mac under Quick Settings > Copilot, on version 16.95.3 or later (Microsoft).

What it costs. For home users, Copilot comes with Microsoft 365 Personal at $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year. Its AI features are "only available to subscription owner and cannot be shared" (Microsoft).

What to know. The free app shows ads: Microsoft's listing says "Add a premium subscription to go ad-free." Our Outlook alternatives for Mac page has more.

Pick it if you already pay for Microsoft 365 and live in Outlook.

eM Client: best AI email client with a one-time license option

eM Client runs on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android, and works with Google Workspace, Office 365, Outlook and Exchange (eM Client).

What the AI does. An AI Assistant, Reply with AI, an AI Writing Composer, AI Summarize, natural-language search and AI rule creation. You can "connect your own custom AI provider" instead of eM Client's add-on (eM Client).

Which AI company reads your mail. "The current Provider of AI for eM Client is OpenAI." Text for writing and editing "is sent only to the AI provider." Some features, such as quick replies and task detection, send a message when you open it, and eM Client says it does not scan your mailbox in the background (eM Client).

On by default. Not stated. You can turn all AI off in Settings > Artificial Intelligence > General, or turn off single features under Features (eM Client).

What it costs. The Personal subscription, $49.95 a year, includes the "AI Add-on ($30.00 value)." The $74.95 one-time license does not list it. The free plan is for home use on one device with two accounts (pricing).

Pick it if you want calendar, tasks and Exchange in one app, with AI you can switch off.

Airmail: best AI email client for Apple-only users who want AI as an extra

Airmail runs on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Vision Pro, and takes Gmail, iCloud, Exchange, Office 365, IMAP and POP3 (Airmail).

What the AI does. Ai Composer, a separate in-app purchase, writes mail. Airmail's home page does not describe it.

Which AI company reads your mail. Not named on the pages we read.

On by default. Not stated. Because Ai Composer is a separate purchase, it isn't part of the app until you buy it.

What it costs. The app is a free download. Airmail Pro is $7.99 a month or $49.99 a year, and Ai Composer is $14.99 monthly (App Store).

What it can't do. Apple devices only, macOS 14.6 or later. Airmail's site has no prices and no privacy page we could open.

Pick it if you want a customizable Apple-only mail app and only some AI writing help.

How to choose

• Your own AI (Claude, ChatGPT, Codex, Cursor or a local model) in iCloud, Gmail and Outlook on a Mac, with reply drafts in your voice: Alrighty.
• AI on Mac, iPhone, Windows and Android, off until you turn it on: Spark.
• A Gmail or Microsoft 365 team that wants speed and AI: Superhuman.
• Gmail with the best AI search, and named models: Shortwave.
• The cheapest AI plan with iCloud: Canary.
• No new app and no new company: Apple Mail with Apple Intelligence.
• Already paying for Microsoft 365: Outlook with Copilot.
• AI you can switch off, with calendar and Exchange: eM Client.
• An Apple-only app with AI writing as an extra: Airmail.
• No AI at all: see email apps without AI.

For a wider list that weighs more than AI, see the best email apps for Mac. For one AI job at a time, see the best AI email reply generators and the best AI email summarizers.

Questions

What is the difference between an AI email client and an AI email assistant?

An AI email client is a whole mail app, such as Spark or Superhuman, that you read and send mail in. An AI email assistant adds AI to the mail app you already use, such as Gemini in Gmail or Fyxer. Our list of AI email assistants covers the second kind.

Which AI email client is free?

Apple Mail's Apple Intelligence features cost nothing on a supported Mac. Alrighty has a Free plan with a small monthly AI allowance after its 14-day trial. Spark's free plan has only a limited AI preview, and Canary's free plan lists no AI.

Which AI email clients say which AI company they use?

Shortwave names Claude models and lists OpenAI, Anthropic and Pinecone. Spark names Azure OpenAI, and eM Client names OpenAI. Alrighty uses OpenAI and TypeSafe, or the assistant you connect. Superhuman and Airmail don't name one on the pages we read.

Can I use an AI email client without the AI?

In some, yes. Spark's AI is off until you turn it on, eM Client has a switch for all AI, and Apple Mail lets you turn summaries off. Our page on email apps without AI lists each switch.

Which AI email client works with iCloud on a Mac?

Alrighty, Spark, Canary, Apple Mail, Outlook, eM Client and Airmail take iCloud accounts. Superhuman doesn't, and Shortwave takes iCloud only by forwarding into Gmail.