Kiwi for Gmail alternatives for a real Mac mail app

The best Kiwi for Gmail alternative is Alrighty if you want a Mac mail app that puts Gmail next to your iCloud and Outlook accounts in one inbox, with search that runs on your Mac. Mimestream is the pick if every account you have is Gmail and you want a native Mac app built only for it. Spark suits people who need the same app on their computer, iPhone and Android. Wavebox and Shift are the closest to Kiwi itself: they keep Gmail's website, but add other web apps and other mail providers next to it.

Kiwi is a wrapper. Its own page says it "takes Gmail and Google Workspace out of the browser" (Kiwi). What you see inside it is still Gmail's website. The lists that rank for this search mix wrappers and mail apps without saying which is which. That difference decides what you get, so this page sorts the alternatives by it.

How we checked

We read each app's own home, pricing, FAQ and privacy pages on November 4, 2026, and every fact links to its source. For each app we noted the price, the accounts it takes, whether it is a mail app or a wrapper around a website, and where your mail is kept. We didn't install or time the apps. Alrighty is our app, and it's listed first.

What Kiwi for Gmail does, and why people leave it

Kiwi is a desktop app for Mac and Windows from Zive, Inc. It opens Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides and Google Chat in their own windows, with a tabbed layout and a list of recent documents across your accounts (Kiwi). Its Elite plan lets you "manage up to 9 of your own Gmail or Workspace accounts in one application."

Three facts on Kiwi's own pages explain most searches for an alternative:

• Gmail only. Kiwi's FAQ says "Kiwi is for Gmail. We do not support other email providers at this time." An iCloud or Outlook address needs another app.
• No free plan. Kiwi sells monthly and yearly plans, and "All yearly plans offer a 7-day risk-free trial" (pricing). The plan prices load inside a pricing widget that we couldn't read, so open the page for today's numbers.
• It is still the Gmail website. Search, filters and spam handling are Gmail's own, because the window shows Gmail's site. Kiwi adds its Focus Filtered Inbox on top, which narrows the list to today, the past week, unread, starred and similar views.

Kiwi's Mac download is still live. Its FAQ, though, still describes Kiwi 4.0 features "launching October 2023", so check its support pages for what is current.

Wrapper or mail app: which do you want?

A wrapper and a mail app both put Gmail in its own window. They differ in what runs inside.

• A wrapper (Kiwi, Wavebox, Shift) loads Gmail's website. You get every Gmail feature, exactly as on the web, including Gemini where your plan has it. Each account is its own page. A wrapper can also hold Docs, Calendar, Slack and other web apps.
• A mail app (Alrighty, Mimestream, Spark) signs in to your Google account and draws the mail itself. It can put Gmail beside other providers in one list, and it can search a copy kept on your Mac. It can't show Google Docs or Calendar the way a browser does.

If you used Kiwi for Docs and Sheets as much as for mail, a wrapper is the closer swap. If you used it to get Gmail out of the browser and into a Mac app, a mail app is the step up. Our guide to Gmail apps for Mac also covers the free way: Gmail as a web app in Safari, with no install.

Kiwi for Gmail alternatives at a glance

App	Price	Accounts	Mail app or wrapper	Where your mail is kept
Alrighty	14-day trial with no card, then Free or Pro	iCloud, Gmail, Outlook	Desktop mail app	Your provider, with a copy on your Mac
Mimestream	$4.99/mo or $49.99/yr, 14-day trial	Gmail only	Mac mail app	Your Mac
Spark	Free; Plus $99/yr, Pro $199/yr	iCloud, Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, IMAP	Mail app on every device	Spark's servers for some features
Wavebox	Free Basic; Pro $8.33/mo billed yearly	Any webmail, plus other web apps	Browser	The webmail provider
Shift	Free; Advanced $199.99/yr	Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo webmail, other apps	Browser	The webmail provider
Kiwi for Gmail	Monthly or yearly plans, 7-day trial on yearly	Gmail and Google Workspace only	Gmail wrapper	Google

Alrighty: best Kiwi for Gmail alternative when Gmail isn't your only account

Alrighty is a mail app for Mac, Windows and Linux. It puts Gmail, iCloud and Outlook accounts in one inbox. Gmail signs in with Google, or with an app password, and connects through the Gmail API. Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live and Microsoft 365 sign in with Microsoft. iCloud uses an app-specific password.

• One inbox, one search. All your accounts sit in one list. One search covers every account, and it runs on your Mac. It matches what you mean as well as the words: "when is my flight" finds the airline's confirmation. You can also ask a question and get the answer with the emails it came from.
• Stop mail. Gmail's own unsubscribe link works one sender at a time. In Alrighty, one action unsubscribes in every way the message offers, archives that sender's mail, and moves their new mail out as it arrives.
• Clean up. It lists the senders you likely don't want, such as scams, cold outreach and newsletters you never open, so you can stop them all at once.
• Phishing checks. A sure phishing message goes to Junk. A likely one stays with a warning. These checks run on your Mac.
• Your own AI. Kiwi's XO assistant is "GPT-4 Powered" and needs a Kiwi subscription (Kiwi). Alrighty instead lets the AI you already use, such as Claude, ChatGPT's desktop app, Codex or Cursor, read your mail and work in a window you watch. Nothing sends until you click Send. That connection is off until you turn it on with Connect AI.

Where your mail goes. Your mail stays with Google, Apple or Microsoft. Alrighty keeps its copy and its search index on your Mac. Your sign-ins stay on your Mac, encrypted with a key from your system's keychain, and no Alrighty server holds them. Signed in, Alrighty's own AI features (suggested replies, answers, sorting into groups, Clean up) send only the emails they need to Alrighty's server, which asks a model from OpenAI or another model company. Signed out, nothing goes to Alrighty's server.

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

What it can't do. It has no calendar, and it doesn't open Google Docs, Sheets or Drive. If you used Kiwi for those, keep them in a browser. Alrighty has no iPhone or web app. It takes iCloud, Gmail and Outlook only, so Yahoo, Fastmail and other IMAP accounts are out. It's a new app without a long track record.

Pick it if you have Gmail plus an iCloud or Outlook address, and you want them in one Mac inbox with less junk. The features page shows the rest.

Mimestream: best Kiwi for Gmail alternative if all your mail is Gmail

Mimestream is a native Mac app built only for Gmail. It takes several Gmail accounts, and it can "View all of your inboxes together, as one unified inbox" (Mimestream). It needs macOS 12 or newer. An iPhone and iPad version is in beta.

Where your mail goes. Mimestream says it "only stores your data and tokens on your device." Search is "Gmail-backed," so it uses Google's servers.

Price. $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year, after a "fully functional 14-day free trial that doesn't require a credit card" (pricing). There's no free plan.

AI and unwanted mail. It added Apple Intelligence Writing Tools in version 1.5.0 (releases). Its Tracking Prevention blocks trackers from "75+ common services."

What it can't do. Like Kiwi, it takes Gmail only. It has no Windows version, and it doesn't open Docs or Sheets. If you add an iCloud or Outlook account later, see our Mimestream alternatives.

Pick it if you're Gmail only, on a Mac, and want a real Mac app in place of Gmail's website.

Spark: best Kiwi for Gmail alternative on your computer and phone

Kiwi runs on Mac and Windows. Spark covers both, plus iPhone and Android. Its free plan has "unlimited email accounts," and it works with Google, iCloud, Outlook, Exchange, Yahoo and IMAP (Spark). Gatekeeper screens new senders so you can accept or block them (Gatekeeper).

Price. Free. Plus is $99 a year and Pro is $199 a year, and AI is on paid plans (pricing).

Where your mail goes. Some features "require our server-side email processing to work," including push notifications. For Gmail, Spark stores "an application-specific token," not your password (Spark privacy). Our Spark alternatives page has the details.

Pick it if you need one mail app on your Mac, a Windows PC and your phone.

Wavebox: best Kiwi for Gmail alternative for many web apps

Wavebox is a browser for macOS, Windows and Linux built for staying signed in to many accounts of the same kind (Wavebox). Like Kiwi, it shows Gmail's website. Unlike Kiwi, it holds any web app next to it: Outlook on the web, Slack, Asana, Teams and the rest. It runs Chrome Web Store extensions.

Price. The free Basic plan has 2 groups with 2 apps in each, which Wavebox says is enough for 2 Gmail accounts, work and home. Pro is $8.33 a month, paid yearly. Every account starts with a 7-day Pro trial with no credit card (pricing).

Where your mail goes. It stays with your mail provider. Wavebox's privacy policy says "We do NOT request or require access to your communications content."

Pick it if you used Kiwi for its Google apps and want room for non-Google apps too. Our Wavebox alternatives page covers it in depth.

Shift: best Kiwi for Gmail alternative with a free plan

Shift is a browser for Mac and Windows that holds your inboxes and apps in Spaces (Shift). Its email page names multiple Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo accounts, along with their calendars (Shift). Like Kiwi and Wavebox, each inbox is the provider's website. Shift has a built-in ad blocker and its own Shift AI.

Price. Free has 5 Spaces with 10 apps in each and limited Shift AI. Advanced is $199.99 a year for unlimited Spaces and apps (pricing).

Pick it if you want Kiwi's layout of Gmail plus Google apps for free, and an Outlook or Yahoo inbox beside them.

How to choose

• Gmail beside iCloud and Outlook in one Mac inbox, with less junk: Alrighty.
• Gmail only, in a native Mac app: Mimestream.
• One mail app on Mac, Windows and phones: Spark.
• Gmail plus Slack, Asana and other web apps, with Chrome extensions: Wavebox.
• Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo webmail with a free plan: Shift.
• Gmail in its own window for free, with nothing to install: Safari's Add to Dock, in our Gmail app for Mac guide.

Questions

Is Kiwi for Gmail still available?

Yes. Kiwi's site still offers Mac and Windows downloads and monthly and yearly plans. Its FAQ still talks about features launching in October 2023, so check its support pages for current features before you buy.

Is there a free alternative to Kiwi for Gmail?

Shift and Wavebox both have free plans that hold Gmail accounts. Spark has a free plan with unlimited accounts. Alrighty has a Free plan after its 14-day trial. Safari's Add to Dock turns Gmail into a web app for free.

Does Kiwi for Gmail work with Outlook or iCloud?

No. Kiwi's FAQ says "Kiwi is for Gmail. We do not support other email providers at this time." Alrighty and Spark take iCloud and Outlook accounts next to Gmail. Shift and Wavebox can load Outlook on the web.

What is the difference between Kiwi and a Gmail client like Mimestream?

Kiwi shows Gmail's website in a desktop window, so you get Gmail exactly as on the web. Mimestream and Alrighty are mail apps that connect through the Gmail API and draw the mail themselves. Our list of email apps for multiple accounts compares more mail apps.

Can I keep Google Docs and Calendar if I leave Kiwi?

Mail apps such as Alrighty and Mimestream don't open Docs, Sheets or Calendar. Keep those in Safari or Chrome, or use Wavebox or Shift, which hold them as web apps next to your mail.