10 Best Email Apps
1. Gmail (Web, Android, iOS)
Don’t be surprised that the best free email app comes default on most Android devices. After all, when Google initially released Gmail in 2004, the tech giant has single-handedly redefined personal email by offering a much larger storage capacity than its competitors and delivering the sleekest email experience the world had seen.
Apart from Android, the Gmail app is also available for iOS, and it works even with non-Gmail addresses like Outlook.com, Yahoo Mail, or any other IMAP/POP email. Google is constantly adding new features and improvements to the app, but there’s a lot you can do with it even in its current state. You can, for example, schedule emails, unsend messages, set an expiry time, use the app offline, or Google's AI to compose your emails for you.
- Comes default on most Android devices.
- Works with non-Gmail addresses.
- Organizes conversations into threads.
- Smart filtering options.
- Not the nicest looking email app available.
2. Aqua Mail (Android)
If you’re the kind of person who likes to tinker with technology, Aqua Mail might just be the best Android email app for you. This highly customizable email client supports all major email providers, including Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, FastMail, Apple, GMX, and AOL, and it integrates with a whole host of third-party services to deliver features even Gmail users can’t yet enjoy.
For example, you can connect Aqua Mail with your cloud storage service and effortlessly back up your emails to the cloud, compose emails with advanced formatting right on your smartphone, or set up a different email signature for each email account you have. Just keep in mind that the free version is limited to just 2 accounts and that Aqua Mail works only on Android devices. But if you can get over these two hurdles, Aqua Mail is one of the top email apps you need to try.
- Fast and intuitive.
- Integrates with Tasker.
- Supports cloud storage services for backup.
- Works great with Gmail.
- The Pro version costs money.
- Max 2 accounts with the Free version.
- Works only on Android devices.
3. Microsoft Outlook (Android, iOS, Windows)
When Microsoft purchased an email app called Acompli for $200 million in 2014, it was clear that the software giant would like to better compete with Gmail. The resulting mobile app, Microsoft Outlook, has quickly established itself to be the best email app for Windows 10 Mobile devices, and it continues to shine on Android and iOS.
What Microsoft Outlook brings to the table is something the company calls Focused inbox. As the name suggests, the idea behind Focused inbox is to keep the important messages on top by automatically hiding unimportant marketing emails, subscriptions, and obvious spam. Microsoft Outlook works with Microsoft Exchange, Office 365, Outlook.com, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail, and it is available for free.
- Focus inbox makes it easy to get things done.
- Clean user interface.
- Built-in calendar.
- Various bugs and glitches.
4. ProtonMail (Web, Android, iOS)
Google has its fair share of privacy scandals recently, and some of its users have been looking for an alternative email service they could migrate to—one that actually respects their privacy and doesn’t analyze the content of their emails for advertising purposes. Founded in 2014 at the CERN research facility by Andy Yen, Jason Stockman, and Wei Sun, ProtonMail has become the go-to destination for privacy-oriented email users, offering a reliable end-to-end encrypted email service with servers located in Switzerland.
Unlike many other encrypted email services, ProtonMail is surprisingly easy to use, and its Android and iOS apps are available for free, making it possible for all mobile users to get their own encrypted email with just a few simple taps.
- End-to-end encryption.
- Modern user interface.
- Free.
- Doesn’t support third-party services.
5. Triage (iOS)
Triage is a different email app because it doesn’t advertise a ton of flashy features and integrations with countless third-party services. Instead, it offers a simplified email experience that makes it easy to get through new emails in the shortest amount of time possible.
When you launch Triage, it will present all unread emails as a stack of cards, and you can simply flick a card up to archive it or flick it down to keep it. To forward or send a short reply, all you need to do is tap the email. Triage supports Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, and most IMAP email services, and it’s a boon to those who have struggled to keep their inboxes clean and organized, which is why it deserves the title of the best email app for iPhone.
- Great for busy people.
- Simple to use.
- Most IMAP services are supported.
- Only for iOS devices.
6. Edison Mail (Android and iOS)
Edison Mail is an innovative email app that helps you keep all your email accounts organized from one place. When you receive an email, the app’s assistant automatically selects the right category for it to make it easier to find in the future and to prevent your inbox from becoming cluttered.
Unwanted emails can be blocked with a single click, and Edison Mail lets you effortlessly unsubscribe from junk emails that don’t contain an unsubscribe link. Important messages you don’t have enough time to deal with at the moment can be snoozed to better fit your busy schedule.
The latest version of Edison Mail supports Dark Mode, which goes a long way in helping you avoid eye strain when reading and writing email messages late at night. Edison Mail isn’t monetized in the traditional way, but it does collect user data and share them with third parties.
- Reduces spam.
- Support quick responses.
- Configurable notifications settings.
- Unified inbox.
- Collects user data.
7. Blue Mail (Android, iOS, Windows, Linux)
Blue Mail by Blix is such an innovative email app that Apple blatantly copied one of its most popular features, Share Email, which allows Blue Mail users to anonymously communicate through public addresses without revealing their private email addresses. As if that wasn’t enough, Apple then banished Blue Mail from the Mac App Store, cutting its developers from an important source of revenue.
Fortunately, Blue Mail is still available on Android, iOS, Windows, and Linux. Regardless of which version of the email app you download, you always get to enjoy the same powerful features, including intelligent push notifications, advanced email organization options, integrated calendar, dark theme, and unified inbox.
All standard email protocols are supported, including IMAP, Exchange, ActiveSync, POP3, so you can use Blue Mail to access any email account you use. Because Blue Mail uses industry-standard email security technology, your data is always safe and protected from hackers.
- Supports multiple email providers.
- Private email communication.
- Beautifully designed.
- Smart push notifications.
- Groups emails by people.
- Occasional sync issues.
8. Nine (Android and iOS)
Many entrepreneurs couldn't survive a day without an email app capable of integrating all their email accounts in one place. With Nine, you can not only keep your email accounts seamlessly in sync, but you also gain instant access to your calendar appointments, tasks, and contacts, so you can be productive anywhere and at any time.
Nine supports both IMAP-based email services as well as Exchange servers. With Exchange ActiveSync, you can establish a direct connection to an email server and store all data only on your device for maximum privacy and security.
Unlike most other best email apps on this list, Nine isn't a free app. You can try it for free for two weeks, but you must purchase a license for $14.99 when the free trial period ends to keep using the app.
- All-in-one solution for mobile business.
- Robust security.
- Integrates email with calendar, tasks, and notes.
- Relatively expensive.
9. Spike (Android, iOS, Windows, macOS)
Compared with modern instant messaging apps like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or Telegram, most top email apps don't make it particularly easy to follow conversations and quickly respond to messages. Often, email signatures and quoted messages occupy most space, leaving very little room for the message you actually care about.
Spike solves this problem with its conversational approach to email. All clutter is removed, and what's left is the meat of email messages, making the app feel a lot more like an instant messaging client and a lot less like a traditional email client. If text isn't enough to convey what you have to say, you can also start a phone or video call and drag-and-drop any type of file you want to share with the person on the other side.
- Supports all major platforms.
- Email for the IM generation.
- Automatically sorts emails by priority.
- Restrictions for free users.
10. TypeApp Mail (Android and iOS)
TypeApp Mail is a people-centric email app that groups emails according to their sender to keep your inbox tidy and organized. If you have a colleague who likes to send 10 different email messages just to say one thing, TypeApp Mail will automatically group them together, and you can read them as a conversation just by tapping the name of your colleague.
In addition to smart email organization, this best email app for Android and iOS also supports customizable push notifications, email reminders, colored themes, and wearable devices. You can use TypeApp Mail to access any IMAP, Exchange, or POP3 email account, but the app can become a huge memory hog if you add too many accounts, so keep that in mind if you own an older smartphone that doesn't have too much memory.
- People-centric features.
- Group mail.
- Rich text editing.
- Scrollable widgets.
- Can be a memory hog.
Bonus: Clean Email (Android and iOS)
Even though Clean Email isn’t an email client like the other best email apps mentioned in this article, we didn’t want to leave it out because you would be hard-pressed to find a more useful email management app. With Clean Email, you can conquer inbox clutter by getting rid of hundreds and thousands of unwanted emails with just a few simple clicks because Clean Email can intelligently organize your entire inbox into convenient bundles—no manual work required.
If that’s not a good enough reason for you to give Clean Email a try, you should know that this popular email management tool can also automatically apply all sorts of actions to new emails, such as assigning a corresponding label to all emails from your coworkers or friends as soon as they arrive, making it easier for you to find them when you need them.
In addition to its Android and iOS apps, there is a web version of Clean Email that works in all major web browsers. As such it doesn’t really matter which operating system you use because Clean Email is the best email app for Mac, Windows, Android, and iOS users alike.
