There are tons of Gmail apps for Mac users out there. So knowing which one is the best fit for your professional needs can be a bit daunting.
No worries! We’ve made the heavy lifting for you. This article will go over all the best Gmail apps for productive mac users in greeting detail.
- What the apps do
- How they can benefit you
- Cost & pricing plan
All YOU need to do is to define what you’re looking to achieve in terms of benefit and gains in productivity, then determine from the app details if you’ve found a match.
Take a minute… think over your goals, write it down, and let’s start.
Best Gmail apps for Mac users:
1. Spark
2. Mozilla Thunderbird
3. Canary Mail
4. Go For Gmail
5. Mailtab for Gmail
6. Unibox
7. Kiwi For Gmail
8. Boxy Suite for Gmail
9. Mailplane Gmail App for Mac
10. Wavebox for Mac
What to look for In a Gmail app for Mac
It’s crazy today that there’s an app for practically every requirement. But just because it “does” a certain function doesn’t mean it’s any good. What you consider to be “good” might rely on how you’re using your emails.
Things to look for in a Gmail Mac app to determine if it’s good for you:
- Is it a Multi-device app? does the app work on both your Mac computer and on your mobile? You want to have a seamless experience between devices. So, always check if there is a desktop and mobile version of your email client.
- Does it help you get organized or add more clutter? the app you use should help you organize your inbox instead of creating more clutter. Look for apps that have easy organizational tools that help you clean up your inbox.
- Is it easy to learn and use? look, the Gmail app is easy enough to use on its own. If you’re going to be using alternative or additional Gmail apps, you don’t want to complicate your life.
- Does it promote time-saving where it counts for you? For example, not everyone wants to achieve a totally clear inbox. But if that’s something you’re striving for, then the app you use should help you get there with features that make checking and sorting your emails more time-efficient.
- How much does this app cost and is it worth it? Given the high cost of the subscription, if you’re not a heavy email user, it might not be worth it for you. On the other hand, if you like to have an organized inbox or you use your email often for work. It can be worth the nominal investment. Be sure to take advantage of the discount some of these apps have for an annual fee rather than monthly.
Best Gmail apps for Mac that you can use.
Let’s take a closer look:
1. Spark
Price: Free Plan, $6.39 for the Premium Plan, or customized for Enterprise Plan
Mobile App? Yes
Wouldn’t it be nice if your email client could just automatically sort your emails? And, prioritize them based on your interests and previous activity? Well, if that sounds too good to be true, then you likely haven’t yet heard of Spark.
Spark uses AI to discern whether an incoming email is personal, work-related, or promotional and then sorts them accordingly.
In fact, Spark’s AI is so good that it was awarded Apple’s Editor’s Choice Award a few years back. Its smart email sorting paired with a sleek and modern design make this a pleasant email app to use.
Users also like the smart one-click reply function. Which automates short replies that you can click and send when you receive a new email.
You can also schedule emails to send at a later date. This is helpful if you don’t want to send an email right away but also don’t want to forget.
2. Mozilla Thunderbird
Price: free
Mobile App? No
When you think Mozilla, you probably think about Firefox first, but the brand has other apps available, notably, Mozilla Thunderbird for email.
A lot of users flocked to Thunderbird for one key reason: it’s free. But, how does it hold up against other popular Gmail apps?
Well, for starters, Mozilla Thunderbird is older than many other email apps and you feel that in the design. It’s not as modern-looking as other apps and can feel clunky at times, but that’s not to say that it’s not handy.
It does still have some great features, like the ability to tag and sort emails.
It also has calendar and chat features and is great for email security, so there are some great positives here.
That being said, Thunderbird doesn’t have a mobile app, so while this can work well on your desktop, you don’t have an optimized mobile option.
3. Canary Mail
Price: $20
Mobile App? Yes
If privacy and security are your top concerns when it comes to choosing an email client, then Canary Mail is an excellent choice. As a relative newcomer to the scene, Canary Mail is known for its end-to-end encryption on every email you send, so you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing that your data is safe.
Aside from its great security features, Canary also has a great design and other tools like smart tagging, natural language search, a bulk inbox cleaner, and more.
This is a great option if you want to use an advanced Gmail app for Mac. The app is also available in the Apple App Store so you can take advantage of it on mobile, too.
That being said, the price might seem a little steep. After the free trial, the mobile and desktop app is $20 each, but many users swear by Canary so it seems like the price tag could be worth the investment.
4. Go For Gmail
Price: Free
Mobile App? No
Go For Gmail is very similar to the Gmail inbox we all know and love, except it functions as an external app that can be accessed from your Mac’s menu bar.
You can also view this app on your Mac in two modes: desktop and mobile. The desktop mode is the default and shows the full-screen app containing your inbox.
In mobile mode, you’ll see a condensed version of your inbox that you can keep open on your screen while you use other apps. This is great since you’ll always be able to keep an eye on your inbox without having to constantly navigate to a webpage with Gmail open.
Go For Gmail is a simple app without many bells and whistles that will allow you to get a more controlled view of your inbox on your desktop. The app is currently free, but it’s only available on desktop.
5. Mailtab for Gmail
Price: $9.99/month
Mobile App? No
Mailtab for Gmail is another desktop application that can be used to sort and view your inbox without the need to open your web browser.
This app is similar to Go For Gmail in that it’s based on Gmail’s classic inbox, so there’s virtually no learning curve to using this app.
Mailtab is there when you need it and can be easily accessed from your menu bar, and then gone when you want to focus on other apps. It gives you access to quickly check, compose, and reply to emails so that you don’t need to open Gmail on a webpage.
Some users have complained that it’s not possible to add attachments through the app, and if you want to avoid advertisements within the app, then you’ll need to pay to unlock this feature. Still, this is an easy and straightforward Gmail app for Mac.
6. Unibox
Price: $15.99
Mobile App? Yes
Unibox provides its users with an entirely new way to see their inbox. Instead of organizing messages by individual email, date, or even subject, Unibox shows you your emails based on contacts.
It might take a little bit of getting used to, but many users actually find it even more intuitive to use.
The clean design almost resembles other messaging or texting apps in that all messaging is sorted by contact so you can have a good overview of your inbox just by glancing at it.
You can continue an email conversation, preview attachments, and see all previous emails with a contact in one streamlined window.
This eliminates the need to go searching through your inbox for previous correspondence. After the free trial, Unibox requires a paid subscription.
7. Kiwi For Gmail
Price: Free – Lite Version, $29.99 – Full Version, Customized – Professional
Mobile App? No
Kiwi for Gmail does a good job of integrating all your most-used Google apps into one place, making it simple to see your inbox, calendar, Google Docs, and your drive at a glance.
There’s a menu bar where you can click to launch different Google apps, which will all open in a separate window.
The useability here is great since it integrates well with your other Mac apps, so you can easily attach a file to an email from Finder, or integrate with other apps like Boomerang to schedule emails in advanced.
It’s important to keep in mind though that not all these versions are available on the free version, so you’ll likely need to upgrade to a premium plan to take advantage of all the functions.
8. Boxy suite for Gmail
Price: $29/year
Mobile App? No
Boxy Suite for Gmail was designed with Mac users in mind, so this is a great app if you’re looking for an email client for your Mac computer.
Not only that, but as its name implies, the app acts as a full suite for all your Google apps. You’ll find other useful tools here, like Boxy for Calendar, Boxy for Contacts, and more. This is great if you want an app that holds all your most important Google apps in one place.
One of the handiest features is the Boxy Dashboard, which gives you an overview of the status of all your apps on one page.
Cutting down on tabs and viewing all your apps on one page helps keep you efficient and organized. So, if you’re looking for an email tool to stay on top of everything, Boxy Suite is a great choice. Boxy Suite is a paid service, but you can get a free trial to try it out before committing.
9. Mailplane Gmail app for Mac
Price: Personal – $29.95, Family – $39.95
Mobile App? No
This app is a fully-functional companion to Gmail that gives you even more features than the online inbox itself. The app itself looks just like the Gmail inbox you’re used to, so you don’t need to learn a whole new system.
Mailplane is a desktop app, so you don’t need to open your web browser to launch Gmail. One of the great features here is that you can link more than one email, so you don’t need to sign in and out of different Gmail accounts to see your inbox.
You’ll also get an email notifier that displays popups in the corner of your screen when you get a new email, as well as an editor that allows you to add annotations and shapes to attached images.
If that’s not enough, Mailplane connects with plenty of other apps you might already be using, like Grammarly, Boomerang, and Simplify Gmail.
10. Wavebox for Mac
Price: Wavebox Basic – free, Wavebox pro – from $8.32/month on an annual plan
Mobile App? No
When you add your email into Wavebox, it will automatically import all your saved settings. So if you have existing folders, labels, or shortcuts, it will show up in the Wavebox desktop app as well.
Where Wavebox really shines is its many integrations. Aside from integrating all of Google’s apps. You can also add other productivity tools like Slack, Trello, and even your Outlook accounts.
You can even load a webpage from within the app, so if someone sends you a link. It opens seamlessly in the same window. This works great if you use a lot of communication apps. Even apps like Google Docs since Wavebox functions well as an all-encompassing work suite.
5 advantages of using Google apps for work
Not moreover to Google Apps for Work? 2021 is the year to make the change. Here are our top five reasons why (and you can thank us later)
1. No more backup nightmares
Google Apps for Work, previously known as Google Apps for Business, was designed from the beginning to be a cloud-based tool. This means you can get rid of all your server headaches, and your IT team can focus on what’s important. Google has long been one of the key players in cloud storage, so your corporate documents are being stored by a name you trust.
2. Google Apps for work syncs across all your online business tools
Google Apps syncs across your email, your Google Drive with your docs in, your calendar, and even with hangouts, for business calls and messaging, so you can get rid of all the other systems you were using and focus all your business efforts with one streamlined product.
3. Google Apps for work means you can work cooperatively
Because Google Apps for Work is cloud-based, your team can work simultaneously within a document, without sending each other multiple versions and corrections. This is a big advantage for all teams, but especially for teams working remotely, who can’t sit together to make changes.
4. There is no or just a minimal learning curve
Training your team to work within a new system can often be a real-time drain, but moving over to Google for Work means that you are using a system your team is already comfortable with. Most people already have a personal Gmail account, and understand how to use Google Drive, Calendar, and the available features.
5 . Customize, customize, customize
Google Apps for Work is a wonderful team solution, but it really comes into its own when you customize it with apps designed to fit the needs of your team. Start off by customizing your team email signature with WiseStamp’s signature management software.
What’s next?
While there are many more Gmail apps out there. It’s important to assess what your needs are in an email client for Mac. If you’re concerned about email security, then go for Canary Mail. If you love a sleek design, opt for Unibox. For a clean inbox and a clear mind, Spark is a great choice. And for an integrative work experience, Wavebox is the best tool.
Wisestamp offers customized email signatures that can be imported to virtually any Gmail app for Mac. Get started by creating your signature. Then you can add it to Gmail or any other Mac app that you use to send emails.
