What is the best email client for Mac?

Mimestream is the best email client for Gmail users on Mac, using Gmail's native API for faster performance. Spark is best for teams sharing inboxes. For most users with mixed email accounts, Apple Mail in macOS Sequoia is a strong free default.

Is Apple Mail good in 2025?

Yes, Apple Mail improved significantly in macOS Sequoia with AI email summaries, smart categories, and better search. For most Mac users, it's good enough that switching to a third-party client isn't necessary unless you have specific workflow requirements.

Best Email Clients for Mac in 2025 — Beyond the Default Mail App

⚡ TL;DR: The best email clients for Mac in 2025 are Mimestream (Gmail users), Spark (teams and AI features), Airmail 5 (power users), and Apple Mail (everyone else). Apple Mail improved enough in 2024 that most users don’t need to switch.

Apple Mail has improved significantly over the past two years — AI-powered summaries, smart inbox categories, and better search make it a legitimate option. But several third-party clients offer features that still make switching worthwhile for specific workflows.

Best for Gmail Users: Mimestream — $25/year

Mimestream is built specifically for Gmail and uses Gmail’s native API rather than IMAP — meaning it’s significantly faster, supports all Gmail labels properly, and handles Gmail’s quirks (like muting, starring, and snoozing) better than any other Mac email client. If you live in Gmail, this is the best Mac experience for it.

Best for Teams: Spark — Free / $5 per month

Spark’s team features are its differentiator — shared email drafts, team discussion threads on emails, and collaborative inbox management make it genuinely different from single-user email apps. The AI-powered “Gatekeeper” feature blocks unknown senders from your inbox until approved, dramatically reducing spam. Strong choice for small teams sharing inboxes.

Best for Power Users: Airmail 5 — $3/month

Airmail has the most integrations of any Mac email client — Notion, Things, Todoist, OmniFocus, Slack, and dozens more. If your email workflow involves a lot of converting emails to tasks or forwarding to other apps, Airmail’s integration depth is unmatched. It also supports every email provider.

Best for Privacy: Proton Mail — Free / €3.99/month

If end-to-end encryption and privacy are priorities, Proton Mail’s desktop bridge (included with paid plans) lets you use any email client with your Proton account. Proton’s web app and iOS app are polished. The Bridge app for Mac lets you use encrypted Proton email in Apple Mail or Thunderbird.

Best Free Default: Apple Mail

Apple Mail in macOS Sequoia has AI email summaries (useful for long threads), smart reply suggestions, better category organisation, and significantly improved search. For most Mac users with a mix of Gmail, iCloud, and other accounts, Apple Mail’s multi-account handling and deep system integration make it the right default. It’s genuinely good now.

🎯 Decision guide: Gmail-only workflow → Mimestream. Shared team inbox → Spark. Deep app integrations → Airmail. Privacy-first → Proton Mail. Everything else → Apple Mail (it’s good enough and free).