Love the idea of Superhuman but not the price? Four email apps with AI and speed, most for less.
Researched from official sources, updated today, 2 min readSuperhuman is a fast, AI-powered email app, but at $25 or more per member per month it is a big commitment. Here are four alternatives from our inventory that cover some or most of what it does, often for less. Prices were checked on November 1, 2026.
| Best for | Price | Platforms | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Superhuman | Keyboard speed and AI on Gmail or Outlook | Starter $25/member/month billed annually | iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, web, Chrome |
| Shortwave | AI that automates inbox work | Business $30/month; 14-day trial | iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, web |
| Spark Mail | A free smart inbox with AI | Free; Plus $10/month | iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, web |
| Canary Mail | Cheap AI plus encryption | Free; Growth $36/year | iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, web, Chrome |
| Mimestream | A native Mac app for Gmail | $49.99/year | Mac |
Superhuman Mail works with Gmail and Outlook and adds AI writing, summaries and search, reminders, read receipts, follow-up tracking and team comments. It is keyboard-first. Plans are $25 (Starter) or $33 (Business) per member per month billed annually.
Shortwave is an AI agent app for business communication that started with email. It can organize, schedule, write, search, summarize and automate inbox work, and it connects to Slack, Calendar, Notion, Asana and HubSpot. It is not cheaper: Business is $30 a month, with Premier and Max tiers above that. But it goes further on AI.
Pick it if AI is the reason you looked at Superhuman.
Spark is a cross-platform client with a Smart Inbox and an AI assistant for writing, translation and summaries. The free plan is a real option, and Plus is $10 per user per month.
Pick it if you want a smarter inbox for a fraction of the price.
Canary is an AI-assisted email client with a unified inbox, read receipts, scheduling, inbox cleaning and calendar features. It also offers PGP and SecureSend encryption. There is a free plan; Growth is $36 a year and Pro+ is $100 a year, with lifetime purchase options and no monthly billing.
Pick it if you want read receipts and AI help on a tight budget.
Mimestream is a native macOS client for Gmail, built on the Gmail API. It costs $49.99 a year after a 14-day trial and needs macOS 12 or newer. It does not list AI features, so it is more about a fast, native feel.
Pick it if you are a Gmail user on a Mac and mostly want a better app.
For the closest match at a much lower price, try Spark or Canary first; both have free plans with AI features. If you want even more AI than Superhuman offers, Shortwave is the step up. Mac-only Gmail users who just want speed and polish should look at Mimestream.