I was looking for email apps that were explicitly designed to work well with the device they were on, take advantage of platform-specific features, and generally just be nice OS citizens. PCs have different interface and usability conventions than Macs an iPhone doesn't work the same as an Android phone-and dedicated email apps should respect all that. Here's what I wanted the best apps to be and do: This means that if you're going to the effort of setting up a dedicated email app for desktop or mobile-and maybe even paying for one-it had better get a few things right. Really, the web apps for most major email services are, believe it or not, not that bad (the Gmail web app, for example, works well even on mobile web browsers). This also means we aren't considering any web apps for this list. If you like what you see here but want more niche options, like the best email apps for security or customization, check out our platform-specific lists. Think of it as kind of an email all-stars list. This list is also focused on the best email apps for the four most popular platforms: Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. Some apps on this list, like Outlook and Gmail, are the name of both an email client and an email service, but what I was testing here was the app itself. For example, all of the email clients on this list will work with your aol.com email address (AOL is an email service). We're looking at the apps that run on your devices and enable you to check your email service. email apps), not the best email services. Let me start here: this is an article about the best email clients (a.k.a. Outlook for an alternative to Apple Mail for iOSĮdison Mail for a Gmail alternative for Android Windows Mail for the best free Windows email appĪpple Mail for the best free macOS email app I spent time with all the top email apps on every device, and here are my picks for the eight best desktop and mobile email apps for all the big platforms. A good app and a patient attitude are the only way through. I've tried nearly every purported fix, system, or solution available (you should see my Gmail labels), and I've long since concluded the best fix is to take a deep breath and accept that email will never be amazing.

I've spent more time tinkering with email than any person should. I've used email since 1995 (my dad set up the account for me because I was five years old), and I've worked fully remotely since 2012.

Best email app for mac