Delegate your day.
Email apps for Gmail, compared
Use the Gmail app if mail is all you need. Use Otto if you also want a calendar and tasks and an assistant that asks before it acts, on the same Gmail address.
You just approve.
The short version
- Any app below opens your existing Gmail account. Your address and your mail stay with Google.
- Otto adds a calendar and tasks, and an assistant that waits for approval. Spark is a free multi-account client, Mimestream is a Mac client for Gmail, and Shortwave is AI-first and Gmail only.
- Otto Free covers one account with core mail and a calendar and tasks. Plus is $6.99 a month and Pro is $19.99.
- Last reviewed 2 November 2026. Plans change, so check each page before paying.
The short answer
For plain Gmail, the Gmail app is enough. If you want your calendar, a task list and an AI assistant next to your mail, Otto is built for that and keeps your Gmail address. Want a free client that handles lots of accounts? Try Spark. On a Mac and happy to pay for a native Gmail client? Look at Mimestream. Switching apps never moves your mail, so you can try one and go back if it's not for you.
At a glance
| App | Works with | Platforms | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail | Gmail, plus other providers in the app | Google's own app | Staying with Google's app |
| Otto | Gmail and Outlook | Web and iPhone | Mail, calendar, tasks and an assistant that asks first |
| Spark | Google, Outlook, Exchange, iCloud, Yahoo, IMAP | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android | Many accounts on a free plan |
| Shortwave | Gmail and Google Workspace only | iOS, Android, Mac, Windows | An AI agent in a Gmail-only client |
| Mimestream | Gmail and Google accounts | Mac | A native Mac feel, 14-day free trial |
| Apple Mail | iCloud, Google, Exchange, Yahoo and more | iPhone and Mac | A simple app for several accounts |
What to check before you choose
Start with which accounts the app opens. Shortwave's provider guide says it works only with Gmail and Google Workspace. Otto opens Gmail and Outlook, and Spark opens more kinds than that.
Then where it runs. Otto is on the web and on iPhone, and there's no native Mac or Windows app.
Ask what the assistant does when it doesn't ask you first. Otto shows a review card for ordinary sends and deletes, and for bulk changes.
Check where your calendar and tasks end up, too. That's easy to forget. Otto reads your Google Calendar and syncs tasks both ways with Google Tasks, so nothing's stranded in a new app.
And look at what it costs once the trial ends. That's where free plans differ most in what they include.
Why add Otto to Gmail
Otto sits on top of your Gmail account and isn't a new mailbox. You'll read and reply as you would in any client, and you can ask it to do more. It drafts a reply from the thread, proposes a meeting on your Google Calendar with the attendees and time zone showing, and captures a follow-up as a task. Each one comes back as a card for you to approve, and sends and deletes wait for you, as do bulk changes.
Gmail pushes new mail to Otto, so it appears as it arrives. The keyboard layer is there if you want it: J and K to move, and single keys to archive or star or reply.
What it costs
Free covers one connected account with core mail, calendar and tasks, plus an AI allowance. Paid tiers add more accounts and capacity, plus extra features. The competitor prices below come from each vendor's own pricing page, which we read in October 2026.
| Product | Lowest paid plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otto | Plus | from $6.99/month | Pro $19.99/month; $55.99/year for Plus |
| Spark | Plus | from $10/month | per seat, $8.25/month billed yearly |
| Shortwave | Business | from $30/month | per seat |
Gmail and Apple Mail aren't in the table, and neither is Mimestream. Mimestream lists a 14-day free trial and its own price on its pricing page.
Where Otto fits, and where it doesn't
Otto fits if you're on Gmail, want a calendar and tasks beside it, and want to approve what an assistant does. It also fits if you read an Outlook address too.
It doesn't fit if you want a native Mac or Windows app, or iCloud or Yahoo or IMAP accounts, which it doesn't connect. And it won't give you a new address. Leaving Google's mail service altogether is a provider change, and Gmail alternatives covers that.
Read more
- Gmail alternatives and the roundup of Gmail alternatives
- Otto vs Gmail with Gemini
- Otto vs Spark and Spark alternatives
- Otto vs Shortwave
- How the day fits together: email with calendar and tasks
- Plans are on the pricing page
How we checked this
Last reviewed 2 November 2026. Sources: Spark's pricing page and home page, Shortwave's home page and provider guide, Mimestream's home page and pricing page, Google's Gmail page and account guide, and Apple's account guide. Otto is ours, so weigh what we say about it with that in mind. Nobody paid for a place here.
Questions, answered
Which email app should I use with Gmail?
The Gmail app, if mail's all you need. Otto if you also want a calendar and tasks and an assistant that waits for your approval. Spark for many accounts on a free plan, Mimestream for a native Mac client, Shortwave for an AI-first Gmail-only client.
Will I lose my Gmail address or mail if I switch apps?
No. These apps open your existing Gmail account. Your address and mail stay with Google, and you can go back to the Gmail app at any time.
Is there a free email app for Gmail with calendar and tasks?
Yes. Otto Free covers one connected account with core mail and a calendar and tasks, plus an AI allowance. Spark's Free plan lists a calendar and unlimited accounts. The limits differ, and we'd check each plan before you pick.
Try your next step in Otto
Core mail, calendar and tasks are free. AI has an allowance.
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