Apple Mail is a free, native email application that ships with every Mac, making it a solid default choice for most Mac users, especially those using iCloud only. Despite steady developments from the Apple stable, its email client hasn’t had a major design upgrade in years; it’s the same old-school design.

Although it’s a good, full-featured and trouble-`

The same can be said for Mail Pilot (; Mac App Store link), a $20 email client built loosely around the Getting Things Done approach to productivity. It looks terrific, but for all its good.

free app, it may lose out to third-party alternatives for Mac because it doesn’t do anything further to help you rethink email.

If you are looking to switch to a better email client, here are the best free and paid Apple Mail alternatives for Mac users.

Related: 7 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do with Your Email Inbox

1. Spark

Spark is a free and impressive desktop email client for Mac that not only allows you to organize inboxes automatically, but also postpone emails and send one-click replies to your contacts.

Its Smart Inbox sorting feature uses buckets like Personal, Newsletters, and Notifications to bubble important messages at the top.

You can also schedule your emails like you would in Gmail at select times such as later today, in the evening, tomorrow, and more. Similarly, if you sent an email and didn’t receive a response for it, Spark nudges you with follow-up reminders just so you don’t forget.

The built-in Calendar tool comes in handy to help you organize your life.

For organizations, Spark for Teams is available as a collaborative email platform with unique features like collaborative composing and private commenting in small chat boxes. You can also invite teammates to collaborate and proofread your emails like in Google Sheets or Docs.

It also supports Yahoo, Google, iCloud, Outlook, Exchange, and IMAP accounts.

Why we like it

• Simple, clean, and modern interface
• Smart inbox is useful for organizing emails
• Supports multiple email accounts

What we don’t like

• Lacks support for many services
• Privacy policy is wanting
• Tech support may be slow

2. Mozilla Thunderbird

Thunderbird is a full-featured, open-source email client substitute for Apple Mail.

Besides letting you handle mail efficiently and filtering away spam or junk mail, Thunderbird is secure and functional, though it seems to be getting old. The application does get security updates, but other than that, it’s no longer in active development.

However, its email management service is secure, being a Mozilla project, but you may not get fancy features like those in other email client apps on this list. Either way, its still a simple, non-cluttered way of managing your email.

If all you want is a free email client to use with your Mac, Thunderbird is a good alternative. You may miss out on some cool features, but will still save on cost.

Thunderbird is highly extensible and has the feel of the classic Outlook with useful features like sending large attachments through cloud storage, tabbed email, and the ability to change its look and feel.

Why we like it

• Simple
• Open source
• Secure
• Easy configuration
• Flexible filtering
• Plenty of plugins available

What we don’t like

• No unified interface
• Not user friendly
• Rudimentary design
• Lacks modern email features
• Lacks in constant improvement and development

3. CloudMagic (Newton)

CloudMagic is a free app you can use with Mac, though it came on the platform after a successful go on Android and iOS platforms.

It’s simple, fast, and has a transparent, clutter-free interface, which is actually good if you have a consistent stream of emails from multiple accounts every day.

It supports Yahoo, Google Apps, iCloud, Gmail, Exchange and IMAP accounts, and you can get it from the Mac App Store.

Why we like it

• Free
• Supports multiple accounts
• Simple
• Fast
• Clutter-free

What we don’t like

• Lacks many modern email management features

Related: Eight Alternatives to Mailbox Email App on iOS

4. AirMail

AirMail is a paid app that isn’t just pretty to look at but is also “lightning-fast” and doesn’t bog you down with lots of features.

Unlike Apple Mail, this app has Split Screen support for OS X El Capitan and the ability to compose in HTML or Markdown.

You can also organize your tasks into To-Do, which require action or follow-up, Memo, which are for a later date, or Done, which are marked as completed. Like Gmail, you can also Snooze your emails and view them later.

AirMail is available for about $10 in Mac App Store and supports iCloud, Yahoo, Google, Outlook, IMAP, AOL, POP, and Exchange. It also integrates with third-party apps like Google Drive, Dropbox, Things, OmniFocus and more.

Why we like it

• Easy email management
• Intuitive interface
• Customizable
• Integrates with third-party apps

What we don’t like

• Lacks smart inbox feature

Free Email Client For Mac

5. Postbox

Postbox offers robust tools for more efficient email management and looks a lot better than Apple Mail.

Postbox lets you group your emails by topic, which is great with multiple email accounts. You can also divide your tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks for better organization.

Features like the pre-made responses make for easier and faster communication, though it lacks essential features like Send Later and Snooze.

The most unique feature is the Account Groups, which lets you combine your accounts into a unified box and separates or blends your work in an organized manner. There’s also a Focus Pane from which you can filter emails quickly to find what you want.

A nifty time tracker, which shows the length of time you took composing emails, and word count is included. And when you’re ready to hit send, domain fencing checks that you send emails to the appropriate recipients.

Postbox has a 30-day free trial and supports most popular email service providers and protocols like SMTP, POP3 and IMAP.

Why we like it

• Regular and consistent updates from developers
• Feature-rich
• Free trial available
• 60-day money back guarantee
• Integrated account management
• Simple interface

What we don’t like

Best Mail Client For Mac 2018

• Pricey compared to other alternatives
• Interface may be cluttered
• Navigation is wanting

Best Mail Client For Mac 2017

Wrapping Up

If you’re content and satisfied with Apple Mail, you can continue using it. However, if you want more from an email client, something more reliable, stable, and modern, then consider one of these five alternatives.

Mail Client For Mac Os X

Do you use a third-party email client for Mac? Tell us about it in a comment below.