The stock email app on the iPhone gets the job done, but it lacks the customization and smart features you need to properly organize your inbox. Whether you want an app with smart organization features or robust security, there are many options to choose from. This list rounds up the seven best email apps for iPhone that will transform the way you connect with others over email.
Good to know: are you looking to avoid your inbox filling up with junk mail? Try a throwaway email provider, which keeps the junk far away from your regular email address.
1. Spark
Price: free / starting at $7.99 monthly
Spark is one of the best email apps for iPhone if you want fast, intelligent messaging. With Spark, your emails are organized automatically using filters like newsletters and notifications, and messages from specific people.
You can finally say goodbye to endless scrolling. Spark prioritizes what’s important so that you only see email that needs your attention. It even bundles similar messages together into digests so that you can archive or delete them all at once.
Spark uses smart inbox rules to categorize and filter your email. Want to focus on messages from your coworkers or family members? Just tap on the filter for those senders, and the rest disappear. Other than that, you can create email templates just as you would in Gmail.
Pros
- Smart notifications allow you to customize alerts
- Works with almost any email service
- Smart search lets you find specific messages in email threads
- Syncs across multiple devices
Cons
- The monthly subscription is a bit expensive
- The archive feature can be a bit buggy
2. Airmail
Price: free / starting at $4.99/monthly
Airmail is one of the most customizable email apps for iPhone. With Airmail, you can personalize everything from the app icon and notification sounds to conversation view layouts and swipe actions.
Want to quickly filter to only see email from certain senders? Airmail lets you create smart folders to automatically organize your inbox. You can set up custom filters to label, star, or move messages based on sender or subject. Also, schedule and unsend emails with ease.
With built-in contacts, calendars, notes, and reminders, Airmail aims to be your all-in-one productivity suite. It seamlessly syncs across all your devices so that you can start an email on your iPhone and finish it on your iPad or Mac.
Pros
- Integrates with third-party apps, like Dropbox and Trello
- Features a built-in to-do list
- Works with Apple Watch
- Spotlight search for documents and messages
Cons
- Some of the best features are locked behind the subscription
- Features may be too much for some people
3. Canary Mail
Price: free / starting at $2.99/monthly
Canary Mail is an AI-powered email app that helps keep your inbox clean and organized. It has a sleek interface with colorful folders and labels that help you instantly categorize all of your messages. It uses AI to intelligently sort through all your messages and label them based on sender, subject, date, and more.
The app can also detect events, travel plans, and package deliveries to create custom folders for them. Canary Mail’s AI will scan new messages and suggest unsubscribing from senders you don’t engage with. This helps cut down on annoying spam and clutter in your inbox.
The app has gorgeous pre-made themes as well as the option to create your own theme to perfectly match your style. You even get some ChatGPT-powered writing assistance when you compose a new message.
Pros
- End-to-end encryption
- Customizable keyboard shortcuts
- Supports multiple email services
- Offers read receipts
Cons
- Occasional AI bugs when writing new emails
- No Windows version
4. Spike
Price: free / starting at $7.99/monthly
Spike is an all-in-one email, calendar, and contacts app that helps you manage everything in one place. Its smart inbox automatically organizes your messages by date, sender, or thread, allowing you to breeze through emails quickly.
The killer feature is the interface that makes email work like chatting. In terms of appearance, it is very similar to iMessage and other messaging apps on Android and iPhone. It also features team chat, video/audio meetings, collaborative documents, and AI tools, such as pre-written responses.
It’s also an excellent app for small businesses, as it allows you to connect with anyone inside or outside your organization and start collaborating with ease. The chat-like interface makes communication more friendly, removing the cold feeling you often get from a corporate email.
Pros
- Customizable themes
- Quick filters allow for easy organization
- Supports multiple email services
- Lets you add GIFs, emojis, and voice messages
Cons
- Tends to drain battery life quicker than other email apps
- Lacks keyboard shortcuts
FYI: do you sometimes regret what you wrote immediately after you sent an email? Some of these apps can help you unsend an email. If not, learn how to unsend an email in Gmail.
5. Proton Mail
Price: free / starting at $79.99/yearly
Proton Mail is a free encrypted email service that keeps your messages private. With Proton Mail, your emails are automatically encrypted, so only you and the recipient can read them. No one else, not even the developers themselves, can access your messages.
The interface is pretty simple and easy to use. There’s not much in the way of features, but you do get a couple of swipe gestures that make it easier to navigate through multiple menus. It does feature useful organization tools, like labels and folders, but that’s typical of most email apps.
The only real thing setting it apart from others is the encryption. Even your contacts and calendars are inaccessible to third parties. If you understand the importance of email encryption and often receive email with confidential information, this is the app you need.
Pros
- Self-destructing emails that are deleted after a certain time
- Two-factor authentication and other security features
- Supports custom domains for a Proton email address
- Protected by strict Swiss privacy laws
Cons
- Not much in the way of features apart from security
6. Microsoft Outlook
Price: free / starting at $6.99/monthly
Outlook is a powerful email client powered by Microsoft. If you already use any Microsoft product, such as Word, PowerPoint, or Excel, using Outlook is a no-brainer. As long as you have an Office 365 subscription, you get access to all the Microsoft tools that seamlessly integrate with each other.
The best part is that the app lets you manage multiple email accounts from one Microsoft account. You can organize all of those emails with multiple folders, such as VIP, Newsletters, and Travel. The app also allows you to add, remove, and edit Word or PowerPoint files when you’re writing an email. It even lets you turn emails into tasks.
While the interface could use some polish, Outlook offers enough features and integration with Office 365 that it’s easy to recommend. You also get premium benefits, such as 1TB of OneDrive storage.
Pros
- Seamlessly integrates with all Microsoft services and tools
- Features built-in calendar
- Manages multiple email accounts and aliases
- Powerful organization and productivity features
Cons
- Cluttered user interface
- Issues with bugs and crashes on older iPhones
7. Edison Mail
Price: free / starting at $14.99/monthly
Edison Mail is one of the most popular email apps on iOS – and for good reason. It looks just like the stock email app but has a lot of advanced features hidden beneath the surface. For those who want a clean and familiar-looking interface, this is the way to go.
It automatically organizes your messages into useful categories, like Promotions, Updates, and Forums. If you get many receipts, shipping notifications, or travel itineraries via email, you’ll love Edison Mail’s package-tracking feature. Just forward any tracking email to Edison, and it will automatically monitor the shipment’s progress, notifying you of any updates or delays.
It also features a separate section for all your subscription email. This lets you easily view, manage, and delete any annoying email subscriptions to newsletters and the like. The only major downside with this app is that the organization assistant feature does not work outside of the USA.
Pros
- Infinitely more customizable than the stock iOS app
- The package-tracking feature works with almost any delivery service
- Organization Assistant is very customizable
Cons
- Lacks keyboard shortcuts
- No support for S/MIME messages
- Some features don’t work in certain regions
These email apps should get you well on your way if you’re looking to stray from the iOS Mail app. But if you’re looking for even more than what these apps offer, check out our reviews on SaneBox and eM Client. They’ll help you manage your email in ways you never imagined.
Image credit: Unsplash. All screenshots by Hashir Ibrahim.
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