The Ultimate Compilation of Top Gmail Apps for Mac You Can't Miss

Boxy Suite 2

Boxy Suite 2 is a comprehensive wrapper for macOS that fully integrates the Google Suite. It offers the convenience of using Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Keep, and Google Contacts on your Mac as if they were built-in applications. Each service is presented in its own separate window, enabling you to keep them easily accessible in your dock, place them on additional monitors, and receive email alerts that seamlessly blend with your other Mac notifications.

With Boxy Suite 2, using Gmail feels like using the web app, but with an interface that closely mimics a native application. You can effortlessly manage multiple accounts, swiftly switch between them, personalize your theme, take advantage of macOS's sharing functionality to seamlessly transfer tasks to other apps, and utilize Gmail's existing keyboard shortcuts (or even add your own) for easy navigation.

In addition, there is a robust Quick Launcher that functions similarly to Spotlight on Mac. With this feature, you can easily navigate to different inboxes and switch between accounts by simply typing. Furthermore, Boxy includes useful features such as tracking detection, which notifies you if an email is trying to track you (although it does not block trackers). Boxy also offers a "reader mode" for email, reminiscent of Reader on Safari, making it ideal for reading lengthy newsletters.

Mimestream

Experience the Boxy Suite 2 free trial for 14 days without any cost, although it is necessary to provide your payment details to initiate this trial. After the trial period expires, you will be billed $39 for an entire year.

Mimestream offers the ultimate Gmail application experience on your Mac. Utilizing the Gmail API, it provides a seamless and highly responsive Gmail experience that is specifically tailored for Gmail users. Currently, only Google email addresses are supported, but future updates will include support for Microsoft 365 and Outlook, as well as IMAP and JMAP email accounts.

This app fully supports all the essential Gmail features, including inbox categories, email labeling, filters, Google profile photos, Calendar integration (with the option to respond to invitations directly within the app), undo Send, and the ability to send emails using any of your configured Gmail aliases.

Mimestream allows you to easily add and switch between multiple accounts. Additionally, you can use the unified inbox view to conveniently access all your mail in one place. The app provides labels to help you identify the source of each email. It also offers features like configuring out-of-office or vacation auto-responses, snoozing messages for later, and markdown formatting and code block support. Watch the video.

As a native app, Mimestream provides seamless Mac integrations such as notifications (including a customizable working hours notification schedule), support for Focus Filters, convenient keyboard shortcuts, efficient inbox navigation with swipes, compatibility with macOS dark mode, Preview's markup features, and optimized performance on native Apple Silicon devices.

Not only does Mimestream offer a visually appealing experience on your Mac desktop, but it also enhances security by blocking trackers from certain services. Experience Mimestream with a free 14-day trial (no payment details required), and thereafter, enjoy the individual plan for $49.99 per year, which allows you to use Mimestream on up to 5 devices and multiple Gmail accounts.

Kiwi for Gmail

The development of Kiwi for Gmail revolutionized the concept of accessing Gmail on a desktop by introducing a dedicated and independent app for this purpose. This innovative app not only provides seamless access to Gmail but also offers extensive support for the entire Google Suite of applications. Additionally, it simplifies account management by allowing users to effortlessly handle multiple accounts, including personal, work, school, and other accounts.

Kiwi enhances the functionality of Gmail and other Google apps by allowing multiple windows. This includes the convenient feature of composing emails in new windows, with a clear account label displayed in the title bar. Kiwi for Gmail offers three pricing tiers, with the more advanced features only available in the higher-priced plans.

One such feature is the Focus Filtered Inbox, which provides a Today View displaying all emails received on that day. Users have the option to customize it to display emails from the past two days or even more. Additionally, incoming messages can be further filtered based on Gmail's importance rating, presence of attachments, and more. However, this feature is only accessible in the "Premium" tier and above.

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All Kiwi for Gmail tiers offer native macOS notification support. However, if you upgrade to Premium or a higher tier, you have the option to restrict these notifications to only "Important" emails, as determined by Gmail. Premium users also have access to a menu bar widget that displays their unread email count at a glance. Additionally, there is a convenient "do not disturb" toggle feature that allows you to silence your inbox for the remainder of the day.

Thankfully, users have seamless integration with Google's other apps, such as the convenient one-click launch for Docs or Sheets. Additionally, there is a feature that allows for easy retrieval of recently closed documents from the "File" menu at the top of the screen. Moreover, users can work on their documents in separate windows.

Although Kiwi for Gmail does not offer a free option or a free trial, the "Standard" plan is affordably priced at $2.75 per month or $30 per year, making it a cost-effective option to give it a try.

Outlook

Although not exclusively designed for Gmail, Microsoft Outlook is a robust email application that seamlessly integrates with Google's email service. It supports essential Gmail features such as labels and also syncs with your Google Contacts and Calendar. This makes it a viable choice for individuals who utilize Gmail in conjunction with other email providers like Microsoft, Yahoo, or older IMAP and POP inboxes.

On top of the fundamental features offered by Gmail (such as labels that function like folders and auto-complete for email addresses pulled from your Google Contacts), there is a range of robust Outlook features available. These include access to Microsoft's "Add-ins" database, which allows you to enhance the functionality of Outlook. Additionally, there is Microsoft's Focused Inbox sorting feature, which automatically organizes your inbox based on priority, making your most important messages easily noticeable.

To streamline your incoming mail, automate the organization process, and convert emails into appointments or meetings, you can establish rules. Additionally, you can make use of features such as the "My Day" view to better understand your schedule. By utilizing Outlook, you can bring together various email addresses and take advantage of the additional tools it offers to ensure everything works seamlessly.

An advantageous aspect of Outlook is that you can access it for free by simply downloading the app from the Mac App Store. The free version of Outlook is supported by advertisements, which are clearly labeled with an "Ad" tag and resemble regular email messages.

You can subscribe to Microsoft 365 Basic for only $1.99 per month to get rid of the adverts and add 100GB of OneDrive storage.

Airmail

Airmail is an excellent option for Gmail users who need to manage multiple email accounts such as iCloud or POP/IMAP. It is not solely designed for Gmail, but it does support basic Gmail features. This includes the ability to sync your Gmail labels with folders in Airmail and adjust Gmail categories like Promotions and Socials in the app's settings.

While Airmail may require some time for setup and is not specifically tailored to Google's email service, there are compelling reasons to choose it. The app offers one of the most customizable email experiences available across any platform, with robust workflows that enable automation of various actions.

To streamline your email organization process, you can establish customized rules. For instance, you have the option to automatically transfer attachments from designated senders into a designated folder within the cloud storage platform of your preference. Enhance this efficiency by archiving the email, ensuring it bypasses your inbox. As a result, important documents such as bank statements or monthly invoices can now effortlessly organize themselves, requiring only occasional monitoring.

Airmail offers a robust notification system, allowing users to personalize the controls displayed in incoming mail alerts. Users can select different sounds for different inboxes, group or ungroup notifications for easier organization, and reduce clutter. Additionally, Airmail supports AppleScript, enabling power users to enhance automation and sorting capabilities.

Furthermore, Airmail provides the flexibility to customize colors and themes, modify swipe actions when browsing the inbox, incorporate plugins for mail encryption, and even access Gmail offline. Airmail can be downloaded for free on Mac, iPhone, and iPad, with a range of features available at no cost.

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Twobird

Airmail Pro is available at a price of $9.99 and offers a complimentary trial period. Alternatively, you have the option to subscribe for $29.99 per year. By subscribing to Airmail Pro, you gain complete access to a comprehensive range of features on both desktop and mobile platforms.

Twobird is a versatile application that seamlessly syncs with Gmail, although it is not exclusive to Google. Currently, it supports both Google and Microsoft accounts, with plans to expand to other account types in future updates. Twobird integrates smoothly with Gmail labels, utilizes email address autocompletion from Google Contacts, and seamlessly blends with Google Calendar.

The app's distinct feature is its intention to transform your inbox into a comprehensive to-do list. While this concept is not entirely novel, Twobird emphasizes it, making it appealing to users who strive for inbox zero. With Twobird, emails are organized into your Inbox, which effectively serves as a list of pending tasks, and your Low Priority folder.

Email is like a to-do list. You have the option to either read (and dismiss) or archive a message to mark it as complete. If you want, Twobird can remind you about the message later, bringing it back to your attention at a more suitable time. To help Twobird improve its organization of your mail, you can also transfer messages between your main Inbox and the Low Priority inbox.

Twobird functions both as a note-taking app and a calendar app, conveniently displaying notes and appointments in your inbox alongside your emails. This integration provides a unified interface for all your tasks. While this approach may not resonate with everyone, the app offers a useful search filter for easy retrieval of information. Additionally, it allows users to mute threads, mark them as spam, and apply labels for efficient organization.

Apart from these features, there is also an "Unsubscribe" section that enables quick removal from mailing lists with just a few clicks. However, the app does not have extensive rule settings and is perhaps more proficient in consuming and converting emails into actionable to-do lists rather than composing them.

Miss Google Inbox? Try Shortwave

At present, Twobird can be used entirely free of charge. While developers are considering the introduction of premium plans in the future, they assure users that they will always have access to a free version of the app.

Remember Google Inbox, the alternative Gmail management system? Despite Google's promise to incorporate popular aspects of Inbox into Gmail, the beloved user interface ultimately disappeared.

Enter Shortwave. Developed by former Google engineers, Shortwave mirrors many of the successful features of Google Inbox. This includes the interface, the intelligent "Sweep" function for archiving messages, and AI summaries. Shortwave offers a free version with limited features and follows a payment model similar to apps like Slack. Users can access 90 days of searchable email history, with the option to unlock additional features for $9 per month.

Create Web Apps in macOS Sonoma

Currently in development, macOS Sonoma is set to be released in a few months. Apple has made an exciting promise of a forthcoming "Add to Dock" web app feature, which will treat websites as if they were native apps. This innovative feature brings numerous advantages, such as receiving separate notifications and utilizing a simplified navigation bar. As a result, you will have the ability to add Gmail to your macOS dock, allowing you to use it as a standalone application.

Find out what other features are arriving in macOS 14 Sonoma and whether your Mac can run it.