Best Superhuman alternatives in 2026
Written by Niels Segers, last updated October 16, 2026, prices checked October 14, 2026
Superhuman is fast and polished, but it has no free plan. Its Starter plan costs $30/month, or $25/month billed annually, and custom AI labels need Business at $40/month. That’s a lot to pay for an email client, especially if you mainly want a calmer inbox.
So we compared five Superhuman alternatives that work with Gmail, and checked every plan and price on the vendor’s own pages.
How we reviewed these alternatives
We looked at each alternative across the things people pay Superhuman for:
- •A focused inbox: Can you split your mail into sections, like Superhuman’s Split Inbox?
- •Speed: Can you move through your mail from the keyboard?
- •AI: What AI help do you get, and on which plan?
- •Price: What does the free plan include, and what does the first paid plan cost?
No single alternative wins at everything, so we’ll be upfront about where each one shines and where it falls short.
TLDR? Here are our top picks for Superhuman alternatives:
- 1.Mejl, the Gmail client at mejl.cc. Focused views with their own unread counts, free to use, with optional AI.
- 2.Shortwave: AI search and an AI assistant built on top of Gmail.
- 3.Spark: Native desktop and phone apps with a Smart Inbox and a unified inbox.
- 4.Canary Mail: An AI email app with one low yearly price for every device.
- 5.Gmail: Gmail’s own app, with keyboard shortcuts you turn on in settings.
All Superhuman alternatives at a quick glance:
| Alternative | Best for | Focused inbox | AI | Free plan | Paid plans from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mejl | A focused Gmail inbox for a fraction of the price | Your own views, each with an unread count | Sorting for 10 emails a day; Plus adds summaries and writing tools | Yes, the whole client | $4.99/month for Mejl Plus |
| Shortwave | Superhuman-style AI on Gmail for less | Splits and bundles | AI assistant and search, limited on Free | Yes, with 90 days of search | $14/month billed yearly, or $18/month |
| Spark | Several accounts in native apps | Smart Inbox and a unified inbox | Limited preview on Free; full assistant on Plus | Yes, with unlimited accounts | $99/year, or $10/month |
| Canary Mail | Low-cost AI on every device | Unified inbox with AI prioritization | Inbox prioritization; copilot on paid plans | Yes, on up to 2 devices | $36/year, billed yearly only |
| Gmail | Staying in Gmail with nothing new to install | Five fixed categories | Free thread summaries; more with a Google AI plan | Yes, with 15 GB of storage | $1.99/month for more storage |
1. Mejl
Mejl is the Gmail client we build at mejl.cc. It’s a separate app that connects to your Gmail account, not an extension that runs inside Gmail. It works on the web, iOS, and Android, and opens the mail already in Gmail, so there’s nothing to import.
Inbox, speed, and AI
Each focused view is a Gmail label with its own unread count, so you can read one kind of mail at a time and clear it, much like a Superhuman split. Gmail filter rules sort new mail by sender, subject, or phrase, and sorting by description uses AI for everything else. On the web, a command menu and keyboard shortcuts let you work without the mouse.
Mejl pricing
| Free plan | Paid plans from |
|---|---|
| Yes, the whole client | $4.99/month for Mejl Plus |
The free plan is the whole Gmail client, with no time limit and no credit card. It includes focused views, unlimited Gmail filter rules, and AI sorting by description for 10 emails a day. Mejl Plus costs $4.99/month or $44.99/year. It removes the daily sorting limit and adds thread summaries, writing tools, and reply suggestions.
Where it falls short
Mejl works with Gmail and Google Workspace only, so it doesn’t replace Superhuman for an Outlook account. It has no AI assistant you can ask about your mail, and no team features such as shared threads. If you use several Google accounts, you switch between them, because there’s no combined inbox.
2. Shortwave
Shortwave is a Gmail client built around AI. It connects natively to Gmail and Google Workspace, and lets you ask an AI assistant about your mail.
Inbox, speed, and AI
Splits turn Gmail labels into inbox tabs, bundles group threads into a single inbox item, and delivery schedules control when a label’s mail arrives. Keyboard users get a command palette and a full shortcut reference. Free users get instant AI replies and summaries, AI-powered snooze, and todos.
Shortwave pricing
| Free plan | Paid plans from |
|---|---|
| Yes, with 90 days of search | $14/month billed yearly, or $18/month |
Shortwave’s free plan limits search to the last 90 days and adds a “Sent with Shortwave” signature to your mail. AI runs on a basic model with a limited usage quota. Pro costs $18/month, or $14/month billed yearly, and adds unlimited search history and a larger AI allowance. Business plans start at $30 per seat a month.
Where it falls short
On the free plan, splits and bundles are basic only, and AI inbox organization and AI filters need a paid plan. Every email you send on Free carries Shortwave’s signature. Other providers only work if you connect them to Gmail first.
3. Spark
Spark from Readdle is an email app for macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android. It handles Gmail next to other providers, so it also works for people who use Superhuman with Outlook.
Inbox, speed, and AI
Spark’s Smart Inbox separates priority mail from the rest, and every account shares one unified inbox. Its Command Center lists actions with their keyboard shortcuts. Snooze, set aside, send later, and reminders are all free.
Spark pricing
| Free plan | Paid plans from |
|---|---|
| Yes, with unlimited accounts | $99/year, or $10/month |
Spark’s free plan includes unlimited email accounts and a unified inbox. Its AI assistant is a limited preview that only sees one month of email history. Spark Plus costs $10/month or $99/year and adds the full AI assistant, AI drafting, and summaries. Pro costs $20/month or $199/year.
Where it falls short
Spark can’t apply Gmail labels automatically, so you can’t build your own split inboxes the way you can in Superhuman. The full AI assistant needs Spark Plus.
4. Canary Mail
Canary Mail is an email app with an AI copilot for macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android. One license covers all your devices.
Inbox, speed, and AI
Canary’s free plan includes AI inbox prioritization, and its paid plans add an AI copilot, writing help, and summaries. It supports Gmail labels and snooze, and its unified inbox puts every account in one place.
Canary Mail pricing
| Free plan | Paid plans from |
|---|---|
| Yes, on up to 2 devices | $36/year, billed yearly only |
Canary’s free plan supports unlimited email accounts on up to 2 devices. The AI copilot, writing help, summaries, and rules need a paid plan. Growth costs $36/year (about $3/month), billed yearly only. Pro+ costs $100/year.
Where it falls short
Rules and filters need a paid plan, and the unified inbox can’t be turned off. Canary doesn’t publish a keyboard shortcut guide in its help center, so it’s a weaker fit if speed from the keyboard is why you used Superhuman.
5. Gmail
Gmail is where your mail already lives. It’s free with every Google account, and works in any browser and on iOS and Android.
Inbox, speed, and AI
Gmail has labels and filters, and the inbox sorts mail into five fixed categories: Primary, Social, Promotions, Updates, and Forums. Keyboard shortcuts are off by default. You turn them on under Settings, then See all settings.
Gmail pricing
| Free plan | Paid plans from |
|---|---|
| Yes, with 15 GB of storage | $1.99/month for more storage |
Gmail is free with every Google account, which includes 15 GB of storage shared with Drive and Photos. AI Overview thread summaries are free. If you run out of space, Google One starts at $1.99/month for 100 GB, but that plan doesn’t add Gemini in Gmail.
Where it falls short
Gmail’s categories are fixed, so you can’t make your own split inboxes. It feels slower than Superhuman, and its more advanced AI features need a paid Google AI plan.
We hope this guide helps you pick the right Superhuman alternative. This article is written by Mejl, the Gmail client at mejl.cc. Mejl has a free plan, you don’t need a credit card, and you sign in with Google to start.