Glassmail vs Airmail: Mac email apps compared
Airmail is free for one account and $49.99 a year for Pro. Glassmail is a one-time purchase for every account, with private AI built in.
Short answer: pick Airmail if you want a highly customisable client on both Mac and iPhone, or you only need one account (it’s free for that). Pick Glassmail if you have several accounts, want an AI assistant that runs on your Mac, and would rather pay once than $49.99 every year.
Airmail has been a favourite of Mac power users for a decade. Glassmail is newer and calmer by design: fewer settings, more done for you.
At a glance
| Glassmail | Airmail | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $49 once (lower launch prices for early buyers) | Free for one account; Pro $49.99 a year or $7.99 a month |
| Multiple accounts | Included | Pro |
| Accounts | Gmail, iCloud, Outlook, Microsoft 365, Yahoo, Fastmail, any IMAP | Gmail, iCloud, Outlook, Exchange, Yahoo, IMAP |
| Platforms | Mac (macOS 14+) | Mac, iPhone, iPad |
| Snooze, send later | Included | Pro |
| Built-in AI | Assistant, summaries and writer, on your Mac | AI Composer, sold separately |
| Customisation | Deliberately simple | Extensive: actions, toolbar, integrations |
Airmail prices from its help pages, 2026; check the app for your region. Disclosure: Glassmail is our app. Tell us at hi@glassmail.app if anything here is wrong.
Customisation vs calm
Airmail’s strength is control: custom actions, swipe gestures, toolbar layouts, and integrations with dozens of apps. If you like to tune every detail, it’s hard to beat.
Glassmail does more automatically and asks you to configure less. It separates mail from people from updates and newsletters, bundles updates by sender, shows sign-in codes in the list with a copy button, and has a Triage mode where single keys decide each conversation.
AI
Glassmail’s assistant answers questions like “who hasn’t replied?”, summarises long threads and writes replies in your tone, using Apple Intelligence or a small downloaded model on your Mac, at no extra cost. Airmail sells its AI Composer separately. How private AI for email works.
Price over three years
For several accounts, Airmail Pro is about $150 over three years. Glassmail is $49 at most, once, for up to three Macs and every 1.x update.
Which should you choose?
- Choose Airmail if you want an iPhone app with the same setup, or love customising your tools.
- Choose Glassmail if you have several accounts on a Mac, want private AI included, and prefer to pay once.
Try Glassmail free for 14 days. More options: the best Apple Mail alternatives.
Quick answers
How much does Airmail cost in 2026?
Airmail is free for a single account. Airmail Pro, which adds multiple accounts, push, send later and snooze, is listed on Airmail's help pages at $49.99 a year or $7.99 a month. Check the in-app price for your region.
Is Glassmail a good Airmail alternative?
Yes, if you're on a Mac and have more than one account. Glassmail includes every account, snooze, send later and an on-device AI assistant for a one-time price, where Airmail needs a Pro subscription for multiple accounts. Airmail is the better pick if you also want an iPhone app or deep customisation.
Do Airmail and Glassmail work with AI assistants like Claude?
Both can. Airmail added a connection for AI assistants such as Claude and Codex in 2026. Glassmail lets Claude, Codex or Cursor search and read your mail read-only, and never send.