# Alternatives to Mimestream

Native macOS client for Gmail.

Mimestream ranks #17 of 22 in Email clients, with an Alt Score of 60. It is proprietary, sold by subscription from $4.99/month and available on macOS. 10 of 11 checklist rows are verified against a public source.

Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/mimestream/
Category: Email clients

## Where Mimestream stands out

- **Keyboard-first shortcuts** — 5 of 19 apps with a verified answer have this

## Overview

- **Who it's for**: Gmail users on Mac, especially those managing multiple Gmail accounts, who want a native desktop email client instead of the Gmail web app.
- **What you get**: A native macOS app built on the Gmail API with full support for Gmail labels, filters, categories, and search. It adds Mac-specific touches like dark mode, keyboard shortcuts, menu bar integration, and system notifications, plus email features like snoozing, templates, undo send, and send-and-archive. It also supports unified or per-account inbox views with custom notification schedules and color coding.
- **How it works**: Sign in with one or more Google accounts to sync mail via the Gmail API, then read, organize, and send email through a native Mac interface that mirrors Gmail's labels and filters rather than a browser tab.

## Profile

- **License**: Proprietary (verified 2026-07-12)
- **Pricing model**: Subscription (verified 2026-07-12)
- **Starts at**: $4.99/month (verified 2026-07-12)
- **Platforms**: macOS
- **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-12)

## Ranked alternatives

| # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms |
|---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------|
| 1 | [eM Client](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/em-client.md) | 96 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android |
| 2 | [BlueMail](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/bluemail.md) | 92 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 3 | [Canary Mail](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/canary-mail.md) | 92 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android |
| 4 | [The Bat!](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/the-bat.md) | 92 | Proprietary | Windows |
| 5 | [Apple Mail](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/apple-mail.md) | 87 | Proprietary | macOS, iOS |
| 6 | [FairEmail](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/fairemail.md) | 87 | GPL-3.0 | Android |
| 7 | [Mailbird](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/mailbird.md) | 87 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS |
| 8 | [Evolution](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/evolution.md) | 84 | LGPL-2.1 | Linux |
| 9 | [Mailspring](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/mailspring.md) | 84 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 10 | [Missive](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/missive.md) | 84 | Proprietary | Web, Windows, macOS, iOS |
| 11 | [Outlook](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/outlook.md) | 84 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android |
| 12 | [Thunderbird](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/thunderbird.md) | 76 | MPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 13 | [Spark](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/spark.md) | 71 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android |
| 14 | [NeoMutt](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/neomutt.md) | 68 | GPL-2.0 | Linux, macOS |
| 15 | [Shortwave](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/shortwave.md) | 68 | Proprietary | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS |
| 16 | [Postbox](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/postbox.md) | 63 | Proprietary | macOS, Windows |
| 17 | [Aqua Mail](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/aqua-mail.md) | 55 | Proprietary | Android |
| 18 | [Superhuman](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/superhuman.md) | 55 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android |
| 19 | [Geary](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/geary.md) | 50 | LGPL-2.1-or-later | Linux |
| 20 | [K-9 Mail](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/k-9-mail.md) | 47 | Apache-2.0 | Android |
| 21 | [aerc](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/aerc.md) | 42 | MIT | Linux, macOS |

Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/

## Feature comparison

Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified).

| Email clients checklist | Mimestream | eM Client | BlueMail | Canary Mail | The Bat! | Apple Mail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Subscription | Freemium | Freemium | Freemium | One-time | Free |
| Starts at | $4.99/month | €39.95/year | ? | $3/month | €47.95 one-time (Home Edition) | ? |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Platforms | macOS | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | Windows | macOS, iOS |
| Protocols (IMAP / POP3 / JMAP / Exchange) | Partial | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes |
| Unified inbox | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Snooze & send later | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes |
| Tracking pixel blocking | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| PGP / encryption support | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| Conversation view | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Offline mode | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rules & filters (local) | No | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Calendar integrated | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| Multiple identities/aliases | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Keyboard-first shortcuts | Yes | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial |

## Sources

Sources for Mimestream. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.

- **License**: Proprietary — <https://mimestream.com/terms> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “You agree not to reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or otherwise attempt to discover the source code of Mimestream or its content, except and only to the extent that such activity is expressly ”
- **Status**: active — <https://mimestream.com/releases> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Version 1.10.4 Jul 03, 2026 12:30PM”
- **Pricing model**: Subscription — <https://mimestream.com/pricing> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Try Mimestream free for 14 days – no credit card required!”
- **Starts at**: $4.99/month — <https://mimestream.com/pricing> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Individual Plan: Annual $49.99/year, Monthly $4.99/month”
- **Platforms**: macOS — <https://mimestream.com/faqs> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “We do not have an iOS version, but we are actively working on it.”
- **Protocols (IMAP / POP3 / JMAP / Exchange)**: Partial — <https://mimestream.com/faqs> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Future support for other services is planned, including Microsoft 365 / Outlook, services that support IMAP, and services that support JMAP”
- **Unified inbox**: Yes — <https://mimestream.com/help/user-guide/unified-inbox> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Mimestream offers a unified inbox, allowing you to consolidate all of your accounts under a single inbox.”
- **Snooze & send later**: Partial — <https://mimestream.com/help/user-guide/snoozing> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Unfortunately, the Gmail API does not expose snooze functionality, so it is not possible for Mimestream to provide a snooze feature that is integrated with Gmail.”
- **Tracking pixel blocking**: Yes — <https://mimestream.com/help/user-guide/viewing-settings> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Prevent tracking when viewing messages blocks common trackers that may notify the sender when you view their message.”
- **PGP / encryption support**: No — <https://mimestream.com/trust/security-and-privacy> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “While Mimestream focuses on securing data in transit, it's important to note that true end-to-end encryption of email (e.g. S/MIME, PGP) from client device to the recipient device is not provided.”
- **Conversation view**: Yes — <https://mimestream.com/help/user-guide/conversations> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “By default, Mimestream groups messages into conversations, but you can disable or enable conversation view”
- **Rules & filters (local)**: No — <https://mimestream.com/help/user-guide/filters> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “These Filters are seamlessly synchronized with Gmail and operate on the server (even when your Mac is offline).”
- **Calendar integrated**: No — <https://mimestream.com/help/common-issues/calendar-invites> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “The Calendar banner in Mimestream can only load invitation details for events that are present in Google Calendar.”
- **Multiple identities/aliases**: Yes — <https://mimestream.com/help/user-guide/aliases> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Mimestream syncs with Gmail's alias feature, and allows you to send and receive messages using aliases that you've configured in Gmail settings.”
- **Keyboard-first shortcuts**: Yes — <https://mimestream.com/help/user-guide/keyboard-shortcuts> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Mimestream offers robust a keyboard-based workflow with a comprehensive set of shortcuts.”

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Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/