# Alternatives to Spark

Smart inbox with team comments.

Spark ranks #13 of 22 in Email clients, with an Alt Score of 71. It is proprietary, freemium from €10/month and available on Windows, macOS, iOS and Android. 10 of 11 checklist rows are verified against a public source.

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

## Overview

- **Who it's for**: Individual professionals and teams who manage high email volume and want a faster, more organized inbox across Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android.
- **What you get**: Spark Mail is an email client (by Readdle) that consolidates multiple accounts (IMAP, Gmail, Outlook, Exchange, Yahoo, iCloud) into one Smart Inbox that filters newsletters and notifications from priority messages. It adds productivity tools like Snooze, Send Later, follow-up reminders, and a Gatekeeper to screen unknown senders, plus AI features for drafting, summarizing, and translating email. Team plans add shared inboxes, email delegation, and private comment threads on messages.
- **How it works**: Users connect their existing email accounts, and Spark sorts incoming mail into a Smart Inbox by priority and sender while routing lower-priority mail aside. From there they read, snooze, reply (with optional AI drafting assistance), or delegate/comment on messages with teammates when using a shared inbox.

## Profile

- **License**: Proprietary (verified 2026-07-12)
- **Pricing model**: Freemium (verified 2026-07-12)
- **Starts at**: €10/month (verified 2026-07-12)
- **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
- **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 | [NeoMutt](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/neomutt.md) | 68 | GPL-2.0 | Linux, macOS |
| 14 | [Shortwave](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/shortwave.md) | 68 | Proprietary | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS |
| 15 | [Postbox](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/postbox.md) | 63 | Proprietary | macOS, Windows |
| 16 | [Mimestream](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/mimestream.md) | 60 | Proprietary | macOS |
| 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 | Spark | eM Client | BlueMail | Canary Mail | The Bat! | Apple Mail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium | Freemium | Freemium | One-time | Free |
| Starts at | €10/month | €39.95/year | ? | $3/month | €47.95 one-time (Home Edition) | ? |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | 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 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes |
| Tracking pixel blocking | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| PGP / encryption support | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| Conversation view | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Offline mode | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rules & filters (local) | Partial | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Calendar integrated | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| Multiple identities/aliases | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Keyboard-first shortcuts | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial |

## Sources

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

- **Starts at**: €10/month — <https://sparkmailapp.com/pricing> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “€10 / month per user”
- **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android — <https://sparkmailapp.com/features> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Windows Android Mac iPhone iPad Apple Watch”
- **License**: Proprietary — <https://sparkmailapp.com/legal> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Subject to your compliance with these Terms, we grant you, an individual user, a limited, temporary, personal, non-exclusive, non-sublicensable, revocable, non-transferable, and worldwide license to a”
- **Pricing model**: Freemium — <https://sparkmailapp.com/pricing> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “For individuals who want a better way to manage multiple accounts”
- **Status**: active — <https://sparkmailapp.com/legal> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Copyright © 2007 - 2026 Spark Mail Limited.”
- **Protocols (IMAP / POP3 / JMAP / Exchange)**: Partial — <https://sparkmailapp.com/help/add-manage-accounts/connect-to-your-email-account-in-spark> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Spark works with Gmail, iCloud, Yahoo, Exchange, Outlook, Kerio Connect, and other IMAP/EWS email accounts.”
- **Unified inbox**: Yes — <https://sparkmailapp.com/spark2/features/smart_inbox> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Spark is much more than an email inbox. It's a smart unified inbox which collects all the emails from all of your accounts and automatically categorizes them for easy processing.”
- **Snooze & send later**: Yes — <https://sparkmailapp.com/features> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Set a time for an email to return to your inbox later. Schedule a set time for your email to be delivered.”
- **Tracking pixel blocking**: Partial — <https://sparkmailapp.com/blog/essential-features-good-email-app-must-have> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Note: Load remote images" that can be enabled/disabled to control whether these images should automatically be downloaded"
- **Conversation view**: Yes — <https://sparkmailapp.com/help/manage-your-inbox/threads-in-spark> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “In Spark, emails are grouped in threads based on the email subject. Spark displays the latest emails at the bottom of the thread, and the oldest messages are located at the top.”
- **Offline mode**: Partial — <https://sparkmailapp.com/help/general/email-storage-and-backups> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Spark caches emails and attachments over the past month when connected to Wi-Fi, so that you can later look through your Inbox even offline. While offline, you can read cached emails only.”
- **Rules & filters (local)**: Partial — <https://sparkmailapp.com/glossary/email-automation> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Spark doesn't natively support creating custom filters, but it respects filters you've set up in your underlying email account.”
- **Calendar integrated**: Yes — <https://sparkmailapp.com/help/calendars/enhance-your-productivity-with-calendar-scheduling-features> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “a part of the Spark Desktop functionality, allowing you to schedule Google Calendar meetings with others by simplifying finding a mutually available time”
- **Multiple identities/aliases**: Yes — <https://sparkmailapp.com/help/sending-emails/set-up-an-email-alias> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “In Spark, you can use an alias to conceal your email address from the recipient. Spark supports aliases for Gmail, iCloud, Outlook, Microsoft 365, and Yahoo email accounts.”
- **Keyboard-first shortcuts**: Partial — <https://sparkmailapp.com/help/tips-tricks/use-keyboard-shortcuts> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “In Spark for Mac, you can forget about icons and buttons using your keyboard to perform faster.”

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