Spark is free and does a lot, but its AI needs a subscription and sends email to the cloud. These alternatives take a different approach.
Quick picks- Dusk: Keyboard-first Mac mail app that sorts and sums up every email with the AI on your Mac. Paid once.
- Apple Mail: Built into every Mac. Free, private and works with any account.
- Canary Mail: A privacy-minded client with encryption, on-device sorting and a cloud AI copilot.
At a glance
| App | AI stays on your Mac | AI included | Pay once | Cost over 3 years | Accounts |
|---|
| Dusk | ✓ Yes, always | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | $49 | Gmail, Google Workspace, iCloud |
|---|
| Apple Mail | ✓ Mostly (can use Private Cloud Compute) | ✓ Yes, free | ✓ Free | $0 | Any (iCloud, Gmail, Outlook, IMAP) |
|---|
| Canary Mail | ✗ Sorting only. Writing is cloud | ✗ Paid plans only | ✓ Lifetime option | $108 with AI (Growth) | Any |
|---|
| Superhuman | ✗ No, cloud | ✓ Yes, in the subscription | ✗ No | $900 to $1,080 | Gmail, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Outlook |
|---|
| Thunderbird | ✗ No AI | ✗ No AI | ✓ Free | $0 | Any IMAP or POP account |
|---|
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1Dusk Ours
$49 once (launch price)Gmail, Google Workspace, iCloudAI: On your Mac only (Apple's on-device model)
Why it's here: AI sorting, summaries and replies that stay on your Mac, included in a one-time $49.
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2Apple Mail
FreeAny (iCloud, Gmail, Outlook, IMAP)AI: On your Mac, or Apple's Private Cloud Compute
Why it's here: Free, private, and now with Apple Intelligence summaries. Dusk vs Apple Mail
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3Canary Mail
Free. Growth $36 a year. Pro+ $100 a year. Lifetime optionsAnyAI: Sorting on your device. Writing and summaries in the cloud
Why it's here: Privacy-focused, with encryption, on-device sorting and a free plan. Dusk vs Canary Mail
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4Superhuman
Starter $30 a month, or $300 a year. Business $40 a month, or $396 a yearGmail, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, OutlookAI: In the cloud
Why it's here: The fast, premium option on every platform. Dusk vs Superhuman
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5Thunderbird
Free, open sourceAny IMAP or POP accountAI: No built-in AI
Why it's here: Free and open source.
Private and quick by design
- 12 MB
- download
- 0.46 s
- to open
- 65 MB
- of memory
- 0.9 s
- to sort and sum up an email
- No Dusk server between you and your mail. Dusk talks to Google and iCloud directly from your Mac, and there's no analytics.
- AI with no cloud fallback. Sorting, summaries and drafts use only Apple's on-device model, and still work offline.
- Tracking blocked. Emails are shown with scripts off and every remote image and tracker blocked, so senders can't see when you open them.
- Phishing set aside. A stranger's urgent email linking to a different site goes to Screened, not your inbox.
- Safe sending. Undo send, reply all only when you choose it, and a failed send is never resent blindly.
- Your keys stay yours. Sign-ins are stored in the macOS Keychain, and your licence is checked on your Mac.
Measured on a pre-release build on a MacBook Pro with M3 Max: zipped universal download, warm launch, idle memory with example mail, and triage of one email. Older Macs are slower.
We make Dusk, so we've put it where it fits the question and said plainly who each other app suits better.
Questions
- What's a private alternative to Spark?
- Dusk keeps all its AI on your Mac. Apple Mail uses Apple Intelligence. Canary sorts on your device.
- Is there a free Spark alternative?
- Apple Mail, Outlook and Thunderbird are free.
Sources
Checked September 2026. Prices change, so check each maker's site before you buy.
Fast, private email for $49 once
Pre-orders are open at the launch price. One payment covers the Mac app and the AI, and the iPhone app when it arrives.
Pre-order Dusk