Dusk / Best for

The best AI email clients for Mac

Most mail apps now have AI. The big differences are what it actually does, whether your email is sent to a cloud model, and what you pay for it.

Pre-order Dusk for $49One payment. AI included. No subscription.

Updated 28 September 2026Prices checked September 2026Written by the people who make Dusk

Quick picks
  • Dusk: Keyboard-first Mac mail app that sorts and sums up every email with the AI on your Mac. Paid once.
  • Superhuman: The original fast, keyboard-first mail app, on every platform. A subscription with cloud AI.
  • Shortwave: An AI-first inbox for Gmail, powered by large cloud models.

At a glance

AppAI stays on your MacAI includedPay onceCost over 3 yearsAccounts
Dusk Yes, always Yes Yes$49Gmail, Google Workspace, iCloud
Superhuman No, cloud Yes, in the subscription No$900 to $1,080Gmail, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Outlook
Shortwave No, cloud Yes, in the subscription No$1,080 or moreGmail, Google Workspace
Apple Mail Mostly (can use Private Cloud Compute) Yes, free Free$0Any (iCloud, Gmail, Outlook, IMAP)
Spark No, cloud (Azure OpenAI) Paid plans only No$360 with AI (Plus, yearly)Any
Canary Mail Sorting only. Writing is cloud Paid plans only Lifetime option$108 with AI (Growth)Any

  1. 1Dusk Ours

    $49 once (launch price)Gmail, Google Workspace, iCloudAI: On your Mac only (Apple's on-device model)

    Why it's here: Sorts, summarises and drafts replies using only the model on your Mac. AI included in $49 once.

  2. 2Superhuman

    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: Polished cloud AI in a fast, keyboard-first app. From $30 a month. Dusk vs Superhuman

  3. 3Shortwave

    Business $30, Premier $45, Max $120 per person a monthGmail, Google WorkspaceAI: In the cloud (Anthropic's Claude models)

    Why it's here: The most powerful AI assistant, using Claude models in the cloud. From $30 a month. Dusk vs Shortwave

  4. 4Apple Mail

    FreeAny (iCloud, Gmail, Outlook, IMAP)AI: On your Mac, or Apple's Private Cloud Compute

    Why it's here: Free Apple Intelligence summaries and categories. Dusk vs Apple Mail

  5. 5Spark

    Free. Plus $10 a month ($8.25 billed yearly). Pro $20 a monthAnyAI: In the cloud (Azure OpenAI)

    Why it's here: AI writing, summaries and meeting notes on Plus and Pro. Dusk vs Spark

  6. 6Canary 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: On-device sorting, cloud Copilot for writing. Dusk vs Canary Mail

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.

How we chose

  • What the AI does day to day
  • Where your email is processed
  • Whether AI costs extra
  • How fast the app is

We make Dusk, so we've put it where it fits the question and said plainly who each other app suits better.

Questions

Which AI email app is most private?
Dusk uses only the on-device model. Apple Mail uses Apple Intelligence, on the device or Private Cloud Compute. Most others send email to cloud models.
Is there an AI email client without a subscription?
Yes. Dusk includes its AI in a one-time price. Apple Mail's Apple Intelligence features are free.
Which AI email app is most powerful?
Shortwave and Superhuman use large cloud models, which are stronger at long, open-ended writing.

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

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