eM Client and Dusk both cost about $49 once. How they differ: eM Client covers every account and platform, Dusk is a keyboard-first Mac app with AI that stays on your Mac.
Most good mail apps are subscriptions now. eM Client and Dusk are two exceptions: both sell a licence you pay for once, at around the same price. They're very different apps, though. Here's how to choose.
At a glance
| eM Client | Dusk |
|---|
| One-time price | £49.95 (Personal) | $49 |
| Subscription option | £34.95 a year | None needed |
| AI | ChatGPT, subscription or paid add-on | Included, on your Mac |
| Where the AI runs | In the cloud | On your Mac only |
| Accounts | Almost any (Gmail, iCloud, Outlook, Exchange, IMAP) | Gmail, Google Workspace, iCloud |
| Platforms | Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android | Mac (iPhone planned) |
| Calendar, contacts, tasks | Yes | No |
| Sorts mail by what you need to do | No | Yes |
| Built for the keyboard | Partly | Yes |
Prices checked September 2026. eM Client lists prices in pounds for UK buyers.
Choose eM Client if
- You use Outlook or Exchange, or accounts Dusk doesn't support.
- You want mail, calendar, contacts and tasks in one app.
- You also use Windows.
eM Client's free plan covers two accounts for personal use, and it offers a 30-day trial and money-back guarantee.
Choose Dusk if
- You want your inbox sorted before you open it: Important, Needs reply, Waiting, Newsletters and Screened, with a one-line summary under every email.
- You want AI included, without an add-on, and private, running only on your Mac.
- You want to get through email from the keyboard: J, K, E, R, Z and ⌘K.
- You use Gmail, Google Workspace or iCloud on a Mac with Apple silicon.
The AI difference
eM Client's AI features use ChatGPT, available with its subscription or as a paid add-on for the one-time licence. Your email goes to the cloud to use them.
Dusk's AI is part of the $49 and runs on Apple's on-device model. It sorts every email as it arrives, digests long threads, tells you whose turn it is, and writes replies in your style, without your mail leaving your Mac.
The verdict
eM Client is a capable all-rounder for people who need every account type and platform. Dusk is for Mac users on Gmail or iCloud who want to get through email fast, with AI that's private and already paid for.
Questions
- Is eM Client a one-time purchase?
- Yes, it offers a one-time Personal licence (£49.95 in the UK) as well as a yearly subscription.
- Does eM Client have AI?
- Yes, using ChatGPT, available with the subscription or as a paid add-on to the one-time licence.
- Is Dusk a one-time purchase?
- Yes. Dusk is $49 once, with its on-device AI included.
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