Airmail has been on the Mac for years, loved for how much you can tweak: actions, integrations, layouts. It has a free version for one account and an Airmail Pro subscription for more. GotEmail is a native Mac app for people with several addresses who would rather the app make good choices for them, and who might prefer to pay once.
At a glance
| Airmail | GotEmail | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Mac, iPhone, iPad | Mac (macOS 15 or later) |
| Price model | Free for one account; Airmail Pro $7.99/month or $49.99/year (US Mac App Store, as of October 2026) | $6.99/month, $79/year, or Lifetime ($79 for the next 100, then $199) |
| One-time purchase | No | Yes, Lifetime |
| Settings | Very configurable | Sensible defaults, your own shortcuts |
| Sign-in codes up front | — | Beside the subject, in a banner, in the menu bar |
| AI drafts and summaries | — | Built in; or your own OpenAI, Anthropic or compatible key |
| Send Later and Snooze | Yes | Yes |
Fewer settings, more done for you
Airmail lets you shape almost everything. GotEmail picks a calm layout and puts the work into what happens every day: a single All Inboxes list, labels that span accounts, a quick reply under each message, and keyboard shortcuts you can set to Mac keys, Gmail's single keys or your own.
Sign-in codes and AI, built in
GotEmail finds verification codes and magic links and keeps them one click away, even while you're in another app. Its AI drafts an email from a sentence, in any language, and sums up a long thread in two or three lines with the dates and amounts pulled out. No key needed; bring your own if you like.
Paying once
Airmail Pro is $7.99 a month or $49.99 a year on the US Mac App Store (as of October 2026), and its price has changed over the years. An AI Composer add-on is sold separately. GotEmail offers a subscription too, and also Lifetime: one payment, every update included, on all your Macs. For the next 100 customers it is $79, the price of one year.
Privacy
GotEmail has no account and no server of its own. Mail travels between your Mac and your provider, passwords stay in the macOS Keychain, and remote images and tracking pixels are blocked until you allow them.
Which one is for you?
Choose Airmail if…
- You want the same app on iPhone and iPad.
- You love fine-tuning every action and integration.
- You only need one account for free.
Choose GotEmail if…
- You want a calm Mac app that works well out of the box.
- You'd like a one-time Lifetime purchase.
- You want sign-in codes and AI drafting without add-ons.
Questions
Is GotEmail a good Airmail alternative?
If you want a native Mac app for several accounts with a unified inbox, Send Later, Snooze and AI drafts, yes. Airmail has more settings and integrations; GotEmail has fewer, with sign-in codes and AI built in.
Does GotEmail have a free version with one account?
No. GotEmail is one paid product with every feature on every plan: $6.99 a month, $79 a year, or Lifetime. Every plan has a 7-day money-back guarantee.
Can I switch from Airmail without losing mail?
Yes. Your mail stays with your provider, so you add the same accounts in GotEmail and your folders, Sent and Drafts are there.
Is there a one-time purchase?
Yes. GotEmail Lifetime is a single payment with every future update: $79 for the next 100 customers, then $199.