For one reason or another, we rely on email apps to send, receive, and manage emails. It’s no different for iPhone and iPad users. Fortunately, Apple devices come with a built-in Mail app that covers the basics—sending and receiving emails. But that may not be enough for everyone.
Some users might want features like an out-of-office auto-reply, a more customizable experience, or a better interface. I’ve tested several email apps and picked the best ones based on features and usability. This article breaks them down so you can find the right one for your needs.
What makes a great iPhone email app?
A great email app for iPhone should strike the right balance between features, performance, and usability. Here’s a deeper look into what to consider when looking for a great iPhone email app:
A great iPhone email app should make sending, receiving and managing emails easier, offering more than just the basics. You can look for these key features based on what suits your needs:
Key Features:
- Push Notifications – Get instant alerts for new emails, so you never miss anything important.
- Multiple Accounts – Manage emails from different providers like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo in one place.
- Rich Text Formatting – Format your emails with bold, italics, or underlining to highlight key points.
- Attachments – Attach files, photos, or documents to emails without any hassle.
- Calendar Integration – Sync with your calendar to schedule emails and reminders.
- Contact Management – Access and manage your contacts directly within the app.
- Search Functionality – Quickly find emails using filters for a smoother experience.
- Templates – Save and reuse your most common emails to save time.
- Security Features – Keep your emails safe with encryption, spam filters, and two-factor authentication.
- Support Add-ins – Use extra features like note-taking and task management for added productivity.
User Interface: Many users prioritize a clean, uncluttered interface when choosing an email app. Hence, another criterion for selecting a great email app is an easy-to-use and customizable UI that suits individual preferences. A well-designed UI allows users to tailor their experience for comfort and efficiency, whether by adjusting themes, layouts, or swipe gestures.
Performance: An email app needs to be fast. If it takes too long to load emails, the experience can be frustrating. It should also be lightweight and efficient, using minimal battery while still performing smoothly. This way, it delivers a seamless experience without draining your iPhone or iPad.
How we picked and tested the best email apps for iPhone and iPad
Following our testing methodology and editorial guidelines, I tested over 20 email apps and narrowed them down to the 8 best based on performance, features, and usability. Here’s how I approached it:
- Choosing the Apps: I started by checking out highly rated email apps on the App Store and reading positive reviews. I didn’t stop there, though—I also looked through forums like Reddit to see which apps people were talking about. This helped me narrow it down to over 20 apps to test.
- Testing the Email Apps on an iPhone: After that, I installed each app on my iPhone, connected an email account, and tested them out. I focused on how quickly the emails loaded and paid attention to key features like spam filtering, support for popular email providers, customization options, email/data syncing, AI assistant features and more.
- Final Roundup: After thoroughly evaluating these features, I was left with 8 email apps that struck a balance between minimalist design and advanced features for power users. In the next section, I’ll break down each of the selected email clients for iPhone and iPad to help you make an informed choice.
What are the best email apps for iPhone and iPad?
Here are our short reviews of the best email apps for iPhone and iPad:
1. Apple Mail
Apple Mail is Apple’s default email app for iPhone and iPad. It’s a simple app that lets you connect Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, Yahoo, and other email accounts to send, receive, and manage emails.
It comes with basic features like text formatting, attachment support, email scheduling, and spam filtering. With quick swipe gestures, you can set reminders, mark emails as unread, flag messages, block senders, and more.
From our tests, Apple Mail is easy to use, but the app isn’t very intuitive and lacks customization options. Still, it gets the job done. If you just need a simple email manager for iPhone and iPad, Apple Mail works fine.
Key Features:
- Apple Intelligence support for email summaries and smart replies
- Email scheduling
- Hide your email address
- Text formatting and font customization
Pros
- Easy to use
- Basic text formatting support
- VIP Inbox for important emails
- End-to-end email encryption
- Spam filtering
Cons
- Cluttered, basic UI that affects user experience
- Gmail and some other providers may experience delays
- No smart filtering for promotions and other categories like Gmail
- Limited to Apple devices
- Slow syncing with some email providers like Gmail
Compatibility: It is available for Apple devices and supports Gmail, iCloud, Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL, GMX, Exchange, and IMAP accounts.
Pricing: Free to use
2. Canary Mail
Canary Mail is an email app for iPhone and iPad that upgrades your email management experience with powerful features. It offers a unified inbox, so you can manage Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, iCloud, Office 365, and other IMAP accounts in one place.
The app stands out with its sleek, well-organized interface, making it easy to use and clutter-free. It also supports account personalization, push notifications, PGP encryption, and Face ID lock to keep your emails secure.
Canary Mail integrates Copilot AI to help with writing, proofreading, and summarizing emails. It also works as an AI assistant to boost productivity. Other features include read receipts, one-click unsubscribe, snooze, and calendar integration. If you need an advanced email app for iPhone or iPad, this one’s worth considering.
Key Features:
- Clean, user-friendly interface
- AI assistant for writing and summarizing emails
- AI-powered email categorization
- Customizable email actions
- Email templates
- Email preview
- Security features like phishing detection, misdirection prevention, and impersonation alerts
Pros
- Simple email app with advanced features
- Works across multiple platforms
Cons
- Some features are locked behind a paywall
Compatibility: It is available for iOS, macOS, Android, and Windows and supports Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, iCloud, Office 365, and other IMAP accounts.
Pricing: A free version is available; paid plans start at $3 per user per month.
3. Edison
Edison is a simple and popular email app for iPhone. It organizes your inbox into Focused, where important emails go, and Other, which holds marketing emails and newsletters. The app has a clean interface but still packs features that make email management easier.
When composing an email, you get basic text formatting options, and the built-in AI assistant helps you write and send emails faster. You can also create email templates to quickly respond to specific types of messages.
Edison lets you set rules to automate actions for emails that match your criteria. You can even schedule group emails to be delivered at a specific time to avoid inbox clutter. These features make it one of the best email apps for heavy iPhone and iPad users.
Key Features:
- Undo Send
- AI assistant for writing emails faster
- Mail rules to automate actions
- Scheduled email summary
- Supports multiple languages
- Third-party app integration
Pros
- Works with over 10 email providers
- Makes it easy to declutter your inbox
- Lets you save emails as PDFs, Snooze emails for later and add stickers to emails
- Security features to keep your email private and safe
Cons
- Some advanced features require a paid plan
- Premium pricing is on the higher side
- User data usage is questionable
Compatibility: It is available for Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows and supports Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, iCloud, Office 365, and other IMAP accounts.
Pricing: A free version is available, with paid plans starting at $9.
4. Spark
Spark is a fast, cross-platform email app for iPhone and iPad. It’s Smart Inbox 2.0 automatically categorizes emails into Notifications, Newsletters, Invitations, and more, helping you stay organized and focused on important messages. If you prefer, you can switch to a classic inbox view or a simpler Smart Inbox layout.
New emails appear separately at the top for quick access, and the app’s clean, modern UI makes managing emails feel effortless. Spark also comes with Snooze, Send Later, Email Templates, and integrations to streamline your email workflow.
With Spark + AI, you can summarize emails, generate replies, and write messages faster. It also lets you share email threads via a link and save emails as PDFs. For teams, Spark offers shared drafts and email comments to improve collaboration.
Key Features:
- Smart Inbox for better email organization
- AI assistant to summarize and write emails
- Third-party app integrations
- Snooze Emails
- Send Later
Pros
- Easy to use with a clean interface
- Lets you minimize drafts instead of saving them
- Helps keep your inbox organized
- Includes team collaboration features
Cons
- Some features require a paid plan
Compatibility: iOS, Android, and Windows. Supports iCloud, Exchange, Outlook, Yahoo, Gmail, and IMAP accounts.
Pricing: Free version available; premium starts at $4.99/month (billed annually).
5. Airmail
Airmail is a powerful email app designed for iPhone, iPad, and macOS. It supports a wide range of email providers, making it easy to connect multiple accounts. The email client comes with Focus Inbox, which helps filter out distractions and keeps important emails front and center.
One of the features I found most handy and unique in this email is its smart automation. You can set conditions and actions to manage emails automatically, saving time. It also supports iCloud sync for seamless access across devices.
Airmail goes beyond basic email actions. You can create PDFs, add emails to Siri, send messages to your calendar, copy email links, and save emails as PDFs. It even lets you combine multiple actions into a single workflow, making email management smoother.
For productivity, Airmail integrates with third-party apps like Todoist, Calendar, iA Writer, Evernote, and Trello, so you can automate tasks without leaving your inbox. It also supports email templates, scheduled sending, and multiple languages.
Key Features:
- iCloud sync for seamless device access
- Focus Inbox to prioritize important emails
- Smart automation with custom actions
- Advanced email actions like Save as PDF and Send to Calendar
- Third-party app integrations for better workflow
- Email templates for quick replies
- Scheduled sending to send emails at the right time
- Supports multiple languages
Pros
- Easy to use with deep customization
- Supports multiple email providers
- Powerful automation for email management
- Integrates with popular productivity apps
Cons
- Some features require a subscription
Compatibility: iOS, macOS. Supports Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, Exchange, and IMAP accounts.
Pricing: Free version is available, with premium plans starting at $4.99 per month.
6. Outlook
Outlook is a reliable and feature-packed email app for iPhone and iPad. It offers a Focused Inbox that keeps important emails separate from the rest. It supports multiple email providers, including Outlook, Gmail, Yahoo, and IMAP, making it a solid choice for managing all your accounts in one place.
Outlook also has built-in calendar management, letting you schedule meetings, set reminders, and even join video calls without leaving the app. Plus, Outlook integrates with Microsoft tools like OneDrive and Teams, making it great for productivity.
For search, Outlook uses AI-powered search filters to help you quickly find emails, attachments, or contacts. Security is also a priority, with built-in spam and phishing protection. However, some advanced features, like extra storage and premium AI tools, require a Microsoft 365 subscription.
Key Features:
- Focused Inbox for important emails
- AI-powered search to find emails and attachments quickly
- Calendar integration for scheduling meetings and reminders
- Third-party app support (Trello, Evernote, OneDrive)
- Spam and phishing protection
Pros
- Works with multiple email providers
- Smart filtering keeps your inbox organized
- Seamless integration with Microsoft apps
- Built-in calendar for event scheduling
Cons
- Some features require a Microsoft 365 subscription
- It can feel overwhelming for new users
Compatibility: iOS, iPadOS, macOS, Windows, and Android
Pricing: Free version is available, but premium features require a Microsoft 365 subscription, starting at $9.99/month.
7. Polymail
Polymail is a clean and feature-packed email app designed for professionals and teams. It simplifies email management with smart tools like email tracking, follow-up reminders, and templates.
It comes with customizable swipe actions, making it easy to archive, snooze, or delete emails with a quick swipe. It also integrates with Asana and Salesforce, letting you manage tasks and customer interactions without leaving your inbox.
For teams, Polymail offers collaborative tools, allowing you to share emails and leave comments, making communication smoother. Its automated outreach feature lets you schedule emails and follow-ups, which is great for business users handling sales or marketing. However, only a few of these advanced features are made available on its mobile version.
Key Features:
- Integrations with Asana and Salesforce for better workflow
- Customizable swipe actions for quick email handling
- Email tracking to know when emails are read
- Follow-up reminders to stay on top of emails
- Email templates to save time on repetitive messages
Pros
- Clean and easy-to-use interface
- Great for teams with collaboration tools
- Powerful integrations with Asana and Salesforce
- Supports automated follow-ups and scheduling
Cons
- Some features require a paid plan
- Pricing is on the higher side
- The iOS version is not well-featured
Compatibility: iOS, macOS, and web. Supports Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, and other IMAP accounts.
Pricing: It has a free version, but premium plans start at $10 per user per month.
8. Superhuman
Superhuman is a simple yet powerful email app for iPhone and iPad. Its clean, user-friendly interface helps you stay on top of your emails. With Superhuman AI, you can write emails in your own tone, making responses feel natural and personal.
One of its standout features is Split Inbox, which lets you separate emails from your team, workspaces like ClickUp, and more, keeping your inbox organized. It also has Follow-up Reminders to ensure you never miss important emails.
Superhuman comes with collaborative tools, allowing you to share emails with your team and add comments for better interaction. You can also automate phrases or entire emails, saving time on repetitive messages.
Key Features:
- AI assistant to write emails in your tone
- Follow-up reminders to track important emails
- Read receipts to see when your emails are read
- Calendar integration for better scheduling
Pros
- Fast and easy to use
- Clean UI with customizable themes
- Powerful inbox management tools
- Integrates with other productivity tools
Cons
- Doesn’t unify all email accounts into one inbox
- Expensive compared to other email apps
Compatibility: macOS, iPhone, and iPad. Supports Gmail and Microsoft Outlook only.
Pricing: No free version. Paid version costs $30/month.
Signing off
Email management can be overwhelming, especially if you handle a lot of emails daily. But with the right email app on your iPhone or iPad, you can stay on top of your inbox and never miss an important email or task. This list covers the 8 best email apps, each packed with useful features depending on your needs. We hope you find one that works for you on the list.
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