What is an email client?
To put it simply, an email client is a piece of software used to access emails found on an email server. An email service such as Gmail or Outlook hosts your emails, and the email client is the way you actually access them. While they all serve the same core purpose, every email client is different, with its own advantages and disadvantages.
What is the best email client?
Receiving and sending emails is something that we do every day, and most people use one of the most popular options. These can be either desktop or app-based such as IOS email and Microsoft Outlook, or web-based such as Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook.
But there are many more options out there! In the last couple of years, there has been an increase in the number of email clients available, some offering exciting new features that have made them very successful.
What email client alternatives are there?
Zoom email was introduced in November 2022 and is still in beta testing. Zoom focuses on offering an all-in-one service without having to use multiple applications while working—reducing the time spent transferring between apps and keeping everything more organized.
It allows users to connect their Gmail and Microsoft accounts, synchronizing all emails and calendars in one place—all without having to switch apps to make Zoom video calls.
Spark claims to be the “smart, focused” email client. It has 14 million users worldwide and was recognized as Editor’s Choice on the Apple app store. Their main feature is a Smart Inbox that prioritizes important emails into their own folder. One special feature spark offers is a gatekeeper that allows you to accept or reject incoming emails based on their sender. Users can also highlight priority senders for easy access to their emails.
Collaboration is another key benefit of Spark—it allows teams to have a shared inbox and drafts can be composed in real-time by several team members. Specific emails and threads can be shared with specific team members, and you can create email templates to be used by the entire team.
Shift is a ‘workstation’ service that includes an email client, along with a web browser and other integrations. It seeks to allow you to work entirely from one platform, eliminating the need to switch between different platforms. It can integrate with multiple Gmail and Microsoft accounts as well as Slack, Trello, Evernote or even Spotify. The simple design makes it easy to use and personalize. It even includes a secure password storage service.
eM client claims to boost your productivity and break you out of your email routing. It boasts a number of workflow-enhancing tools such as message encryption with PGP encryption, a reply-watcher to notify you of specific replies, automatic message translation, a quick text feature to help you compose emails faster, email snoozing, and more. It is compatible with Gmail, iCloud, Microsoft 365, SmarterMail, Mailfence, and MDaemon.
Transforming email to a workspace is the main focus of Spike, offering features that increase team productivity. It seeks to transform email into a live-chat format, making it more conversational and taking away the clutter of traditional email. Collaborative online notes and tasks allow users to take notes as well as create tasks and to-do lists on the app—allowing easy access for different devices and users. It also offers group chats and a calendar feature.
Making email easy is the promise of Thunderbird. The setup is super simple, using a mail account setup wizard, allowing installation without needing to know your STMP, IMAP, or other certificates. Thunderbird offers a fast way to add new contacts to your lists as well as setting contacts into different lists to keep data organized. One key feature is the tab system which allows you to switch between different emails much like you would in a browser—in fact, Thunderbird is created by the Mozilla Foundation, which also created Firefox.
Which email client is the best for me?
Smaller email clients have evolved significantly, adding value to their platforms in the form of new features. They’ve switched their focus to simplicity and productivity, creating some real competition for the bigger clients. When it comes to choosing the best email client for you, you should focus on the specific features they each offer, and decide based on what works best for your workflow!