Superhuman Alternatives in 2026: 6 options compared
By Clarnix, Team ·
Quick answer: the best Superhuman alternative depends on the problem you want to solve. For another fast email client, Shortwave is the closest match for Gmail and Spark has a free plan. For less time in your inbox without switching apps, Clarnix triages every email account you connect and sends you a briefing, from €9 a month billed annually.
Superhuman made its name as the fastest email client around: keyboard shortcuts, a clean design and a promise of inbox zero. It is still a very good product. But it starts at $25 per user a month, works only with Gmail and Outlook, and asks you to leave the email app you already use.
Below we compare the six Superhuman alternatives that come up most when people search for one, with prices checked in October 2026, so you can pick the one that fits how you work.
Superhuman Mail vs the Superhuman suite
First, be clear about what you are replacing. Since Grammarly renamed itself Superhuman in October 2025, the name covers two different things:
Superhuman Mail, the email client. This is what this article compares.
The Superhuman suite, which bundles Grammarly, Superhuman Docs (formerly Coda) and an AI assistant called Superhuman Go. Its Free and Pro plans do not include the email client.
That is why some "Superhuman alternatives" threads end up recommending writing tools or docs apps. If what you use is the email client, those lists won't help.
Why people look for a Superhuman alternative
Superhuman is not a bad product: it is fast, polished, and already includes AI features such as Auto Labels, Auto Archive and Auto Summarize. The reasons people look elsewhere are usually these four.
The price. Superhuman Mail Starter costs $25 per user a month billed annually, or $30 billed monthly. Business is $33 a month billed annually, or $40 monthly. For a five-person team, that is $1,500 a year on the entry plan alone.
You have to switch email apps. Superhuman is an email client you live in. To get its benefits you leave Gmail's or Outlook's own interface, on desktop and on your phone, and learn new shortcuts. Some people love that. Others just want less noise in the tools they already use.
Gmail and Outlook only. Superhuman started on Gmail and added Outlook in 2022. If one of your email accounts sits on an IMAP server (a hosting provider, a client's domain, an older address), it is left out.
Faster is not the same as less. Superhuman helps you get through your inbox quicker, but you still have to open it to find out what matters. If your problem is volume, especially across several email accounts, a faster client only solves half of it.
Superhuman competitors at a glance
Three of these replace Superhuman as your email client. Three work on top of the email app you already use.
Alternative | What it is | Works with | From | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Clarnix | Triage and briefings across your email accounts, no app switch | Gmail, Outlook and IMAP | €9/mo (annual) | 14-day trial, no card |
Shortwave | AI-first email client | Gmail accounts | Pro: $14/mo (annual) | Yes, free plan |
Spark | Email client with a smart inbox | Unlimited accounts on the free plan | $8.25/mo (annual) | Yes, free plan |
Missive | Team inbox for email, SMS and social | Email, SMS and social accounts | $14/user/mo (annual) | 30-day trial, no card |
Mailman | Delivers email on your schedule | Your existing Gmail inbox | $8/mo (annual) | 21-day trial |
SaneBox | Moves low-priority email out of your inbox | Gmail, Microsoft 365, iCloud, Yahoo, IMAP and Exchange | $9.49/mo | 7-day trial |
1. Clarnix: for spending less time in your inbox
Clarnix starts from a different idea: you should not have to open your inbox to know what needs you. It connects your Gmail, Outlook or IMAP accounts, triages every email into Action required, Ongoing issues, FYI and Auto-handled, and sends you a briefing in the channel you already watch. Starter delivers by email and push notification; Pro and above add Slack, Microsoft Teams, Telegram, Google Chat and webhooks. WhatsApp is a paid add-on on any plan.
You write rules the way you would explain them to an assistant, such as "archive newsletters from LinkedIn". See how to write rules in plain English.
Best for: people who juggle several email accounts, like account managers at an agency, and don't want to change apps. Pro covers five email accounts for €19 a month billed annually (€23 monthly), less than a single Superhuman seat, and there are plans for the whole team on Clarnix for teams. Clarnix is built and based in Europe, with its database in the EU (Frankfurt). It processes email in memory and never stores the email body; it keeps metadata and AI-written summaries. More on our trust and security page.
Not for: anyone who wants a faster way to write and reply. Clarnix is not an email client.
2. Shortwave: the closest AI email client for Gmail (Shortwave vs Superhuman)
Shortwave is an AI-first email client built for Gmail accounts, with AI search, summaries, autocomplete and AI-powered filters. It has a free plan for individuals with basic AI and limited usage. Pro costs $14 a month billed annually ($18 monthly); for teams, Business is $30 per seat a month ($24 billed annually), Premier $45 and Max $120.
Best for: Gmail users who want Superhuman's speed plus deeper AI search. If you use Outlook, it is not an option.
3. Spark: a free-to-start email client (Superhuman vs Spark)
Spark is an email client with a Smart Inbox, newsletter and notification handling, and follow-up reminders. Its free plan supports unlimited email accounts. Plus costs $10 per user a month, or $8.25 billed annually, and adds the AI assistant; Pro is $20 a month, or $16.58 billed annually.
Best for: people who want a fast, modern client without paying from day one.
4. Missive: for teams that share an inbox
Missive is a team inbox that brings email, SMS and social accounts together, with shared conversations, tasks and rules. Starter costs $14 per user a month billed yearly, Productive $24 and Business $36, with a 30-day trial and no card required.
Best for: teams handling client or support mail together. For one person's inbox, it is more than you need.
5. Mailman: email on your schedule
Mailman sits on top of your existing Gmail inbox and holds back email until delivery times you choose, with do-not-disturb periods, VIP lists and sender blocking. It costs $8 a month billed annually, or $10 monthly, with a 21-day trial.
Best for: people whose main problem is constant interruptions rather than speed.
6. SaneBox: low-priority mail out of your inbox (SaneBox vs Superhuman)
SaneBox works in your existing inbox with Gmail, Microsoft 365, iCloud, Yahoo and any IMAP or Exchange server, moving low-priority email into folders so the important mail stays visible. It offers a 7-day free trial. Monthly plans start at $9.49 (Snack), with Lunch at $15.99 and Dinner at $42.99. We compare it in detail in SaneBox vs Clarnix.
Best for: a single email account where you want less clutter without changing anything else.
Superhuman vs Clarnix
The short version: Superhuman makes you faster inside your inbox; Clarnix tells you what matters so you open it less.
Superhuman Mail | Clarnix | |
|---|---|---|
What it is | An email client you switch to | A triage layer on top of the email accounts you already use |
Works with | Gmail and Outlook | Gmail, Outlook and IMAP |
Entry price | $25/user/mo (annual) | €9/mo billed annually (Starter, 1 email account; €11 monthly) |
Several email accounts | Priced per user | Pro: 5 email accounts for €19/mo billed annually (€23 monthly) |
How you learn what matters | Open the inbox and process it, fast | A briefing of what needs action |
Where you get it | In the Superhuman app | Email and push; from Pro, also Slack, Microsoft Teams, Telegram, Google Chat or webhooks |
Automation | AI Auto Labels and Auto Archive | Plain-English rules: archive, label, move, star, mark as read or keep in inbox |
Keep your current email app | No | Yes |
Built and based in | United States | Europe (Spain), with its database in the EU |
Free trial | No (only via referral links) | 14 days, no card required |
Where Superhuman wins: if you spend hours a day writing and replying, its keyboard-first design and AI drafts are hard to beat. The Business plan adds HubSpot, Salesforce and Pipedrive integrations for sales teams.
Where Clarnix wins: if you manage several email accounts, including IMAP ones, and want to know what matters from Slack, Teams or your phone without changing apps. It costs less, lets you keep using Gmail or Outlook as you always have, and is built and based in Europe, with its database in the EU, while Superhuman is a US company. Compare plans on our pricing page and see every delivery channel.
How to choose
You write a lot of email and want to go faster: Superhuman, or Shortwave if you are on Gmail and want deeper AI search.
You want a fast client without paying yet: Spark.
Your team shares client or support inboxes: Missive.
Interruptions are the problem, not speed: Mailman or SaneBox.
You juggle several email accounts and don't want to open your inbox to know what matters: Clarnix.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Superhuman alternative?
It depends on what you want from it. For a fast AI email client on Gmail, Shortwave. For a free-to-start client, Spark. For shared team inboxes, Missive. To keep your current email app and get triage and briefings across every email account, Clarnix.
Is there a free Superhuman alternative?
Yes. Spark has a free plan with unlimited email accounts, and Shortwave has a free plan for individual Gmail users. Superhuman Mail has no free plan, and no free trial if you sign up directly; Clarnix, Missive and Mailman offer free trials.
Does Superhuman work with Outlook or IMAP?
It works with Gmail and Outlook (Outlook since 2022), but not with IMAP accounts. Clarnix connects Gmail, Outlook and IMAP email accounts.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Superhuman?
Yes. Clarnix starts at €9 a month billed annually (€11 monthly) for one email account, and Pro covers five for €19 billed annually (€23 monthly). Shortwave Pro costs $14 a month billed annually, Mailman $8 a month billed annually and Spark Plus $8.25. Superhuman Mail starts at $25 per user a month billed annually.
Is Superhuman Mail the same as the Superhuman suite?
No. Superhuman Mail is the email client. The suite bundles Grammarly, Superhuman Docs (formerly Coda) and Superhuman Go, and its Free and Pro plans don't include Mail.
Can I use Clarnix and Superhuman together?
Yes. Clarnix works on your email accounts, not inside an email client, so you can keep reading mail in Superhuman. If both label or archive the same emails, review your rules so they don't overlap.
Conclusion
Superhuman Mail is a great email client if your goal is to process email faster. But if what you really want is fewer reasons to open your inbox, several Gmail, Outlook and IMAP accounts in one briefing, and plain-English rules, Clarnix is the Superhuman alternative that fits, for a fraction of the price.
Start your 14-day free trial of Clarnix, no credit card required
Prices and features checked on 1 October 2026 on each product's website. Clarnix prices exclude VAT. Prices may change.