The Best Mail Client for MacOS: Why I Abandoned the Search and Am Making Do With a Hybrid Approach

Email has been a constant source of frustration for many of us, and as someone who's been revisiting their approach to email every year, it's no surprise that I've never been satisfied with my choice of mail client. As we head into 2021, I realized that something had to change, and I needed to let go of my longstanding preference of using the same app across all my devices.

The trouble is that many MacStories readers could say the same thing but would prioritize different features. Even so, the features I value in an email app are ones that matter a lot to me. On one level, it's surprising because I don't think my email needs are unique or complex. However, I've been struggling to find an app that checks all the right boxes.

In recent years, Apple's Mail app has been left behind, barely touched on any platform. That's why the situation with Apple's Mail app has been so distressing. Remember Sparrow? How about Mailbox or Acompli? Notice a trend? There are still some bright spots like Mimestream on the Mac and Spark, but with so few survivors, having a strong choice from Apple has never been more important.

The good news is that this fall, across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, Apple is finally bringing many of the features pioneered by others to its own Mail app. You won't find every cutting-edge modern email feature in Mail, but it's a step in the right direction.

One of email's many problems is how hard it can be to manage the volume of messages we receive. Tools like Slack have replaced internal communications at many companies, and a long list of messaging apps have chipped away at conversations among individuals. Email isn't going anywhere anytime soon despite its flaws.

In conclusion, while Apple's Mail app may not have every feature I want, it's a strong choice for those who aren't looking to use email as though it were Slack. Let's dig into the details and see what you can expect from this hybrid approach.

Best mail client for macos