A Mimestream alternative that keeps the real Gmail

Mimestream is a well-made native Mac client that talks to Gmail over the API and presents its own, reimagined interface. It's fast and Mac-like. But two things send people looking for an alternative: it's a subscription, and because it's a rebuilt client, it isn't the Gmail you actually use, some Gmail features and the familiar layout aren't there.

Smails takes the opposite approach. It loads Gmail's own web interface in a tiny native shell, so you get the real thing, every label, filter, search operator, and setting, with all your accounts a click apart. And you pay once. The maths over a few years is on the email app without a subscription page.

The real Gmail, not a reinterpretation

With Smails it is Gmail: the same interface, the same features, the same keyboard shortcuts, nothing to relearn and nothing missing, with every account in the sidebar, which is our answer to multiple Gmail accounts on a Mac. Mimestream's native UI is great if you want a different take on email; Smails is for people who like Gmail and just want it in a fast Mac window with every account together. If that is you, our Gmail desktop app for Mac page explains the four ways to run Gmail on a Mac and where each one falls down.

Pay once, not every year

Mimestream is a yearly subscription. Smails is $9.99, one time, free with one account and a single payment to add as many as you like. No renewal, free updates.

Both are native and light

This isn't an Electron-vs-native story, both are native and lightweight. The real difference is real Gmail + pay once (Smails) versus a rebuilt client + subscription (Mimestream). For the Electron side of the market, see the Shift alternative page, and for every app side by side, the comparison table.

Smails vs Mimestream