Mimestream alternatives: Gmail apps for Mac compared
Updated October 2026
Mimestream is the best-known Mac app made only for Gmail, and a good one. People look for alternatives because it's subscription only ($49.99 a year in October 2026), works only with Google accounts, has no scheduled send, and shows no themes in its guide. The main alternatives are Apple Mail (free, every account), Spark and Canary (many accounts, AI features), Outlook (free) and Lambda Mail (a Gmail app you can make look your way, in beta).
What Mimestream does well
- It's built on Gmail's own API, so it has Gmail's labels with their colors, inbox categories, filters, full Gmail search, send-as aliases and the vacation responder.
- It does the everyday things well: snooze, undo send, templates, several accounts with an optional unified inbox, and Gmail-style keyboard shortcuts.
- It's private: its privacy policy says your mail and your login don't pass through any service it runs, and it has passed Google's security assessment (CASA Tier 2).
Why people look elsewhere
- Subscription only: $49.99 a year or $4.99 a month, with a 14-day trial and no one-time purchase. The app stops working when the subscription ends.
- Google accounts only: support for other accounts like iCloud is its second most-requested feature, still marked “Considering” on its public roadmap.
- No scheduled send: also “Considering”, with 541 votes.
- Little control over the look: its guide covers four list styles, text size and label and account colors, but no themes or custom colors.
- Newer macOS: future versions need macOS 14 or later.
- iPhone: an iPhone app is in a limited beta for paying customers.
The alternatives
| App | Price, October 2026 | Accounts | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Mail | Free with every Mac | Any | Every account in one free app, if you can live with how it handles Gmail's labels |
| Spark | Free; Plus $99 a year; Pro $199 a year | Most providers | Teams and AI features; some features keep mail on its servers |
| Canary | Free; Growth $36 a year; Pro+ $100 a year | Most providers | AI features, with a free plan |
| Outlook for Mac | Free | Most providers | People who also use Microsoft accounts; it syncs Gmail through Microsoft's cloud unless you choose otherwise |
| Lambda Mail | Free during the beta | Gmail and Google Workspace | Making Gmail look and feel your way, with no servers and no AI |
Prices from each app's own pricing page. For what each one keeps on its servers, see Which Mac email apps keep your mail on their servers?
Mimestream and Lambda Mail, side by side
We make Lambda Mail, so read this as our side of the story, kept to facts. Lambda Mail is younger and in beta, and Mimestream does more today.
| Mimestream | Lambda Mail | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $49.99 a year or $4.99 a month | Free during the beta; pricing comes with the launch |
| Accounts | Gmail and Google Workspace | Gmail and Google Workspace; iCloud and Outlook on the roadmap |
| Connects through | Gmail's API | Gmail's IMAP, with Gmail's extensions for labels and conversations |
| Mail on company servers | No | No |
| Unified inbox | Yes, optional | No |
| Snooze, undo send, templates | Yes | No |
| Scheduled send | No | No |
| Gmail filters, vacation responder | Yes | No |
| Themes and colors | Four list styles, text size, label and account colors | Seven themes, every color for light and dark, four fonts, three densities, text size, Liquid Glass sidebar |
| iPhone | Beta for paying customers | Planned |
| macOS | 12 or later; future versions need 14 | 14 or later |
| Sign-in | Sign in with Google | An app password in the beta; Sign in with Google is coming |
Pick Mimestream if you want the most complete Gmail features on a Mac today. Pick Lambda Mail if you want Gmail to look your way, attachments that stay out of your text, and you're happy to try a beta.
More guides
Sources, read October 2026: Mimestream, pricing, privacy policy, trust center, list style, macOS 14 required and public roadmap; pricing pages of Spark and Canary; Microsoft, Outlook for Mac and Microsoft Cloud.