I think a lot of it has to do with iOS, where native apps are the default. I am bringing in multiple accounts into one app (personal iCloud and multiple Google Workspace accounts), but another aspect is that I prefer native apps. In the early days of email usage, I preferred using web-based mail, but as time went on, I preferred app-based email. One of the things about my use of email that is most surprising is that I’ve gone in the reverse direction compared to how technology has moved. Over the years, managing multiple Google accounts has become cumbersome. It’s a much smoother solution than running multiple tabs. It’s a native macOS app for Gmail, and it supports G-Suite as well. If you have a few Gmail accounts, and are happy with the Gmail web interface, check out Boxy. I stuck with it during the disaster that was MobileMe and finally arrived at iCloud.īefore I look at the various email apps for Mac, I want to mention one other app that might appeal to Google Workspace and Gmail users. I switched to Gmail in 2004 when it first launched, and I finally switched to Mac in 2005 when I got my first Mac (a Powerbook G4). I switched to Mailblocks around 2002 (it was eventually acquired by AOL). I stuck with AOL until I got an account when my parents first got high-speed Internet. I got my first email account in the mid–90s (When it was still $2.95 per hour for AOL).

So what’s the best email app for the Mac? Even with the popularity of web-based services like Gmail, many still prefer a desktop app to pull in multiple email addresses, use desktop plugins, and have a more native Mac experience.

Signing up for almost any service on the Internet requires an email address, so it’s a universal digital identifier. Signing into iCloud (and email) is one of my first tasks when setting up a new Mac. Despite all the new messaging services, project management tools, and chat-based ecosystems, email remains essential.

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