Email alternatives

Users seek alternatives to the main Email app due to issues with missing features, frequent bugs, and poor performance. Alternatives like Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, and mail.com offer varying strengths from accessibility to domain choices, catering to different user needs.

Why users look for alternatives to Email

Users report missing or non-functional features, such as the toolbar for group email actions or the ability to see and move messages to folders.^R1^R3
The app is prone to bugs and performance issues, including the calendar not refreshing, login problems after updates, and excessive battery drain.^R4^R6^R10
Some users experience difficulty with account recovery and find the search function to be inadequate.^R7^R12
There are complaints about the calendar being cumbersome and confusing, and issues with email grouping making it hard to find recent messages.^R9
Unwanted AI features like Co-pilot cannot be disabled, and appointments may not sync across devices.^R13

The alternatives

Microsoft Outlook

4.8★ · 9,055,624 ratings · Free

Microsoft Outlook is generally seen as a fluid and responsive email app that integrates well with other Microsoft services ^R2^R11. It offers good mail sorting and options, though its search function can be problematic ^R12.

Better for: It suits users who need an easily accessible system for communication and app access, especially for school or work ^R11. It is also good for those who find its interface easier to use and understand than other email sites ^R14.

Head-to-head: Email vs Microsoft Outlook

Mail

4.6★ · 4,313,411 ratings · Free

There are no specific reviews provided for an app named 'Mail' to assess its features or user experience.

Better for: Based on the provided reviews, there is insufficient information to determine who 'Mail' would suit better.

Head-to-head: Email vs Mail

Gmail

4.7★ · 2,421,479 ratings · Free

Gmail is praised for being user-friendly, clean, and quick, making it easy to find emails compared to some native apps ^R28. It is also valued for keeping users in touch with the world and being generally accessible and accurate ^R16.

Better for: It is better for users who prioritize a clean, quick, and user-friendly interface for managing emails ^R28. It is also useful for students who need to email teachers ^R25.

Head-to-head: Email vs Gmail

mail.com

4.7★ · 103,528 ratings · Free

mail.com offers a wide variety of domains to choose from, providing creative freedom for email addresses, and its iOS app is described as super clean ^R36. It allows for granular management of digital identity and offers multiple email addresses, which is handy for organizing emails ^R29^R30. It is also noted for not having spam issues ^R34.

Better for: It is a great alternative for users looking for a free email client with a wide selection of domains and a clean interface ^R36. It is also suitable for those who need multiple email addresses for organizational purposes ^R29 and prioritize a service with no spam issues ^R34.

Head-to-head: Email vs mail.com

Spark Mail

4.6★ · 81,987 ratings · Free

There are no specific reviews provided for an app named 'Spark Mail' to assess its features or user experience.

Better for: Based on the provided reviews, there is insufficient information to determine who 'Spark Mail' would suit better.

Head-to-head: Email vs Spark Mail

Stick with Email if

Users should stick with the main Email app if they find it easy to use and understand compared to most email sites, as some users appreciate its simplicity ^R14.

Evidence note: The 'Mail' and 'Spark Mail' alternatives have too few reviews to provide a detailed assessment.

Frequently asked

Why do users switch from the main Email app?

Users switch from the main Email app due to missing features like toolbars and folder management, frequent bugs such as calendar not refreshing or login issues, and performance problems like battery drain and slow search ^R1^R3^R4^R6.

Is Gmail a good alternative to the main Email app?

Yes, Gmail is considered a good alternative, with users praising its user-friendly interface, speed, and ease of finding emails, especially when compared to some native email apps ^R28.

What are the benefits of using mail.com?

mail.com offers a wide variety of domain choices for email addresses, a clean iOS app, and features like multiple email addresses for organization, with users also noting its lack of spam issues ^R29^R34^R36.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 42 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

[R1] Microsoft Outlook 1/5 · US Bar Missing: The tool bar at bottom when working with groups of emails does not appear. Really frustrating.
[R3] Microsoft Outlook 3/5 · US Folders: Wish I could see my folders and move messages to them.
[R4] Microsoft Outlook 2/5 · US Calendar stopped refreshing: On one of the recent updates the calendar to stop refreshing. Meetings are moved but not being reflected in the calendar. I’ve tried restarting, still out of date.
[R6] Microsoft Outlook 3/5 · US Latest update: I have not been able to login since the latest update. I need this for my job. I’ve been having to use a pc to access my emails
[R10] Microsoft Outlook 1/5 · US Buggy, drains the battery: The app keeps on asking for my email account password at random times and it drains the battery fast. The phone is always warm. I have to delete it. Those needless weekly updates do more damage than good.
[R7] Microsoft Outlook 1/5 · US Bad: stupid idiots can't recover my stolen account
[R12] Microsoft Outlook 3/5 · US Good email bad search: Outlook search is miserable. Calendar, mail sorting and options otherwise are fantastic.
[R9] Microsoft Outlook 3/5 · US Review: I find the calendar a bit cumbersome and confusing when i am in a rush and the way emails are grouped makes it unclear what is most recent, and causes confusion looking for an email (latest) at times - On apple ipad
[R13] Microsoft Outlook 1/5 · US Can't disable Co-pilot, doesn't sync: I DO NOT WANT AI IN ANYTHING! If you click disable Co-pilot it still stays on. I added appointments to the app and it didn't sync to the desktop. Just not very good, I'll have to go back to Google Calendar. Microsoft is a shell of what it was, stop wasting money on AI and just build good products.
[R2] Microsoft Outlook 5/5 · US Great responsive email app: The app happens to operate fluidly and no crashes.
[R11] Microsoft Outlook 5/5 · US School email address: This email system has been easily accessible for communication and access to the apps, I will continue to use this in the future as well
[R14] Microsoft Outlook 5/5 · US Easy to use: Your app is way much easier to use and understand than most email sites. Thank you.
[R16] Gmail 5/5 · US A review by James Mitchell: Gmail and Google are first class! Keeps you in touch with the world. Always accessible and accurate. POSITIVE YES!!
[R25] Gmail 5/5 · US I love this this: The app is so useful for me to use when I want to email my teachers
[R28] Gmail 5/5 · US Way better than native app.: Gmail is wildly more user-friendly than Apple’s native Mail app, which somehow manages to make checking an email feel like rummaging through a drawer full of mystery cords. Gmail is clean, quick, and actually makes it easy to find what I need without forcing me to remember whether a message arrived yesterday, three months ago, or during the Paleolithic era. Search work
[R29] mail.com 1/5 · US Wow! WTF: I have been using this service for work for several years and started using it for my personal e-mails as well. I loved the multiple e-mail addresses, very handy for splitting e-mails of by groups. I use the office part as well. Loved It. So much so I have all my documents and info in there. Well, Come this past Monday I try to log in from the same phone I have been using since I star
[R30] mail.com 5/5 · US Perfect Mail Management: This package allows you to manage your digital identity to a very granular level. Dig in and explore the potential.
[R34] mail.com 3/5 · US Its below average NOW: It used to be fast with very quick customer support. It has gotten slower over time even with my fast fiber internet connection, if I need help it takes a long while for an answer. For a service I am paying for I expected different so I am looking for other options next year . I gave it 3 stars because it doesn’t have any spam issues which why I chose it for!
[R36] mail.com 5/5 · US Very good mail app.: This email client is fantastic. I haven't found another client that shows such a variety of domains to choose from, which gives a lot of freedom to be creative with your selection, which I appreciate. It offers all the functionality I need and the iOS app is super clean, which I love. I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a free email client that looks great and is ea

Synthesized from 42 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store