Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Mail vs Gmail

Mail 4.6★ · Free to download 65
Winner Gmail
Gmail 4.7★ · Free to download 70

Gmail holds a slight edge over Mail due to its generally more reliable performance and better search functionality, despite both apps experiencing issues with email delivery and recent updates.

Full reviews: Mail · Gmail

Mail, the native Apple app, is praised for its simplicity but frequently suffers from critical issues like not receiving emails and poor spam filtering. Gmail, while also experiencing recent update problems and a large app size, is generally seen as more user-friendly with better search capabilities and account management.

Head to head

Reliability & Email Delivery tieR3R7R10R18
Mail Mail users frequently report not receiving emails, especially verification codes, or experiencing significant delays in email delivery R3R7R10R18. Some also note issues with attachments not downloading and emails not sending R10.
Gmail Gmail users also report problems with not receiving emails, particularly after password changes or for two-step verification codes . Some experience the app freezing, crashing, or not loading emails, sometimes requiring reinstallation R67.
Ease of Use & Interface edge: GmailR13R15R19R20
Mail Mail is described as simple and easy to use by some R20, but many find it difficult to organize and navigate, especially after updates R13R15R19R25. Users struggle with finding read emails, sent emails, and attachments, and some report the app disappearing from the home screen R13R19.
Gmail Gmail is often praised for being user-friendly, clean, and quick, making it easy to find what's needed R74. However, some users find the interface problematic, with issues like the inbox pane blocking full-screen view on iPad, difficulty selecting multiple emails, and recent updates changing options like moving to the next message after deleting .
Spam & Security tieR12R31R34R39
Mail Mail users are frustrated by the app's inability to block spam emails, with some reporting that blocking only increases the amount of spam received R12R31R39. Concerns are also raised about the lack of ability to view email headers and security verification, making it seem less secure R34.
Gmail Gmail users report issues with inappropriate emails from random people R81 and concerns about accounts being hacked . Some dislike emails being automatically sorted into tabs like 'promotions,' causing them to miss important messages R91.
Search Functionality edge: GmailR24R74
Mail Mail's search function is reported to be broken or ineffective, often failing to find relevant emails or returning incorrect results after updates R24.
Gmail Gmail's search is praised for working well and making it easy to find emails R74.
Performance & Updates tieR10R13R25R30
Mail Mail users report issues with the app saying 'updating for weeks' without actually updating, and problems with attachments R10. Recent updates are criticized for making the app harder to use and changing the interface unexpectedly R13R25R30.
Gmail Gmail has faced significant issues with recent updates, causing the app to freeze, crash, not load, or become non-functional for days R67. Users also complain about the app's egregiously large size, approaching one gigabyte R82R112.
Pick Mail if

Pick Mail if you prefer a native Apple experience and generally find its basic functionality sufficient, or if you value its perceived simplicity over advanced features R20.

Pick Gmail if

Pick Gmail if you prioritize a more user-friendly interface with better search capabilities and account management, or if you are already deeply integrated into the Google ecosystem R74.

Evidence note: Both apps have a significant number of positive but unspecific reviews (e.g., 'Great app,' 'Super good'). Negative reviews for both apps are often related to critical functionality issues like email delivery, search, or post-update problems. The free nature of both apps means there's no free-vs-paid asymmetry to consider.

Frequently asked

Does Mail reliably deliver emails?
Mail users frequently report issues with not receiving emails, especially verification codes, or experiencing significant delays in email delivery R3R7R10R18.
Is Gmail's search function effective?
Yes, Gmail's search function is generally praised by users for working well and making it easy to find specific emails R74.
Do these apps handle spam effectively?
Neither app is consistently effective at handling spam; Mail users report that blocking spam often increases it and that the app struggles to block unwanted emails R12R39, while Gmail users report receiving inappropriate emails and missing important messages due to automatic sorting into 'promotions' tabs R81R91.
Are there performance issues with recent updates for either app?
Both apps have experienced performance issues with recent updates; Mail users report the app failing to update or changing its interface unexpectedly R10R13R25, while Gmail users frequently report the app freezing, crashing, or not loading after updates R67.
Is the Gmail app large in size?
Yes, several Gmail users complain about the app's egregiously large size, approaching or exceeding one gigabyte R82R112.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 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.

  1. [R3] Mail 3/5 · US Mail is so far the worst app: I suddenly stop getting any emails I don’t know what happened I just stoped getting emails bus it is go so it gets 3 stars
  2. [R7] Mail 2/5 · US It doesn’t work for me: For some reason I don’t get anything even when I’m trying to sign in to websites it doesn’t It only sends me the thing from Apple send it
  3. [R10] Mail 1/5 · US Updating: Says updating for weeks yet does not update and will not download attachments. Does not send or deliver all emails
  4. [R18] Mail 3/5 · US No Emails?: I like this app but I haven’t gotten my Emails for some reasons.
  5. [R13] Mail 1/5 · US Unexpected changes: Why does my mail box keep changing? Now I am only allowed to see unread emails, can’t even see my inbox
  6. [R15] Mail 3/5 · US Not user friendly: Instructions needed to use and organize the Mail Box
  7. [R19] Mail 1/5 · US Categories Unclear: The ways the categories are set up, it’s very confusing to find read email that I need to return to, my sent email and to attachments.
  8. [R20] Mail 5/5 · US Best Mail App: Definitely my go to mailing app. It has never given me any issues. I definitely always recommend everyone to use for their default mailing app
  9. [R12] Mail 3/5 · US Ongoing Headache: I’ve yet to get my app to chime for new email. Which I guess is good because of all the stupid spam emails I get. Which comes to my next headache…this app will NOT block spam emails when you block them. It seems like the more I block the worse it gets. Frustrating. I’m about to stop using it. And there’s no help in sight.
  10. [R31] Mail 1/5 · US e-trickery and too ill to act on it: Emails go to another name. Scam Spam text messages daily, even with Apple updates. Phone calls Read Only invasive. Untrustworthy Siri.
  11. [R34] Mail 1/5 · US Elephant in the room: My iPhone has an amazing set of security and privacy features. The inability to view email headers and security verification in the app is inexcusable to the point of this not being implemented would be SEEMINGLY INTENTIONAL. All these smart engineers and “whoops we forgot this very basic thing with the single most used app”, lol, yeah right. Further, the masking of the from
  12. [R39] Mail 3/5 · US ok: i’ll try to unsubscribe from a mallet thing but it doesn’t work i still get mail from them
  13. [R24] Mail 3/5 · US SEARCH DOES NOT WORK: Edit: search is still not working. I search for ‘survey’ and it locates emails with ‘form’. Not any better than not working at all like before. After last update, the search no longer works. I put in the name or word I am looking for on all my emails and nothing comes up.
  14. [R74] 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
  15. [R25] Mail 1/5 · US Hideous new system.: Congrats Tim Cook! I have been using Apple products since 1992. You and your young techies, and the decreasing quality of support have ruined Macs and my phone for me. I now officially hate Macs and am not fond of the way the company has gone. What a shame. And that newest phone update? Do you really think I have nothing better to do with my life than relearn every aspect, and
  16. [R30] Mail 3/5 · US Learning to Win: Working with Mail was easy from the start but it seems a little more complicated now. I guess I’ll win it back.
  17. [R81] Gmail 3/5 · GB My experience: I was uncomfortable because when I went on my Gmail account some random people keep on sending me inappropriate emails
  18. [R91] Gmail 1/5 · US Not a great email service: Miss emails all the time because they get put into tabs like “promotions” there is no easy way to fix this after lots of research. Only can turn it off. Maybe there’s something to do on a desktop but this is an app and there isn’t here so.
  19. [R67] Gmail 2/5 · US Travando: Depois da ultima atualizacao nao consigo mais usar, trava so de abrir
  20. [R82] Gmail 1/5 · US EGREGIOUSLY BLOATED app size approaching ONE GIGABYTE 🚨 🚨 🚨: 701+ MEGABYTES (UPDATE: 738.1 MEGABYTES, previously: 731.1… 716.7… the bloating doesn’t stop)… for an email app! The people getting paid to bloat and deploy this garbage are terribly negligent.
  21. [R112] Gmail 2/5 · US App takes too much space!: Seriously. Over 700 MB ???!!! That’s why I’m going to have to delete this app!!!

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store