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HEY hey.com

Can AI replace HEY?

You can build an email client, but replacing HEY means running a trustworthy email service: deliverability, spam filtering, abuse handling, storage, mobile apps, and reputation.

Verdict: Nah · Keep paying, or use a free alternativeBuild time: not realistically solo
Nah

01What it costs

$8.25/moPersonal address, annual effective per month
$99per year at that price

Checked Aug 12, 2026 · source: hey.com.

PlanMonthlyBilled yearlyWhat you get
HEY for You—$8.25/mo1 person; 1 @hey.com address; 100 GB storage.
HEY for Families—$14.92/moUp to 5 people total (account holder + 4 additional people), each with a separate @hey.com address and account.
HEY for Domains$12—Custom-domain email with central billing; first user is $10/month and each additional user is $12/month.

Hidden costs: Ultra-short @hey.com addresses cost extra each year: $999/year for 2 characters and $349/year for 3 characters; 4+ characters are included with the normal personal plan.

02Could AI build it for you?

The core job: Build a personal mail client on top of IMAP/SMTP or a hosted mailbox; do not try to replace the global email service layer casually.

What a working version needs:

  • existing email provider or mailbox
  • IMAP/SMTP APIs
  • spam filtering if hosting
  • domain/DNS if custom email

Valuable no: the UI is cloneable, but email infrastructure is not an afternoon project.

03What you'd give up

  • email deliverability
  • spam/abuse systems
  • storage reliability
  • mobile apps
  • identity/reputation
  • support

They pay because email is infrastructure; deliverability and trust are the product.

Sponsor slot · openFeatured alternative to HEY. A labeled card for one relevant tool.
Book this spot →

04The build prompt

Read the verdict first: this one is hard to get right.

Get the Build Kit for HEY

The complete build prompt, plus 11 step-by-step prompts from research to launch, a design system file, a page-by-page spec, the data model and a launch checklist.

Get the Build Kit · $9 →

One-time payment. Delivered on screen and by email.

05Free open-source starting points

  • Mail-in-a-Box: Open-source personal mail server stack; useful prior art but deliverability remains the mo

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