Fastmail vs Superhuman
Fastmail lists at $6/mo and Superhuman at $40/mo, so Fastmail costs $408 less a year at listed prices. Below: prices, free plans, whether AI can replace each one, and the free alternatives.
01Side by side
| Fastmail | Superhuman | |
|---|---|---|
| Listed price | $6/mo | $40/mo |
| Per year | $72 | $480 |
| Plan compared | Individual | Business |
| Billing | monthly | monthly per user |
| Free plan | None listed | No free plan, just a 30-day trial (a referral is usually required). |
| Can AI replace it? | Nah | Nah |
| Build time with AI | closest consolation build: one sitting | closest consolation build: one sitting |
| Free alternatives listed | 6 | 5 |
| Prices checked | Aug 12, 2026 | Aug 11, 2026 |
Each column uses the plan that app's page lists. Plans include different things, so read both pricing pages before you switch.
02The short version
Fastmail NahA consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Fastmail, build a clean client for an existing mailbox without running public mail infrastructure. The hard boundary is mail hosting, spam filtering, domains, calendars, contacts, deliverability, and support, plus mail infrastructure, integrations, and client polish.
Leaving means giving up: mail hosting, spam filtering, domains, calendars, contacts, deliverability, and support, mail hosting and deliverability, push on every platform and advanced team collaboration.
Free options: Apple Mail, BlueMail Personal and Edison Mail.
Superhuman NahA consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Superhuman, build a fast keyboard-first IMAP client with local search and a focused inbox. The hard boundary is gmail and outlook integration depth, ai, coaching, team features, and exceptional polish, plus mail infrastructure, integrations, and client polish.
Leaving means giving up: Gmail and Outlook integration depth, AI, coaching, team features, and exceptional polish, mail hosting and deliverability, push on every platform and advanced team collaboration.
Free options: BlueMail Personal, Edison Mail and Mailspring.
Full Superhuman verdict →
All free alternatives to Superhuman →
03Free alternatives to both
Unlimited accounts and a unified inbox on every major desktop and phone; no server administration required.
bluemail.me →A free multi-account client with strong search and rules; its optional data-research model deserves reading.
edisonmail.com →A fast unified desktop inbox with local search; workflow extras still cost money.
getmailspring.com →A clean multi-account inbox across desktop and mobile; the free tier covers ordinary mail unusually well.
sparkmailapp.com →A mature client for almost any mailbox; the interface has survived more redesign cycles than most startups.
thunderbird.net →04Questions
Is Fastmail cheaper than Superhuman?
Fastmail lists at $6/mo and Superhuman at $40/mo, so Fastmail costs $408 less a year at listed prices. The plans compared are Fastmail Individual and Superhuman Business; they don't include the same things, so check both pricing pages.
Can AI replace Fastmail or Superhuman?
Fastmail: Nah. A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Fastmail, build a clean client for an existing mailbox without running public mail infrastructure. The hard boundary is mail hosting, spam filtering, domains, calendars, contacts, deliverability, and support, plus mail infrastructure, integrations, and client polish. Superhuman: Nah. A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Superhuman, build a fast keyboard-first IMAP client with local search and a focused inbox. The hard boundary is gmail and outlook integration depth, ai, coaching, team features, and exceptional polish, plus mail infrastructure, integrations, and client polish.
Are there free alternatives to Fastmail and Superhuman?
Yes. BlueMail Personal, Edison Mail, Mailspring, Spark Free and Thunderbird are listed as free alternatives to both.
Prices change; confirm on the vendor's site before you decide.
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