10 Best Business Email Apps to Use for Work in 2023

The best business email apps streamline managing, organizing, and using email for work. Among our picks for the best email apps for business users are email clients that foster security and privacy, automatically sync emails across devices, organize your inbox based on priority, and filter incoming emails to minimize distractions and increase productivity. Best of all, you can get started with each one for free.

• Best business email app overall, and best for task management: Microsoft Outlook
• Ideal app for email organization: Spark
• Most user-friendly work email app: Gmail
• Best work email client for fast search with AI assistant: Edison Mail
• Top business mail app for a customized experience: Aqua Mail
• Best work email app for managing multiple accounts: BlueMail
• Top email client for email security and privacy: ProtonMail
• Best business email app alternative for desktop: Thunderbird
• Great for conversational business email experience: Spike
• Best app for work email among Apple devices: Apple Mail

1. Microsoft Outlook: Best Email App for Small Business

Easily organize your mail and your schedule with Outlook (Source: Microsoft)

Nearly any type of business email user will find the Microsoft Outlook email app helpful for accessing their inbox from anywhere, on any device. Learn how to set up Microsoft Outlook business email in a few easy steps.

While it includes all the features one would expect from a major email provider, it also has some unique features. For example, users get access to easy email scheduling via mobile, task management, and built-in flight notifications for frequent travelers, making it the ideal email app for work. Learn more and find out why it’s also on our list of the best business email tools.

On mobile devices (both iOS and Android), Microsoft Outlook comes with a “Play My Emails” feature. This provides an audio run-through of new emails, which you can skip, flag, archive, and delete by voice using the Cortana virtual assistant.

Microsoft Outlook Pricing (via Microsoft 365)

You can use the Outlook email client for free, but to connect a custom domain, you’ll need a Microsoft 365 plan. Click the tabs below to see which plan would be best for you, or visit Microsoft 365 if you need the business-class version of Outlook for email on your own domain.

For more storage, upgrade to a Microsoft 365 business plan, which provides a hefty 1TB of cloud storage per person. Like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 also comes with a suite of productivity and collaboration tools you can access by purchasing one of the plans.

Not sure which is the better choice for your small business? See how Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 compares, or how Gmail vs Outlook stack up against each other specifically.

Visit Microsoft Outlook

2. Spark: Best Email Organization Features

Use Spark Mail’s email filters and organization tools to keep your inbox clear. (Source: SparkMailApp)

Spark is one of the most highly rated productivity and collaboration business email apps. It intelligently prioritizes your inbox, putting your most important emails at the top.

The Spark mail app decreases distractions by only sending push notifications for incoming emails from senders you know, and integrates easily with third-party apps like Trello and Dropbox. For teams, it offers shared file storage and email collaboration tools where your team can work on an email together.

It’s completely free to use, but you can upgrade your email experience by purchasing a Premium plan for only $6.39 per user, monthly. On the premium plan, you get more file storage, unlimited collaborators for emails, and unlimited members for email delegation. You can also create roles with administrative control.

Spark Pricing

It’s completely free to use, but you can upgrade your email experience by purchasing a Premium plan for only $6.39 per user on a monthly basis. On the Premium plan, you get more file storage, unlimited collaborators for emails, and unlimited members for email delegation. You can also create roles with administrative control. Click the tabs below to learn more.

Ready to get started? If you aren’t sure the free plan has enough features, take advantage of Spark’s seven-day free trial to see if a paid plan would be worth it.

Visit Spark

3. Gmail: Most User-friendly Email App for Work

Gmail’s interface comes with everything you need to collaborate with your team. (Source: Google)

Most mobile devices come standard with a basic mail app. However, businesses require more email features than these email apps typically provide. Gmail is one of the best apps for email, and one most popular and highly rated on the Apple App Store. It offers an array of comprehensive email features, from intuitive email sorting to automatic follow-up reminders.

In addition, while Gmail doesn’t have as many advanced native features as Outlook, it can be leveled up with any of thousands of business app integrations. This allows you to build on what you can do using native Gmail tips and tricks with additional features to streamline workflows and improve your team’s efficiency. Plus, it integrates seamlessly with all of the software in the Google Workspace office suite.

Learn how to set up Gmail for a business email in a few easy steps.

Gmail Pricing (via Google Workspace)

The Gmail app is completely free to use, but you can upgrade it via Google Workspace to use Gmail for business. Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) is Google’s software for business productivity and collaboration. Starting from $6 per user every month, each plan upgrade gives you and your team more email storage and higher limits on Google Meet, its video conferencing solution.

Visit Gmail

4. Edison Mail: Best Email Client for Fast Search With AI

Fast search with the email interface on the macOS desktop app (Source: Edison Mail)

Edison Mail allows you to seamlessly manage multiple email accounts in a secure inbox. It also has smart search features that make it easy to find emails and an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered email assistant.

The assistant automatically categorizes your emails, cleans up your inbox, and organizes everything. It’s a top-rated productivity app available for free in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.

Edison Mail Pricing

The paid Edison Mail+ plan enhances the Edison email app with advanced security. On the premium plan, you can verify senders and avoid phishing, add caller ID based on information in your inbox, and validate your contacts. Edison Mail+ is available for just $14.99 a month or $99.99 per year (per user) for up to five users.

Visit Edison Mail

5. Aqua Mail: Best Email App for Customized Experience

Use Aqua Mail’s navigation options to customize how you access and organize emails. (Source: Aqua Mail)

Aqua Mail is an Android-only email app that’s highly customizable. It’s also secure, and stores no email data on its own servers. It’s completely free to use, but you have the option to upgrade to a Pro plan for only $2.60 per month

Aqua Mail Pricing

The paid version of Aqua Mail costs $2.60 per month. It allows you to manage an unlimited number of email accounts in the app and removes all ads. On either the free or paid plan, you can easily back up and restore your emails from internal storage or cloud storage solutions like Dropbox through the Aqua Mail app itself.

Visit Aqua Mail

6. BlueMail: Best Email App for Managing Multiple Accounts

BlueMail has a unified inbox for multiple accounts. (Source: BlueMail)

BlueMail is one of the best email apps for businesses that manage multiple email accounts within one unified inbox. This makes it a great email client if you want to organize and manage your personal email alongside business communication.

Plus, you can set schedules, reminders, and inbox prioritization. It color-coordinates messages from each account, and puts the most important emails at the top of the inbox. It’s available for free, but it also offers premium plans starting at $5.50 per user on a monthly basis for corporate email management.

BlueMail Pricing

You can use BlueMail totally free, but there are two paid plans available. The premium BlueMail Business plan adds account management tools and app integrations for $5.50 per month, or upgrade to Business Pro for $12 per month to add video conferencing.

Visit Blue Mail

7. ProtonMail: Best Business Email Privacy & Security

Easily secure your emails using ProtonMail (Source: Proton)

ProtonMail is one of the best email apps for business email security. It protects emails and data through automatic email encryption, making it easy to secure your email messages from any device.

It’s a good email security solution for those who deal with potentially sensitive information via email, such as medical, legal, or financial services. It’s considered one of the best email security clients, with a high rating on the Google Play Store.

ProtonMail Pricing

Though ProtonMail has a generous free plan with up to 1GB of storage, it’s capped at 150 messages sent per day and doesn’t allow you to connect a custom domain. For higher limits and business email on your domain, upgrade to one of its paid plans for individuals or businesses. Click the tabs below for details about ProtonMail plans.

Visit ProtonMail

8. Thunderbird: Best Business Email App for Desktop Users

Thunderbird’s new and improved interface makes managing emails on desktop easy. (Source: How to Geek)

Free desktop email client Thunderbird released a notable update in 2022. It now has an updated interface, extensive add-ons and plugins, advanced security features, and customization options.

Thunderbird is one of the best email apps for desktop users, especially those looking for a completely free version and open source email client. Even without premium plans and licensing fees, Thunderbird holds up well against other top email apps because of its flexibility and advanced email handling features that any business user might need.

Visit Thunderbird

9. Spike: Best Conversational Business Email Experience

Turn your emails into chat on the mobile app (Source: SpikeNow)

Spike was designed to be especially user-friendly on mobile devices, allowing you to create emails like you would a text message. This work email app turns your interface into a text interface, making it easy to craft conversational email messages from anywhere.

Instead of the chunky email interface, Spike makes writing emails on mobile feel more natural to mobile users. This makes Spike one of the best email apps for business and users working on the go.

Spike Pricing

Use Spike free for business email to manage two accounts with 1GB of storage and one-to-one video calling. Upgrade to a paid plan to manage more email addresses in the app, increase storage and attachment file sizes, and get higher participant limits for video calls. Click on the tabs below to find the right plan.

Visit Spike

10. Apple Mail: Best Email App for Apple Users

The Apple Mail interface is clean and extremely easy to navigate. (Source: Apple)

Apple Mail is the free email app that comes pre-downloaded on all Apple devices. Don’t expect a lot of bells and whistles in terms of business email features, but its interface is clean, and it gets the job done. It even has built-in protection that hides your IP address and loads remote content in the background to prevent senders from learning information about you.

If you run your business operations on various Apple devices, expect your emails to sync seamlessly across all platforms. Since it’s natively built by Apple, both the mobile and desktop applications look sleek and run smoothly.

Apple Mail Pricing (iCloud)

Although Apple Mail is technically free, you can upgrade by purchasing an affordable iCloud+ subscription from Apple (only available to iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and higher). iCloud+ tiers entitle you to between 50GB and 2TB in storage along with extra email security features like “Hide My Email”—a feature that lets you register on sites and applications using a randomized Apple ID. Click the tabs below to see Apple Mail free and paid plan details.

It’s also worth noting that at 99 cents per month, you can get 50GB of storage, which is much cheaper than comparable paid plans and a lot more storage than any email client includes for free. Plus, you’ll need a paid plan to connect a custom domain.

Visit Apple Mail

How We Evaluated the Best Business Email Apps for Work

The email apps ranked in our top 10 for work use are based on a combination of user-friendliness, security, privacy, and other relevant features. At the same time, the best email app is small business-friendly as it offers free plans and app download at no cost. Here is a breakdown of the factors considered in ranking the best email app:

• Pricing and value for the money for paid plans
• User experience (e.g., in-app navigation and ease of use)
• Security and privacy
• Ability to integrate third-party business apps
• The ability to connect a domain and use a custom business email address
• Features specific to work use, like being able to add multiple accounts and the email handling and management tools available

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the best free email app for businesses?

The two best free webmail apps for businesses are Gmail and Outlook. These popular business email services come with plenty of integrations with other business software and apps to streamline workflows and facilitate communication. If you need stronger security than the free email clients provide, use ProtonMail, which focuses on privacy and security, including email encryption.

Can I create a business email for free?

There are several ways to create a business email for free. If you have a domain, you can create up to five business email accounts for free using Zoho Mail. If you need a domain, you can purchase one from IONOS for $1 for the first year and get a free email account as well. If you need multiple free email addresses, getting them in a web hosting plan from Bluehost is the best option. Learn all the ways to get a free business email in our guide.

Which is the best email app for business: Gmail or Outlook?

Gmail and Outlook are the undisputed champs for mail apps for business. When comparing Gmail vs Outlook, the decision comes down to what email features you want and which productivity suite you plan to use. To collaborate seamlessly, go with Gmail via Google Workspace. See how they stack up in our Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 comparison.

Bottom Line

The best email apps for small businesses help you run your operations more efficiently and streamline communication, saving you time and money. Most of these email apps are available for free through the Apple App Store and Google Play, so the only investment involved is the time to install and familiarize yourself with the app.