Apple Mail vs Gmail: Quick Comparison for 2024

If you’re reading this article, you’re likely trying to decide whether to choose Apple Mail or Gmail as your primary email client. You may already be using one of these two email providers and wondering whether switching to the other is the right move for you. 

In this article, we make a quick yet detailed comparison between these two email clients to help you make an informed decision.

Gmail App vs. Apple Mail: Quick Comparison  

Instead of going through a lengthy comparison, let’s get straight to the point. Which is better, Gmail or Apple Mail? Which one should you choose? 

Although the main difference between Gmail and Apple Mail is clear (one is available for any device while the other works only on Apple devices), there are many other aspects you may want to compare when choosing between the Gmail app vs. Apple Mail. 

Here are the main differences between Apple Mail and Gmail in various categories. 

🛠️ Apple Mail vs. Gmail: Features

Apple Mail is Apple’s native email app that integrates seamlessly across all Apple devices and apps. If you’re using the Apple ecosystem, from iCloud to Calendars and Notes on various macOS and iOS devices, Apple Mail is a great choice. 

On the other hand, Gmail isn’t only designed for Mac. While it does work well on macOS and iOS, it doesn’t integrate as seamlessly with the Apple ecosystem as Apple Mail. However, the advantage of Gmail is that you can access it from any device, either as a web-based platform from your browser or as a mobile app on your iPhone or Android. 

Here are Apple Mail’s main features:  

• Undo send
• Scheduling emails 
• Email reminders 
• Add multiple email accounts 
• Advanced search functionality
• Spam filtering 
• Hide your email address
• Change fonts and formatting

Here are some of Gmail’s main features for a quick comparison: 

• 15GB of storage on the free version
• Smart compose 
• Email nudges 
• Event details on calendar invites 
• Intelligent search suggestions 
• Automatic email filters and categories 
• Spam filtering and malware detection 
• Advanced phishing protection
• Confidential mode
• Integrations with other Google apps

Although Gmail is more accessible and easy to use on the go, Apple Mail wins in terms of features that focus on email organization, management, and productivity. 

👤 Apple Mail vs. Gmail: User Experience 

Like anything else from Apple, Apple Mail offers a sleek, modern design that can sometimes sacrifice the user experience for the sake of aesthetics. On the other hand, Gmail offers a pretty standard user experience – it’s simple, minimalistic, and easy to navigate. 

Unlike Gmail, Apple Mail offers a unified inbox that consolidates email from multiple accounts. Both Apple Mail and Gmail offer a smart inbox that automatically categorizes emails and shows the unread emails first, above everything else. 

Although it can integrate with other email services for a unified experience, Apple Mail only works on macOS and iOS devices. While Gmail doesn’t offer a unified inbox, it works only on any device and offers real-time synchronization between the web and mobile apps.  

🧠 Apple Mail vs. Gmail: AI Capabilities

Since Apple Mail integrates with Siri, it allows users to manage emails through voice commands and features like Smart Search, which adapts based on user habits. Essentially, Smart Search is an AI-driven search functionality that predicts user needs and speeds up the email search process.

Gmail uses AI differently, with Smart Compose for email drafting and Priority Inbox, which organizes emails based on user interaction. Smart Compose suggests text as you draft emails based on common phrases and your writing style, while Priority Inbox uses AI to sort emails by importance, learning from your interaction patterns. 

None of the two email clients offer ChatGPT-powered email writing capabilities at the moment. 

🔓 Apple Mail vs. Gmail: Privacy

Apple Mail offers standard security features like end-to-end encryption, as well as spam and phishing protection. What’s more, it allows users to hide their email so they can send and receive emails without sharing their real address. 

As for Gmail, aside from standard security features, it also offers optional ones like multi-factor authentication, the ability to lock emails, and a system where recipients must enter a code to read messages. 

Both email clients have strong email privacy features. Because of their commitment to privacy, neither Apple Mail nor Gmail scans or reads your emails for advertising purposes. 

💰 Apple Mail vs. Gmail: Pricing

Both Gmail and Apple Mail are free to use. You can download Apple Mail to use on your Mac or iPhone. On the other hand, Gmail is easily accessible via any browser or downloadable as a mobile app on your iPhone or Android. 

Since Gmail is part of the Google Workspace (formerly known as G Suite), you can update to a premium version that allows you to set a custom domain name for your email address, more storage, and more participants on your Google Meet video conferences. Google Workspace offers paid plans that start at $6 per month. 

Apple Mail vs. Gmail: Comparison Summary

Features	Apple Mail	Gmail
User Experience	Offers a sleek, modern design that can sometimes sacrifice the user experience for the sake of aesthetics	Offers a pretty standard user experience – it’s simple, minimalistic, and easy to navigate
AI	No AI email assistant, Smart Search is an AI-driven search functionality that predicts user needs and speeds up the email search process	No AI email assistant, Smart Compose for email drafting and Priority Inbox, which organizes emails based on user interaction
Privacy	Offers standard security features like end-to-end encryption, as well as spam and phishing protection	Aside from standard security features, it also offers optional ones like multi-factor authentication, the ability to lock emails, and a system where recipients must enter a code to read messages
Pricing	Free	$6/month

 

Gmail vs. Apple Mail: The Final Verdict

In summary, both Apple Mail and Gmail offer a great user experience and some handy features. Your choice between the two will likely depend on your specific needs. 

If you’re deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem and want an email client that syncs across all your Apple devices seamlessly, Apple Mail will be a better choice. However, if you’re looking for a more versatile email client that you can access from your browser or your mobile phone on the go, you should choose Gmail over Apple Mail. 

In the end, the choice between Apple Mail and Gmail boils down to individual needs and preferences. Both email clients are popular among users and offer a similar email experience, except for a few differences that we outlined in this article. 

Ultimately, the key to choosing the right email client for you is to identify which one aligns best with your specific requirements.

Gmail App vs. Apple Mail: The FAQs