Top 10 AI Email Assistants in 2025 [Tested & Reviewed]

After testing 20+ popular AI email assistants across Gmail, Outlook, and mobile workflows, these 10 tools consistently saved me the most time and handled my inbox chaos. Explore their features, pros, cons, and what they do exceptionally well.

Top 10 AI email assistants: At a glance

I've summarized how the top AI email assistants compare based on use case, pricing, and their strongest features. Here's a quick side-by-side snapshot of all the tools:

Next, let’s explore each tool in detail, along with how I used them during testing.

1. Lindy: Best for email automation and AI-driven workflows

What it does: Lindy is an AI automation tool that lets you create custom AI agents for different tasks. You can hand off email tasks like triage, follow-up, and reply to these agents. 

Who it’s for: Professionals who deal with a heavy daily email load and teams that want automated follow-ups, inbox triage, and workflows across tools. 

We created Lindy to be the closest thing to an AI employee for email. It offers ready-to-use templates for follow-up emails, inbox triage, email reminder, negotiator, and more. It can understand your inbox, pull the right context, and take action on your behalf without much setup.

When I started testing it, the setup took less than a minute. I connected Gmail, picked the email assistant template, and it scanned incoming messages, checked my knowledge base, drafted replies, and queued follow-ups. 

Lindy’s email triage let me choose from newer, more capable AI models and evaluated emails using complete thread context, as well as my prior interactions. It consistently did a better job at surfacing emails that needed action than tools like SaneBox or Gemini, which rely more on rules, heuristics, or lighter models. 

When a customer asked for help with a login issue, Lindy found the answer from the docs I shared and drafted a step-by-step reply that sounded like something I’d write. 

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The workflow builder is where Lindy differs from every other AI email tool. It lets you connect the apps you use, like CRM or Notion, with your email to create multi-step automations visually. 

I tested this using a simple “reply-or-escalate” workflow: if Lindy finds an answer in my knowledge base, it drafts the response; if not, it sends me a Slack DM with the email attached. It worked flawlessly, even with ambiguous messages that other assistants tend to misunderstand.

I also tested how Lindy handles email follow-ups. It automatically tracked unanswered messages, moved them into a “Needs Attention” queue, and drafted reminder emails for me. Normally, I spend a few hours each week chasing down replies, so having those follow-ups pre-written saved a lot of time.

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One small detail I appreciated is the “draft first, send later” mode. Instead of sending emails instantly, which always feel robotic, Lindy delays the send time so replies look human. It also gives me the chance to read drafts in context and adjust them if needed.

Lindy helps with email and also automates the work that usually comes after, like routing leads, updating systems, and keeping processes moving. For small teams or businesses juggling multiple tools, that extra coverage matters more than other inbox features.

Key features

• AI email triage: Understands intent, urgency, and next steps across your inbox using the latest AI models
• Ready-to-use templates: Choose from 100+ templates for email, sales, operations, and more
• Drag-and-drop workflow builder: Build automated flows for replying, escalating, tagging, routing, or updating external systems
• Follow-up automation: Tracks unanswered emails and keeps conversations moving without manual effort
• Human-in-the-loop control: Overlook sensitive emails before sending for maximum control
• SOC 2 and HIPAA compliance: Secure and suits regulated industries like finance or healthcare
• Tone and style matching: Uses your writing history to draft emails that sound natural

Pros

• Automates email and other business tasks beyond drafting
• Fast, accurate triage and context matching
• 4,000+ integrations with major productivity tools
• Highly customizable workflows

Cons

• Setup may feel overwhelming for casual email users
• Setting up the right workflow may require some experimentation upfront

Pricing

• Free plan with up to 40 monthly tasks
• Pro: $49.99/month, billed monthly, 5,000 credits with up to 1,500 tasks
• AI phone numbers: $10/month/number

Bottom line

Lindy is a great fit if you want an AI assistant that writes emails and handles triage, follow-ups, and cross-tool workflows instead of just making suggestions. If you want an assistant that behaves like a real teammate instead of a typing aid, Lindy is the tool to get.

2. Superhuman: Best for speed and keyboard shortcuts

What it does: Superhuman is an email client that helps you get through your inbox faster with powerful shortcuts, clean navigation, and an AI writer that generates context-aware drafts.

Who it’s for: Founders, executives, and power users who live in their inbox and care more about speed than automation. It’s ideal if you want to get through email faster without handing control to AI.

When I tested Superhuman, the first thing I noticed was how fast everything felt. Emails loaded instantly, searches were quick, and moving between threads never lagged. The entire app feels like it exists to remove small friction points you never notice until they disappear. Once I settled in, the difference between Superhuman and Gmail felt surprisingly large.

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My learning curve started with the shortcuts. Superhuman depends heavily on keyboard commands and keeps the interface minimal. There are no big buttons or cluttered menus. I found myself checking their shortcut cheat sheet throughout the first two days. 

After a bit of repetition, the workflow started to click, and everything felt smooth. It reminded me how much time I usually waste clicking around in email clients without realizing it.

The Split Inbox feature helped me stay more organized than I expected. I created separate inboxes for important senders, newsletters, and billing emails. Instead of scanning through a giant list every morning, I reviewed each section in order. This saved me a lot of time because I knew where to focus first. 

Superhuman also let me create a dedicated “Subscription Bills” inbox that pulled in anything with “payment” in the subject line. I liked how reliable this filter became as the week went by.

Superhuman’s AI writing tool is better than most email writers I have used. It asked me for a simple outline before drafting an email. Once I entered a few points, it generated a polished version with accurate context. I used the built-in commands to shorten, lengthen, simplify, or rewrite the text in a friendlier tone. 

The output still needed small tweaks here and there, but the drafts were more helpful than the generic emails I often get from other assistants.

The command palette (Cmd+K or Ctrl+K) quickly became my favorite feature. It let me compose new emails, set reminders, mark messages as read, or archive threads without touching my trackpad. Commands like “Monday” or “2d” set follow-ups at the right time, and these quick actions made email management feel less heavy. After a few days, I barely used the mouse.

Superhuman also shows read indicators for each thread. This helped me time my follow-ups better because I knew whether someone had opened my message. In my inbox, this small detail saved me from guessing when to check in again.

Team collaboration felt smooth, too. I could @mention colleagues inside email threads and assign tasks without switching tools. This reduced back-and-forth in Slack and kept our conversations tied to the messages that mattered.

Overall, my testing experience showed that Superhuman works best when you commit to the workflow. The speed improvements feel real once the shortcuts become familiar.

Key features

• Command palette for fast actions with simple text prompts
• Split Inbox for automatic email organization
• AI writing with outline-based drafting and tone controls
• Real-time read indicators
• Shared threads and team comments

Pros

• Fast inbox navigation
• Accurate AI drafting with helpful editing controls
• Clean interface that supports focus
• Reliable keyboard workflow

Cons

• Shortcuts require practice
• AI writing loses personal tone if overused
• Limited integrations with CRMs and external task tools
• Advanced email features only available on the Business plan

Pricing

• Free: Limited capabilities
• Starter: $30/user/month, billed monthly, includes AI drafting, search, calendar, collaboration, and coaching
• Business: $40/user/month, billed monthly, adds reports, automatic reminders, sales integrations, and 1:1 coaching
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Bottom line

Superhuman delivers a fast, focused email experience once you adjust to its shortcut-first workflow. It speeds up navigation, writing, and follow-ups in a way traditional email clients cannot match. If you value speed and prefer keyboard-driven actions, Superhuman is a great choice.

3. Microsoft Copilot: Best for Outlook users

What it does: Microsoft Copilot brings AI writing, summarization, and task extraction directly into Outlook. It helps you draft emails faster, understand long threads, and identify action items without switching tools.

Who it’s for: Outlook and Microsoft 365 users who handle complex email conversations and want built-in AI assistance that fits naturally into their existing tools. 

When I tested Copilot inside Outlook, it felt natural in the interface. I didn’t have to open a new tab or move between apps. I clicked the Copilot button at the top or typed a quick “/” command, and it understood exactly what I needed. 

This tight integration made the entire experience smoother than most standalone AI email assistants.

Copilot works across the Microsoft 365 suite, so it pulls context from past messages and documents quite accurately. When I replied to a customer update, Copilot noticed the tone of my previous emails and nudged me to soften a sentence that sounded too sharp. 

It suggested clearer phrasing, reminded me to acknowledge feedback properly, and pushed me toward a more polished message. These small coaching cues helped me write more professionally without slowing me down.

The summarization feature turned out to be the most helpful part of my testing. I often receive long email chains from teammates, and Copilot instantly condensed them into key points. 

In one case, I received a detailed update from a colleague about a delayed shipment. Copilot summarized the message in a couple of lines and identified the next step I needed to take, which was checking directly with the vendor. This saved me time from re-reading a long back-and-forth conversation.

Copilot also handled task extraction better than I expected. At the end of a busy day, I asked it to list all the tasks people assigned to me through email. It created a clean table that included the task, who requested it, and any deadlines mentioned. This helped me follow up on small requests that I might have missed.

My overall experience showed that Copilot feels most helpful when your workflow already revolves around Microsoft’s ecosystem. It fits naturally inside Outlook, Word, Excel, and Teams, and the experience feels cohesive. 

But this strength also limits its flexibility. It does not offer deep customization or large workflow automation features like dedicated email assistants. If you rely heavily on tools outside Microsoft, Copilot may feel more restricted.

Key features

• AI summarization that condenses long threads into key points
• Real-time writing coaching with tone and clarity suggestions
• Quick task extraction from daily email communication
• Tight integration with Word, Excel, OneNote, and Teams
• Context-aware citations that link back to the original messages

Pros

• Clean and accurate summarization
• Helpful tone and clarity suggestions while drafting
• Smooth integration inside Outlook and Microsoft 365

Cons

• Limited customization for email-specific workflows
• Cannot draft new emails without user input
• Relies heavily on detailed prompts for best results

Pricing

• Included with Microsoft 365
• Individual plans start from $9.99/month, billed monthly

Bottom line

Microsoft Copilot feels like a natural upgrade for Outlook users who want smarter drafting and instant clarity in busy inboxes. Its summaries, writing suggestions, and task tables reduce a lot of daily friction. 

If your workflow already lives inside Microsoft 365, Copilot fits seamlessly. If you need customization or broad integrations beyond Microsoft, you may find it limiting.

4. Shortwave: Best for assigning tasks within email

What it does: Shortwave turns your inbox into a workspace where you can read emails, summarize threads, create tasks, and schedule events without leaving the app. It combines AI drafting, inbox bundling, and task management into one interface.

Who it’s for: Gmail users who want personalized AI-written emails, rely on task-based workflows, and want tight Calendar and Task integrations.

When I started testing Shortwave, the first thing I noticed was how busy the interface looked. The left panel, the right AI panel, and the middle inbox column all compete for attention. It is capable and powerful, but the layout can feel overwhelming at first. 

I had moments where I felt like I was learning a new project management tool instead of an email assistant. Once I settled in, though, the depth of the features began to make sense.

Shortwave greeted me with a prompt asking if I wanted it to organize my inbox. I let it run, and within a few seconds, it grouped newsletters, receipts, promotions, and updates into neat bundles. The AI panel on the right then offered suggestions on how to work through my day, organize emails, or find urgent items. It felt like a built-in planning assistant rather than a separate AI chat box.

My favorite part of testing Shortwave was seeing how well it handled long, messy email threads. I clicked a task update from Asana that I had ignored for a couple of days, and Shortwave instantly summarized it. 

The summary wasn’t vague. It pulled the exact due date, the project it belonged to, the task category, and even highlighted that it was overdue. It then asked if I wanted to turn it into a to-do, schedule time to handle it, search for related emails, or start outlining the task. 

I didn’t expect that level of initiative, but it worked, and it felt surprisingly helpful.

Shortwave also assigns tasks directly from emails with minimal effort. When I clicked on an email related to a writing assignment, Shortwave created a clear task card with the project name, deadline, and context pulled from the thread. 

The AI read the email accurately and created a title that made sense. Each task keeps the original thread attached, which saves me time when I need quick context for a follow-up.

As for scheduling, Shortwave made it easy. I tested this by typing “Create a meeting with Zoe about Notion on Tuesday, 2 PM IST” into the AI panel. It found the right contact, created a calendar event, set the correct time, and added a Google Meet link. All I had to do was press “Create event.” 

This felt smoother than switching between the inbox and calendar tabs.

Shortwave works best with Gmail accounts. Since I tested it with Gmail, everything synced instantly. But I also noticed the setup gets clunky if you use Outlook, Yahoo, or other providers. You can still use Shortwave, but you must link your account through Gmail first, which adds friction you don’t face in other tools.

Once I adapted to the interface, the AI drafting, thread summaries, bundles, and task creation made my inbox feel manageable. It saved me time every morning, especially when I scanned dozens of unread emails.

Key features

• AI thread summaries for quick context
• Bundled inbox that groups similar emails
• Task creation from any email thread
• AI drafting and editing tools
• Calendar scheduling with natural language commands

Pros

• Accurate summarization and task extraction
• Deep Gmail integration
• Smart bundles that reduce inbox noise
• Helpful assistant panel for planning and daily workflow

Cons

• Interface feels crowded at first
• Indirect setup for non-Gmail users

Pricing

• Free plan: Basic inbox organization, 90-day search, and instant summaries
• Pro: $18/month, billed monthly, adds unlimited search, splits, bundles, to-dos, and themes
• Business: $24/seat/month, adds custom prompts, attachment analysis, and multi-account support
• Premier: $36/seat/month, adds unlimited AI search, activity feeds, higher-context answers, and personalized onboarding
• Max: $100/seat/month, 150 threads per AI search, live 1:1 training, expert intelligence

Bottom line

Shortwave feels powerful once you get used to its layout. Its summaries, task extraction, and natural-language scheduling cut through inbox clutter and save real time every day. If you use Gmail and like managing tasks directly from email, Shortwave is one of the smartest tools you can choose.

5. Missive: Best for team collaboration

What it does: Missive brings email, team chat, task delegation, and AI writing into one shared workspace. It helps teams manage shared inboxes, assign emails, and collaborate inside threads without switching tools.

Who it’s for: Teams that manage shared inboxes, client communication, or support workflows together, and small to mid-size teams that rely on email collaboration and delegation daily.

During testing, Missive seemed team-oriented and supports teams that live inside shared inboxes. I connected my accounts, and within minutes, I could assign emails, @mention teammates, add comments, and turn messages into tasks. 

Everything happened inside the same interface, which kept my inbox organized in a way that other tools rarely achieve.

The collaborative inbox model stands out immediately. I clicked on an email that needed input from my team, and instead of forwarding anything, I assigned it directly to them. They saw the email in their own inbox and handled it without needing any shared passwords or messy access settings. 

This saved me time and reduced confusion, especially when we worked on multiple threads at once.

Missive also supports fast internal chat inside email threads. Whenever I needed context from a teammate, I typed a quick message in the private comment bar. These comments stayed invisible to external recipients and acted like a built-in Slack channel tied to each email. This helped me keep discussions organized and avoid scattered messages across different apps.

During testing, I explored Missive’s integration ecosystem. Instead of locking me into a bundled AI subscription, Missive let me plug in my own API key. The OpenAI integration impressed me the most. 

This kept AI costs predictable while giving me full access to generative features for drafting emails and translating messages. The drafting assistant felt intuitive and saved me a few minutes each time I wrote a long reply.

Missive gives you exceptional control over the interface. I opened the settings panel and found an entire library of customization options for layout, gestures, shortcuts, themes, and workflows. I could rearrange almost everything, which is a huge advantage for teams that want their email client to match their rhythms. 

I only tweaked a few things, but I can see how larger teams would go deep into these settings to streamline their workflow.

I also tested Missive’s analytics. It tracks response times, message load across teammates, and productivity trends. This adds real value for teams that rely on email to serve customers or manage client projects. 

If your business depends on staying responsive, this level of insight helps you plan staffing, identify bottlenecks, and improve turnaround times.

My biggest takeaway is that Missive works best when you treat email as a team sport. Everything revolves around collaboration, delegation, and workflow control. 

If you rarely collaborate on emails, Missive might feel more complex than necessary. But if you run a team that constantly works through shared inboxes, it can replace several tools at once.

Key features

• Shared inboxes with assignment and delegation
• Internal chat inside email threads
• OpenAI integration with bring-your-own-key support
• Advanced customization for layouts, gestures, and workflows
• Team analytics and productivity reporting

Pros

• Effortless delegated email workflow
• Rich customization options
• Built-in internal chat that replaces scattered team communication
• Strong analytics for productivity tracking

Cons

• Pricing feels high for solo users
• The free plan is limited

Pricing

• 15-day trial when you sign up
• Paid plans from $18/user/month, billed monthly

Bottom line

Missive suits team collaboration and delivers a unified inbox where delegation, conversation, and action happen in one place. It feels powerful for teams that handle ongoing email volume together. 

If your workflow involves shared responsibilities or heavy client communication, Missive can reduce friction and keep your team organized. If you work alone or only check email casually, the pricing makes less sense.

6. Gemini for Google: Best for Google Workspace integration

What it does: Gemini is an AI assistant inside Gmail that helps you draft emails, find information across your inbox, summarize long threads, and pull relevant details without switching tabs.

Who it’s for: Google Workspace users who want simple drafting and summarization inside Gmail, and prefer the convenience of AI drafting over complete automation.

When I tested Gemini inside Gmail, the first thing I appreciated was how native it felt. The little star icon sat quietly in the corner, ready whenever I needed it. That makes it easy to pick up, even if you have never used AI tools before.

Gemini handles inbox tasks well. I asked it to show unread emails, find attachments, or pull up older conversations, and it responded quickly with accurate results. The speed and accuracy surprised me, especially when I searched for old conversations that I had forgotten about. 

When I asked, “When was the last time I emailed James?” Gemini immediately surfaced the exact date and linked the email. This helped me avoid scrolling through hundreds of older messages.

While testing, I also asked Gemini to fetch travel details from an airline confirmation thread. It read through the entire message and highlighted the departure time, baggage allowance, and the ticket price. These details usually hide inside long auto-generated emails, so this saved me a lot of time.

Gemini helps with email drafting as well. I typed a prompt inside the AI panel to draft a message for an urgent product issue. It created a clean, professional draft and gave me an option to insert it into Gmail. 

The process was straightforward, although I noticed some formatting glitches when the draft moved into the composer. For example, the subject line merged into the email body, so I had to adjust a few things manually. It wasn’t a big problem, but it broke the flow a little.

One of the more useful features is its ability to summarize multiple emails at once. I tested this with two weeks of promotional messages from my bank. I asked Gemini to summarize all emails from that sender, and it produced a clear list of the main offers without forcing me to read through every message. 

Scheduling meetings through Gemini also works well. I typed a simple instruction, “Set a meeting with Zoe on Tuesday at 2 PM.” Gemini found the right contact, created the event, and synced it with Google Calendar. It handled the entire workflow in seconds, which felt convenient for quick scheduling.

Overall, Gemini feels like a natural extension of Gmail. It handles searching, summarizing, and drafting without friction. It lacks deeper automation or personalization, but its built-in nature makes it easy for anyone inside the Google ecosystem to get started.

Key features

• Instant text generation inside Gmail
• Thread-level summaries for long conversations
• Fast data lookup from older emails
• Meeting scheduling through natural language prompts
• Draft-to-Gmail insertion support

Pros

• Deep integration across Google products
• Accurate data extraction from conversations
• Clean, simple interface built into Gmail
• Helpful when searching for older information

Cons

• No workflow automation
• Limited personalization in replies

Pricing

• Free plan: Basic Gemini features inside Gmail
• AI Pro plan: $19.99/month, and includes 2 TB storage, access to Gemini Advanced, AI writing and planning inside all Workspace apps

Bottom line

Gemini for Gmail feels like the natural upgrade Google always planned for its email users. It helps you write faster, find information instantly, and summarize long threads without adding complexity. It will not automate your inbox or customize your writing style, but if you already use Google Workspace every day, Gemini adds convenience without effort.

7. SaneBox: Best for cleaning your inbox

What it does: SaneBox filters out distracting or low-priority emails so your inbox only shows what matters. It learns your email habits, creates smart folders, and sends daily digests that make inbox cleanup quick and satisfying.

Who it’s for: Busy professionals overwhelmed by newsletters, promotions, and notifications, and anyone troubled with inbox clutter.

When I first opened SaneBox, I didn’t expect much. I’ve tried plenty of inbox cleaners, and most of them either over-filter or demand too much setup. 

SaneBox felt different right away. It quietly analyzed my inbox and created a “SaneLater” folder that stored messages it considered less urgent. I checked the folder and expected chaos, but it did a good job on the first day. When it misjudged a sender, I simply moved the email back, and SaneBox learned the correction instantly.

After a few days, important emails waited in my inbox, while newsletters, updates, and minor notifications stayed in SaneLater. The biggest surprise was how little effort it needed. I didn’t build rules or create filters. SaneBox just learned from my behavior and adjusted with every move I made.

While it calls itself an AI email assistant, SaneBox focuses completely on organization. It will not write emails for you or help with drafting. That part caught me off guard, especially since every other tool in this list offers generative writing. 

SaneBox’s strength is filtration and inbox control, not content generation. If that’s what you want, it delivers well.

The feature I used the most was the Daily Digest. Every morning, SaneBox sent a clean summary of everything it filtered overnight. Under each sender, it grouped messages and added buttons to delete, archive, or mark all as read. I could clear dozens of emails in a single click. 

The SaneBox Black Hole is another smart addition. When I dragged an annoying sender into the Black Hole folder, SaneBox stopped their emails from ever reaching my inbox again. This worked better than clicking “unsubscribe,” especially with persistent newsletters or promotional senders that ignore unsubscribe requests.

The way SaneBox handles attachments also stood out. Large files usually sit in my inbox, take up storage, and slow everything down. SaneBox connects directly to cloud storage services like Google Drive or OneDrive. When I received a huge file, it uploaded the attachment automatically while keeping the rest of the email in my inbox. This saved storage space and kept things organized.

I tried the Do Not Disturb feature next. It lets you block incoming emails during certain hours or days. I set mine to run from 6 PM to 9 AM daily. The system paused non-urgent emails and only allowed messages from key senders. I liked that I could create exceptions or customize schedules. 

SaneBox also adds several small folders like “SaneNews,” “SaneBulk,” and “SaneCC,” depending on your habits. I trained these folders by dragging messages to the right place. Over time, SaneBox understood what belonged where and kept everything consistent.

The only drawback is that you must do some initial training. The system is smart, but you still need to guide it for the first few days. After that, it becomes hands-off and reliable.

Key features

• Smart filtering with personalized folders
• Daily Digest summaries
• Black Hole for blocking unwanted senders
• Cloud attachment management
• Do Not Disturb scheduling

Pros

• Excellent inbox cleanup
• Easy to train with drag-and-drop folders
• Helpful daily summaries
• Smart handling of large attachments

Cons

• No email drafting or writing assistance
• The interface looks dated compared to modern tools

Pricing

• Free trial for 14 days
• Paid plans from $7.99/month, billed monthly
• Yearly and bi-yearly plans offer discounts

Bottom line

SaneBox keeps your inbox clean without forcing major workflow changes. It filters emails intelligently, summarizes your unread messages, and manages clutter better than most inbox tools. If you want cleaner folders and less noise, SaneBox works well. 

8. Proton Scribe: Best for privacy

What it does: Proton Scribe uses AI-assisted writing inside Proton Mail to help you draft, refine, and edit emails with the option to run everything locally on your device or on Proton’s secure servers.

Who it’s for: Privacy-conscious users handling sensitive or confidential communication and people already using the Proton ecosystem.

The first thing I noticed was how simple it felt. I clicked the small pencil icon in the composer, and the assistant opened instantly. There was no setup, no extra tab, and no additional tool to manage. It felt clean and intentional, which aligns with Proton’s privacy-first reputation.

Proton gives you two ways to run Scribe. You can execute all AI processing locally on your device, which means your text never leaves your computer. This mode needs stronger hardware, so I tested both options. On my laptop, local processing felt slower, but the control over my data felt reassuring. 

When I switched to Proton’s encrypted servers, results arrived faster and still followed strict privacy rules. I liked having the option to choose based on the email I was writing.

I tried a few different writing tasks to see how Scribe handled real scenarios. It polished a short, informal message into a clear, professional response. It expanded a quick outline into a detailed email that sounded natural. 

It also proofread longer drafts well, especially when I switched between English, French, and Spanish. The multilingual support was accurate, and the results stayed consistent across languages.

Scribe focuses entirely on writing. It does not automate your inbox or help with email sorting. It does not summarize threads or fetch information like Gemini or Copilot. It only enhances what you write. 

This narrow focus makes it easy to use, but it may feel limited if you want deeper automation or broader AI capabilities. During my testing, though, it handled each writing task smoothly and delivered clean outputs every time.

Most AI email tools rely on cloud processing, but Proton gives you the option to keep your content on your device. This makes it a strong choice for people who work with sensitive information but still want AI support. The trade-off is that local processing requires capable hardware, so not everyone can use the most private mode.

Key features

• Built-in writing assistant inside Proton Mail
• Local or secure server processing options
• Support for multiple languages
• Editing tools for drafting, expanding, shortening, and proofreading
• Privacy-centric design throughout the workflow

Pros

• Strong privacy protections
• Simple and clean interface
• Integrated smoothly into Proton Mail
• Helpful multilingual writing support

Cons

• Local mode needs newer hardware
• No automation or advanced AI workflows
• Paid add-on for business accounts

Pricing

• Included in Family and Business plans
• From $19.99/month, billed monthly

Bottom line

Proton Scribe focuses on privacy and secure email writing. It gives you control over how it processes your data, and its clean interface makes drafting emails easier without adding complexity. If you care about confidentiality and still want AI to speed up your writing, Proton Scribe delivers exactly that.

9. Grammarly: Best for live grammar correction

What it does: Grammarly improves your writing as you type. It checks grammar, tone, clarity, spelling, and sentence structure across your tools. 

Who it’s for: Professionals who want clean emails without changing their inbox workflow and writers who want error-free communication.

When I tested Grammarly inside Gmail, the accuracy and speed stood out almost immediately. The tool activated as soon as I started typing. Without adjusting or tweaking anything, it started flagging mistakes that normal spell checks miss. I saw grammar slips, incorrect verb tenses, and small punctuation issues appear in real time. 

I pushed Grammarly with a few real-world email tasks. First, I drafted a quick reply to a client. I wrote fast, and the draft looked rough. Grammarly picked up tone inconsistencies and suggested clearer alternatives. 

‍For example, it flagged polite-but-vague lines like “Let me know if this works” and suggested concise versions that sounded more decisive. I accepted most of those suggestions because they strengthened my message without changing my intent.

Next, I tested it with a longer email that had multiple paragraphs. Grammarly broke down the edits into categories like correctness, clarity, and engagement. This made it easier to understand what needed fixing. It suggested stronger verbs and removed filler words that made my draft feel slower. The sentence rewrites felt natural. They did not inject robotic phrasing, which I appreciated.

I also tried Grammarly’s tone detector. It showed me how my writing sounded before sending it. When I drafted a firm follow-up email, Grammarly warned me that the message might sound slightly curt. It suggested a more balanced version that still communicated urgency. These nudges helped me send messages that sounded clear without slipping into accidental bluntness.

Finally, I checked how well it works in Outlook. The integration was smooth. The same instant feedback carried over, and I noticed that Grammarly caught several small typos I usually miss when I write fast. The consistency across platforms gave me more confidence, especially during long writing sessions.

Grammarly focuses only on writing. It will not sort your inbox, summarize threads, or automate workflows. If you want full inbox assistance, tools like Superhuman or Gemini do that better. 

Grammarly stays in its lane and excels at improving the text itself. During testing, I found that this narrow focus made it feel reliable and simple. It did not add extra layers of complexity to my workflow.

Key features

• Real-time grammar, tone, and clarity checks
• Sentence rewriting for more concise language
• Tone detector to adjust the voice of your message
• Integrations with Gmail, Outlook, Google Docs, and browsers
• Vocabulary improvement suggestions

Pros

• Fast and accurate corrections
• Strong tone and clarity suggestions
• Helpful rewrites for long or clunky sentences
• Works across almost any writing environment

Cons

• No inbox management or automation
• The free version feels limited for heavy email users

Pricing

• Free plan with basic grammar and spelling checks
• Paid plans from $30/month, billed monthly 

Bottom line

Grammarly enhances your writing without changing your workflow. It helps you fix mistakes, sharpen your tone, and send clearer emails. If you want automation or inbox cleanup, Grammarly cannot do that. If your priority is professional and error-free writing, it is one of the strongest tools you can add to your daily email routine.

10. Friday: Best for drafting in different tones and languages

What it does: Friday generates email drafts using GPT-4, letting you choose tone, length, and language. It focuses entirely on fast, polished email writing.

Who it’s for: Users who need quick drafts in multiple tones or languages without inbox management features. It’s a good fit if writing speed is your main priority.

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When I tested Friday for the first time, the interface reminded me of a stripped-down writing pad. There were no menus to dig through or settings to configure. I typed a short instruction, picked a tone like formal or friendly, and Friday produced a full draft almost instantly. 

The simplicity felt intentional. It focused only on the writing task, which made it fast and easy to use when I needed a quick message.

I tried different tones to see how well it adapted. The “expert” tone worked well for client-facing emails, giving me polished sentences without sounding stiff. Switching to “friendly” produced softer, more conversational replies that felt natural. 

It also handled language changes reliably. I tested Spanish, Dutch, and Japanese, and Friday produced clean drafts each time. This helped when I needed to communicate with contacts who preferred messages in their own language.

Friday also caught small mistakes when I used the grammar check. It fixed spelling errors and tightened long sentences without changing my meaning. It was helpful during late-night writing sessions when my drafts were more prone to errors.

However, Friday only supports drafting and editing. It does not manage your inbox, summarize long threads, or automate follow-ups. There were moments when I wished it handled more of the email workflow, especially when I compared it to tools like Lindy or Superhuman. Friday writes email drafts well, but it stops there.

Key features

• Support for 14 languages
• Multiple tones such as expert, friendly, formal, persuasive, and more
• Basic grammar and clarity checking
• Email and messenger-style output modes

Pros

• Clean, minimal interface
• Quick, accurate drafting using GPT models
• Strong multilingual support
• Helpful tone options for different audiences

Cons

• Limited to drafting and editing
• No automation or inbox management
• Writing guides require an extra payment

Pricing

• Free trial for 3 days (requires card details) with limited features
• Pro plan from $6.99/week (viewable after signing up)
• Lifetime access for $69.99 one-time payment

Bottom line

Friday is a simple, fast drafting tool that helps you write polished emails in different languages and tones. It works well for quick communication and keeps the interface distraction-free. If you want a reliable drafting tool at an affordable one-time price, it does that job well.

How I tested these AI email assistants

I spent time testing each tool with the same set of email scenarios like client outreach, follow-ups, support replies, long threads, and inbox cleanups. My goal was to see how each assistant performed when put under the same conditions.

Here are the criteria I considered:

• Setup and onboarding: I checked how fast each tool connected to my inbox and whether the setup required extra steps, extensions, or permissions.
• Email drafting quality: I tested how well each tool drafted new emails from short prompts and whether the results sounded natural or robotic.
• Context awareness: I looked at how accurately each assistant read long threads, extracted details, and created relevant summaries or replies.
• Speed and responsiveness: I noted how quickly each tool processed prompts, generated drafts, or organized inbox content.
• Inbox management: I tested features like smart sorting, split inboxes, task extraction, follow-ups, and reminders to see which tools actually saved time.
• AI rewriting and editing: I fed rough drafts, short notes, or poorly written messages to measure how well each tool improved clarity, tone, and structure.
• Integrations and workflow fit: I checked how well each tool worked with Gmail, Outlook, Calendar apps, and task managers.
• Privacy and data handling: For tools with privacy claims, I reviewed their processing options and what data left my device.

Which AI email assistant should you choose?

The right AI email assistant depends on how you handle your inbox, how much automation you want, and which apps you already use. Each tool I tested solved a different part of the email workflow, so here is the simplest way to decide:

Choose Lindy if:

• You need an email assistant to triage your inbox, draft replies, send follow-ups, and connect to tools like Slack and Airtable.
• Your inbox is a mess and you want AI to handle it.
• You want AI agents to automate email and other workflows across domains like marketing, sales, lead gen, customer support, and more.
• You handle high-volume inbound and outbound calling workflows and need AI phone call agents to manage the calls autonomously.

Choose other tools:

• Choose Superhuman if you want a speedy inbox experience. Its shortcuts, split inbox, and clean interface help you get through emails faster without extra layers of setup.
• Choose Microsoft Copilot if you live inside Outlook and the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. It summarizes long threads, improves your writing, and pulls context from earlier conversations.
• Choose Shortwave if you want smart bundling and task-based organization. It turns emails into actionable items and works best with Gmail.
• Choose Missive if your team shares inboxes or delegates email tasks. It brings chat, assignments, and collaboration into one place.
• Choose Gemini if you rely on Gmail and want simple drafting, summarizing, and quick data lookup inside Google Workspace.
• Choose SaneBox if your inbox is overflowing and you need help filtering distractions. It sorts noise into neat folders without changing how you write.
• Choose Proton Scribe if privacy is your priority. It gives you secure drafting inside Proton Mail with the option for local processing.
• Choose Grammarly if you want clean, mistake-free writing inside Gmail or Outlook. It improves tone and clarity, but does not manage inbox tasks.
• Choose Friday if you want fast GPT-4 email drafts in different tones or languages with a simple interface and affordable one-time pricing.

If your goal is complete inbox automation, pick Lindy. If you want speed, pick Superhuman. If you want polished writing, pick Grammarly. If you want privacy, pick Proton Scribe. 

Everything else depends on which ecosystem you already use and how much you want an AI assistant to do for you.

Avoid these tools if:

• You only check your email occasionally: AI assistants deliver value when your inbox feels heavy. If you receive fewer than 20 to 30 emails a day, the time savings will be minimal.
• You prefer writing every message yourself: If you enjoy crafting emails manually and do not want AI drafts, tone rewrites, or automated suggestions, these tools will add steps instead of saving time.
• You work in environments with strict data policies: If your company blocks AI tools or restricts third-party integrations, you may not benefit from assistants that depend on cloud processing.
• Your work does not involve long email threads or client communication: AI assistants provide the biggest lift for people who write often, coordinate with teams, or manage customers daily. If your job does not rely on email, these tools won’t add much value.

What should you look for in an AI email assistant?

Choosing an AI email assistant should depend on how well the tool fits your real workflow. These are the factors to look for while selecting an AI email assistant:

Does it save time?

Tools that are difficult to learn and take a long time to setup add friction. I look for assistants that improve my workflow right away. Lindy, Superhuman, and Friday draft clean emails with almost no effort. SaneBox and Shortwave organize new messages instantly. Copilot and Gemini summarize long threads with a single prompt.

Is the email sorting smart enough?

An email assistant should recognize important messages without constant correction. Lindy, SaneBox, and Shortwave understood my priorities within a few days. They kept clutter out of my inbox and moved low-value emails where they belonged.

Can it draft emails that sound like me?

Some tools create stiff or generic emails. I focus on assistants that write naturally. Lindy, Superhuman, and Gemini produced drafts that matched my style with minimal editing. Tools that sounded too formulaic slowed me down instead of helping.

Does it work with my email provider?

Check if the assistant is compatible with your email tool. Gmail users will get the smoothest experience with Gemini and Shortwave. Outlook users will benefit most from Microsoft Copilot. Proton Mail users will only get strong drafting support from Proton Scribe. 

Can it automate follow-ups and reminders?

If you still need to track unanswered emails yourself, the assistant is not doing its job. Lindy and Missive handled follow-ups for me and kept conversations moving without manual checks.

Does it work without constant supervision?

The best tools run reliably with minimal setup. SaneBox, Missive, and Copilot performed well without daily adjustments. They handled sorting, responses, or summaries without asking me to tweak settings all the time.

Does it respect privacy?

Your AI email assistant has access to your emails, so privacy is a must. Proton Scribe stands out because it lets you run the model locally on your device for maximum control. If you handle sensitive communication, this option can be important.

My final verdict

After testing all ten AI email assistants across daily workflows, I found that some tools help you write faster, while others organize your inbox better. A few handle automation as well. 

If you want the most complete solution, Lindy stood out the most. It handled drafting, triage, follow-ups, and cross-tool workflows with the least effort on my part. It felt like working with a capable teammate rather than a writing helper.

If your priority is speed, Superhuman is a strong fit. If you live inside Outlook, Microsoft Copilot is the easiest choice. Gmail-heavy workflows get the most value from Shortwave or Gemini. Teams that collaborate inside shared inboxes will feel at home with Missive. 

Privacy-focused users will benefit most from Proton Scribe. And if you only need clean writing without automation, Grammarly and Friday do that well.

Pick the tool that matches the way you work. If your inbox feels overwhelming and you want real relief, start with Lindy. It's the only assistant that consistently saved me time across every part of the email workflow.

Try Lindy, your complete AI email assistant and automation tool

Lindy is an automation tool that lets you create custom AI agents for different tasks. You can use these agents as your AI email assistant to hand off inbox triage, follow-ups, and more. 

You can also automate other business workflows like meetings, operations, and sales with these AI agents. Choose from hundreds of prebuilt templates and 4,000+ integrations to launch easily.

Here’s why Lindy stands out among other AI email assistants:

• Drag-and-drop workflow builder for non-coders: You don’t need any technical skills to build workflows with Lindy. It offers a drag-and-drop visual workflow builder. 
• Create AI agents for your use cases: You can give them instructions in everyday language and automate repetitive tasks. For example, set up one AI agent to scan inbound leads, qualify them based on the email content, and draft a reply. Set up another agent to track unanswered threads, send follow-ups, and schedule meetings.  

• Free to start, affordable to scale: Build your first few automations with Lindy’s free version and get up to 40 tasks. With the Pro plan, you can automate up to 1,500 tasks, which offers much more value than Lindy’s competitors.  

Try Lindy today for free.