Alternatives to Spike
Turns email into a chat-like interface with message bubbles instead of a list. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Spike
Turns email into a chat-like interface with message bubbles instead of a list.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Spike.
Spark Mail
Smart email client that auto-sorts inboxes and drafts AI-powered replies.
Spark Mail keeps a conventional list layout with automatic categorization and AI-drafted replies on the same platforms, with AI features on a paid plan.
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft's email, calendar and contacts app for desktop, mobile and the web.
Microsoft Outlook uses a traditional mail layout with calendar and Microsoft 365 integration, adds a web version, and gates Copilot behind paid plans.
Canary Mail
Encrypted email client with AI features across desktop and mobile.
Canary Mail adds built-in encryption with AI triage in a conventional layout, requiring a paid subscription for the full feature set.
eM Client
A polished commercial mail, calendar and contacts client for Windows and Mac, with a free tier capped at two accounts.
eM Client uses a traditional layout with calendar, tasks and PGP and S/MIME, is sold as a one-time purchase, and caps the free tier at two accounts.
BlueMail
Cross-platform email and calendar client with a unified inbox.
BlueMail offers a conventional unified inbox and calendar that also runs on Linux, closed source, with criticism over credential handling.
Mailbird
Desktop email client for Windows and macOS with a unified inbox.
Mailbird is a paid Windows and macOS client with a standard unified inbox and app integrations, and no mobile apps.
Thunderbird
Mozilla’s desktop mail client, with calendar, contacts and a unified inbox, funded by donations rather than ads.
Thunderbird is free and open source with a classic list layout, calendar and OpenPGP, and runs on Linux, but has no iOS app.
Shortwave
An email client for Gmail accounts with an AI agent that sorts, writes, searches and schedules.
Shortwave replaces the chat-style layout with an AI agent for sorting, writing and scheduling, but is built for Gmail accounts and relies on a hosted AI service.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Spike as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Edison Mail
A multi-account email app that combines all your inboxes into one place, without ads.
Spike shows email as chat bubbles on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, with advanced AI and team features requiring a paid plan.
K-9 Mail
Open-source Android email client built for handling large volumes of mail.
Spike shows email as chat-style message bubbles on Android and iOS, a closed-source app with paid advanced AI and team features.
Microsoft Outlook for iOS and Android
Microsoft's Outlook mobile app for email, calendar and contacts on iPhone, iPad and Android.
Spike shows email as chat-style bubbles on Android and iOS, with advanced AI and team features requiring a paid plan.
Missive
A collaborative email app for teams that combines shared inboxes, internal chat and task assignment.
Spike presents email as chat-style threads on desktop and mobile, with team and advanced AI features requiring a paid plan.
Superhuman Mail
A keyboard-driven email client for Gmail and Outlook accounts with AI triage and scheduling.
Spike presents email as chat-style bubbles with AI features on desktop and mobile, with advanced AI and team features on a paid plan.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Mailspring
A desktop mail client with a unified inbox, snooze and send later, whose paid tier adds read receipts.
Apple Mail
The email app built into macOS, iOS and iPadOS for reading mail from several providers.
Gmail
Google's email service, used on the web and through Android and iOS apps.
