Free Gmail Desktop Client For Mac

13-05-2021

Free Gmail Desktop Client For Mac

Email is the single most important element of daily work life; without which we would be less-than-efficient. We rely upon email to communicate, send files, schedule, and much more. Every company depends upon different solutions for email - some use Gmail. For those that depend upon Gmail, the browser interface may not be the ideal interface to work with throughout the day. For those wishing to have a more standard email client, you're in luck. I have found five efficient, user-friendly desktop email clients that interact with Gmail.

No more will you have to depend upon a browser-only interaction with your email account. Let's take a look at these five clients and see if any of them can stand up to your demands. Each of them offers a different feature set; but all of them tackle the most important task – email.

Five apps

Shift alleviates this problem by opening up several accounts in one handy desktop client. Shift gives you separate tabs to access Gmail, Calendar, and Google Drive within a single window.

1. Geary

Geary is the one Linux-only client on the list. It's written in Vala and intended for seamless integration into the GNOME desktop. It's about as simple as it gets - open it up and use your Gmail account. There are few bells and whistles to this take on the desktop Gmail client. The Geary interface is based on conversations, which makes reading an entire discussion quite simple. Setting up Geary is as simple as adding your Gmail address and password. Once you've done that, Geary will very quickly draw in your email so you can begin reading within seconds. Geary does allow you to mark conversations, add labels, archive emails, view inline and attached images, search, and more. Geary is free and can be installed from source or from your package manager.

2. GMDesk

GMDesk is built upon the Adobe Air runtime environment. Although GMDesk hasn't been in development for quite some time, it still works and works well. With this Air-based application you get access to all of the Gmail features, including Calendar, Drive, and more. Each app will open as a stand-alone application and can be closed as such. There is zero configuration necessary - just enter your Gmail credentials and go. You can also connect GMDesk to your Google Apps account instead of the standard Google services. You can select your preferred start-up service, and even switch between Google services within a single window.

3. eM Client

eM Client offers Gmail synchronization built in. This particular solution is more of a traditional email client. In fact, you might find it similar to that of Outlook - only geared toward Gmail. With eM Client you can work with your email, calendar, tasks, and contacts. You do miss out on Google Drive - but that's not really the purpose of an email client anyway. Em Client also has a built in tool to connect with your colleagues using Gtalk. The one caveat to using eM Client is that, in order to get it for free, you must register. The free license is intended for non-commercial use and does not offer any support. If you want the Pro version, you'll have to shell out $49.95 USD.

Also read:Five email clients to help ease you away from Outlook

4. Gmail by Pokki

Gmail by Pokki is another simple to use desktop app for your Gmail account that offers up friendly notifications from within the Windows system tray. With this free app you can: View and save attachments, set label notifications, create customized tabs, chat, turn any conversation into a video call with up to ten friends, establish a theme, and more. The one thing to be aware of is that Pokki is an entire app store on its own. So when you download Gmail by Pokki, you are installing their app store. It is quite unobtrusive and can be easily avoided. Getting to the settings requires a right-click of the Pokki 'menu' button in the task bar.

5. Thunderbird

Thunderbird is just as capable of dealing with Gmail as any other client. Set up of your Gmail account on Thunderbird is quite simple - no need to know the Gmail server addresses (just create a new account, add your Gmail credentials and let Thunderbird handle the rest. You won't gain access to your Calendar, contacts, tasks, labels, or any of the other Gmail features, but you will have a very powerful email client at your disposal. You can, of course, add the Lightning addon and have it connect to your Gmail Calendar. Thunderbird is a great cross-platform solution (Windows, Linux, Mac) for those looking for a Gmail desktop client.

Bottom line

If you're looking for user- Gmail-friendly desktop client, look no further than any one of these apps. Although not every app offers the entire range of features as found in the browser-based solution, each of them offers everything you need to access the basics of your Gmail account. Give one of these desktop clients a try and see if it doesn't wean you from your browser.

A free email client comes installed and ready for use with macOS, and macOS Mail is not a bad program at all. However, you might want to examine its free alternatives. Here are the best free email clients available for macOS. Give them a try.

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MacOS Mail

What We Like

Included in the Mac operating system.
Supports smart folders and robust filters.
Markup tools for annotating photos or PDFs email attachments.
VIP user notifications.

What We Don't Like

Basic design that lacks customization features.
No option to snooze emails.
Hasn't had a major design upgrade in years.

The Mail application that ships with macOS and OS X is solid, feature-rich and spam-eliminating software that is also an easy-to-use email client. Optimized to work on the Mac, the Mail app is trouble free and full featured. It can handle all your email accounts in one place.

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Spark

What We Like

Clean, modern design.
Quick Replies feature for sending short, templated responses.
Smart mailboxes.
Supports multiple email accounts.

What We Don't Like

Slow tech support.
Questionable privacy policy.
Doesn't support many services.

Spark is an impressive email program that auto-organizes your inboxes and lets you postpone email easily as well as send quick one-click replies. Spark's 'Smart Inbox' bubbles messages that are important to you to the top, and uses categories of Personal, Notifications, and Newsletters.

Spark's scheduling feature allows you to assign a time period during which it will send a particular message. Select from times later today, in the evening, tomorrow, or on any date.

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Mailspring

What We Like

Integrates with Gmail, iCloud, Office 365, Outlook, and Yahoo
Supports snoozing.
CPU and battery efficient.

What We Don't Like

Some features limited to paid subscription.
Doesn't support Exchange accounts.
Mandatory Mailspring ID.

Aimed at the professional email user, Mailspring boasts mail merge, reminders, and the option to schedule mail—all available in a pro edition.

With the free version, you get a clean, highly productive and expandable email program that includes thrills such as link and open tracking, quick reply templates, and undo send. However, the free edition is limited to 10 accounts.

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Mozilla Thunderbird

What We Like

Flexible filtering system.
Many available plug-ins.
Tabs for navigation.
Easy to configure.

What We Don't Like

Rudimentary design.
Not as user friendly as other clients.
No longer in development.

Mozilla Thunderbird is a full-featured, secure, and functional email client. It lets you handle mail efficiently and filters away junk mail. Thunderbird is no longer in active development except for security updates, but it supplies a streamlined interface and a powerful email package.

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Gmail Desktop Client For Windows

Mozilla SeaMonkey