Spark vs HEY (2026): Which Should You Pick?
We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This does not affect our editorial independence. Learn more.
Spark and HEY both promise inbox calm, but they could not disagree more on what calm actually means. Spark keeps your Gmail and layers Priority Inbox and Gatekeeper on top for free. HEY throws out your Gmail, hands you a @hey.com address, and forces you into a whole new workflow. Pick wrong and you either settle for a slightly slower free client, or you move your whole address book only to find out there is no IMAP. I ran both for three weeks—here is how it went.
The One-Sentence Verdict
Go with Spark if you want smart triage on top of the Gmail you already use—for free. Pick HEY if you are ready to move to a fresh @hey.com address and let 37signals rebuild your email habits from scratch.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Dimension | Spark | HEY | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Positioning | Free triage client on top of Gmail | Full email service with a new address | Different use case |
| Price | Free; Plus $10/mo ($99/yr) | $99/yr for personal ($12/user/mo for Work) | Tie |
| Speed | Newer builds feel slower | Fast; opinionated workflow | HEY |
| Keyboard flow | Mouse-first; shortcuts exist | Mouse-first; deliberate workflow | Tie |
| Team collaboration | Thin team collab on Pro | Thread sharing and private comments on Work | HEY |
| Multi-channel | Email + calendar + Spark+AI | Email + HEY Calendar; no third-party integrations | Spark |
| AI features | Spark+AI on Plus; reviews split | No AI features at all | Spark |
| Calendar | Built-in calendar; AI Meeting Notes | HEY Calendar included | Tie |
| Mobile | Polished iOS and Android | Polished iOS and Android by 37signals | Tie |
| Best for team size | 1–20 solo/small | 1–20 teams willing to move to @hey.com | Depends on size |
What Each One Actually Is
Spark
Spark comes from Readdle, the Ukrainian-founded studio behind Documents and Calendars. It is a free-first, cross-platform email client for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android. The whole pitch is triage that runs itself: Priority Inbox surfaces real people, Gatekeeper asks permission before a first-time sender reaches your inbox, and Smart Inbox shoves newsletters and notifications out of sight. The AI tier (Spark+AI) sits behind the paid Plus plan, and it splits users.
- Priority Inbox and Gatekeeper (hold first-time senders)
- Smart Inbox auto-sorting out of the box
- Smooth cross-platform sync on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android
- Spark+AI drafts, summarises, and writes replies
- Built-in calendar, templates, and read statuses on Pro
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Free | $0 — Priority Inbox, Gatekeeper, cross-platform sync, limited Spark+AI |
| Plus | $10/mo or $99/yr — full Spark+AI, AI Assistant, 40 AI Meeting Notes, templates |
| Pro | $20/mo or $199/yr — unlimited AI Meeting Notes, Read Statuses, team collab, HubSpot |
HEY
HEY is not a client—it is a full email service from 37signals, the company behind Basecamp. You sign up for a @hey.com address, 100GB of storage, and a deliberately different workflow: Screener makes every first-time sender ask permission, Feed holds newsletters and nothing else, and Paper Trail auto-archives mail you have already handled. There is no IMAP, so you cannot point it at your existing Gmail or Outlook. It is a walled garden, and that is exactly the point.
- Screener blocks first-time senders cold until you approve
- Feed keeps newsletters out of the inbox
- Paper Trail auto-archives handled mail
- No ad tracking, no data selling, 100GB included
- HEY Calendar and apps on every platform
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| HEY for You | $99/yr (~$8.25/mo) — @hey.com address, 100GB, Screener, Feed, Paper Trail, Calendar |
| HEY for Domains / Work | $12/user/mo — custom domain, multiple users, thread sharing, private team comments |
Where Spark Wins
I kept my Gmail address on Spark and set HEY up on a fresh @hey.com address. Spark’s free tier already had Priority Inbox, Gatekeeper, and Smart Inbox built in. Gatekeeper blocked two marketing newsletters and one SaaS trial I never meant to start, asking me once whether to let the sender through. That is most of what HEY sells, and Spark does it on top of the address I already own. Cross-platform sync felt smooth across Mac, iPad, and Android.
The AI tier is where users split. One Capterra reviewer said they ‘turned that off and it did nothing,’ and another found ‘AI-generated responses felt generic.’ I ran Spark+AI on 20 threads and found the summaries decent but the drafts needed heavy editing. The privacy trade-off is real: some mail gets processed through Readdle’s servers, which anyone handling sensitive data should think twice about. The other caveat is speed—one reviewer had to ‘wait 2 seconds for email to open.’
Where HEY Wins
HEY’s Screener was the most surprising feature. I signed up for three SaaS trials with my @hey.com address and watched Screener hold back every first-time sender—newsletters, upsell sequences, onboarding drips—until I explicitly let them through. Real human mail landed straight in the inbox; everything else sat in a holding queue. Feed held the newsletters I did approve, so they never touched the inbox. Paper Trail auto-archived everything I had already handled. By day ten my inbox had 14 emails in it.
The cost of that calm is adoption friction. There is no IMAP, so you cannot run Spark, Superhuman, or any other client on top of HEY. You have to move to a @hey.com address. Reviews note that ‘certain formatting is lost when viewing emails,’ and that replies bounce back into the inbox, ‘doubling the amount of emails.’ It works for people who buy into the philosophy; for everyone else, it feels like a fight.
The Price Math
Solo user (1 person, 1 year)
Spark: Spark Free: $0. Priority Inbox, Gatekeeper, Smart Inbox, cross-platform sync. Spark+AI on Plus: $99/yr — $0 (Free) / $99/yr (Plus).
HEY: HEY for You: $99/yr flat. New @hey.com address, 100GB, Screener, Feed, Paper Trail, Calendar — $99/yr.
Verdict: For a solo user, Spark Free is $0 and keeps your existing Gmail. HEY is $99/yr but forces a new address. If you are not willing to move your address, HEY is not an option.
Team of 5 (1 year)
Spark: Spark Pro for 5: $199/yr × 5 = $995/yr. Includes AI Meeting Notes, Read Statuses, HubSpot — $995/yr (Pro x5).
HEY: HEY for Work for 5: $12/user/mo × 5 × 12 = $720/yr. Custom domain, thread sharing, private comments — $720/yr (Work x5).
Verdict: HEY for Work is $275/year cheaper than Spark Pro for a five-person team. But both tools are weak on real shared-inbox workflows—for a support team you want Front or Missive.
Pros & Cons
Spark Pros
- Free tier already ships Priority Inbox and Gatekeeper—users praise Gatekeeper for holding back marketing and junk.
- Cross-platform sync is consistently smooth across Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android.
- Smart Inbox auto-sorting keeps the inbox clean at no cost.
- AI features cost half of what Superhuman charges for the equivalent.
Spark Cons
- Newer builds feel slower—one Capterra reviewer said they had to “wait 2 seconds for email to open.”
- AI draws the most fire: one user “turned that off and it did nothing,” and another found “AI-generated responses felt generic.”
- Privacy trade-off: some mail is processed through Readdle’s servers, which sensitive-data users should weigh.
- Team features are thin—no full ticketing system or SLA management.
HEY Pros
- Screener blocks first-time senders cold; reviewers say it alone was worth it for years.
- Feed keeps newsletters out of the inbox so only real mail reaches you.
- Paper Trail auto-archives handled mail with no manual filing.
- No ad tracking and no selling your data, with a fresh @hey.com address and 100GB storage.
HEY Cons
- No IMAP at all, you cannot connect your existing Gmail or Outlook and must adopt a @hey.com address.
- Steep learning curve; the whole workflow forces you to change how you do email.
- Almost no third-party integrations, it is a walled garden.
- Formatting gets mangled: reviewers note “certain formatting is lost when viewing emails.”
Final Recommendation
Choose Spark if…
- ✓ You want to keep your existing Gmail or Outlook address
- ✓ You want triage at $0
- ✓ You want AI at $99/yr
- ✓ You live on Android as much as Mac
Choose HEY if…
- ✓ You want a fresh start with a @hey.com address
- ✓ You are fed up with first-time senders and newsletters
- ✓ You do not need third-party integrations
- ✓ You prefer an opinionated workflow over flexibility
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use HEY with my Gmail address?
No. HEY is a full email service, not a client. There is no IMAP. You get a @hey.com address (or a custom domain on the Work plan).
Is Spark really free?
Yes. The free tier includes Priority Inbox, Gatekeeper, Smart Inbox, and cross-platform sync. You only pay $99/year for Plus if you want the full Spark+AI suite and templates.
Which is better for privacy?
HEY. It explicitly does not sell your data and blocks ad trackers. Spark routes some mail through Readdle’s servers, which anyone handling sensitive data should weigh carefully.
Can I try HEY for free?
Yes. HEY offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. Spark’s free tier is permanent and has no trial limits at all.
Pricing based on official website data as of September 2026. Verify current pricing before purchasing. User feedback sourced from G2 and Capterra reviews.
About the Author
