Epistles Mail vs Spike

Epistles Mail is an email app with a unified inbox, offline access, scheduled sending, and calendar tools. It works with Gmail, Microsoft 365, Fastmail, JMAP servers, iCloud, Proton, and IMAP. Mail content, attachments, drafts, and the search index stay on the device, and search runs against a local cache. Its local-first, zero-knowledge encryption model stores ciphertext in Cloud Vault; Epistles servers do not store mailbox content. The app is available on Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, Linux, and the web, as well as Apple Watch and Wear OS. The free plan supports up to two connected accounts. Pro costs $35 per year after a 14-day free trial and allows unlimited connected accounts, with password-protected, expiring email included. Pro uses one flat price rather than per-seat billing. iCloud support includes mail, calendar, and contacts. The watch app supports archive, snooze, pin, template replies, and RSVP. Epistles passed a CASA Tier 2 security assessment by TAC Security.

Spike combines email, calls, notes, tasks, and to-dos in a single hub, and presents email threads as chat-like conversations. It has a unified inbox, scheduled sending, and calendar tools, and runs on Android, iOS, macOS, web, and Windows. Spike AI can draft messages and replies, summarize conversations, and provide an assistant; free tiers list 10 queries for several AI features. Teamspace adds channels, shared inboxes, groups, collaborative documents and tasks, and audio and video meetings. Spike works with existing accounts such as Gmail, Office 365 or Outlook, Exchange, iCloud, Yahoo, and other IMAP accounts. Cloud attachments can use Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive, and calendars can connect with Google Calendar, Outlook, and Apple Calendar. Spike says it encrypts messages with AES-256 using a per-message private key, and undergoes periodic external security audits. The Email App Free plan includes one address, 60 days of search history, 1 GB storage, and 30 MB file uploads. Email App Pro is $6 a month billed annually; Ultimate is $12 a month billed annually.