Short answer: Spark is an email app from Readdle. You move your accounts into it and get a Smart Inbox, Gatekeeper for new senders, team features and Spark +AI. Its Pro plan, at $20 a month or $199 a year, adds Auto-Drafts and Autopilot rules. Jace is an AI email assistant that stays in the Gmail or Outlook you already use. It labels new mail and drafts replies in your voice for you to review, and Flows connect your email to tools such as Slack and HubSpot. Pick Spark if you want a new email app across many providers. Pick Jace if you want to keep Gmail or Outlook and have drafts waiting there.
We make Jace. Spark facts come from its homepage and pricing page, opened on 9 November 2026. We have not run timed tests on either product. This page is about Spark Mail by Readdle, not other products named Spark.
Spark vs Jace at a glance
| Spark | Jace | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An email app for desktop and mobile | An assistant on top of Gmail or Outlook, plus a web app |
| Providers | Google and Outlook accounts, plus Exchange, iCloud, Yahoo or any IMAP account | Gmail and Outlook (Microsoft 365 and Outlook.com) |
| Sorting | Smart Inbox and Gatekeeper, plus separate folders for newsletters and notifications | AI labels such as Needs Reply, Waiting and FYI, plus your own, synced to Gmail labels or Outlook categories |
| AI drafts | Auto-Drafts on Pro. A writing assistant and AI quick replies, with monthly AI credits by plan | Drafts for the labels you choose, from the full thread, attachments, calendar and your rules |
| Automations | Autopilot rules on Pro | Flows written in plain English |
| Team features | Shared threads, private comments, assignments | None. Jace works on individual inboxes |
| Mobile | Native iOS and Android apps | No native app yet. Drafts and labels show in your phone's Gmail or Outlook app |
| Price | Free. Plus $10 a month or $99 a year. Pro $20 a month or $199 a year | Plus $20 a month billed yearly or $25 monthly. Pro $40 or $50 |
Spark prices from sparkmailapp.com/pricing on 9 November 2026. Jace prices from jace.ai/pricing.
What Spark does well
Spark has been a polished email client for years. Its homepage cites Apple's Editors' Choice and more than 21 million users. The free plan includes the Smart Inbox and unlimited email accounts. Gatekeeper lets you screen new senders. Set Aside, Snooze and Reminders help you work through mail.
Spark +AI can draft, summarise, translate and proofread, with monthly AI credits that grow by plan. Its AI Assistant finds and summarises emails and attachments, with history depth by plan. Pro adds Auto-Drafts, written in your voice for you to review, and Autopilot rules that sort or forward mail. Plus and Pro include AI meeting notes, 40 a month on Plus and unlimited on Pro. Spark also has team features: shared threads, private comments and assignments.
When to pick Spark instead
- You want a new email app. Spark replaces the Gmail or Outlook interface on every device.
- You use iCloud, Yahoo or another IMAP provider. Jace connects only to Gmail and Outlook.
- You live on your phone. Spark has native iOS and Android apps. Jace doesn't yet.
- Price. Spark Plus at $99 a year costs less than Jace Plus. Spark's free plan has no Jace equivalent.
- Meeting notes in the same tool. Spark Plus and Pro include them.
When Jace is the better Spark alternative
- You want to stay in Gmail or Outlook. Jace works on your existing account, so there is no new app for you or your assistant to learn.
- You want drafts from deeper context. Jace reads the full thread and attachments and checks your calendar before drafting. It also follows your written rules and writing style (Drafting).
- Follow-ups come with a draft. When a thread sits in Waiting for 3 days, Jace writes the nudge for you to review.
- Email turns into work in other tools. A Flow can draft a reply, create a calendar event or update HubSpot when a certain kind of email arrives (Flows). Slack, Google Drive and OneDrive are built in, and tools such as Notion connect through MCP (Integrations).
- Sending stays with you. Drafts land in your Drafts folder. Auto-send is off unless you turn it on for a label or Flow.
Jace's limits, plainly: Gmail and Outlook only, no native mobile app yet, no team features, and no free plan (there is a 7-day trial).
Price for one person
Spark Plus costs $10 a month or $99 a year. Auto-Drafts need Pro at $20 a month or $199 a year. Jace Plus costs $25 a month or $20 a month billed yearly, with 2 inboxes and drafting included. Jace Pro costs $50 a month or $40 billed yearly, with 8 inboxes and custom integrations. Both Jace plans include monthly credits (pricing).
FAQ
What is the best Spark Mail alternative? If you want to leave Spark's app but keep AI drafts, an assistant that works inside Gmail or Outlook is the simplest switch. Jace, Fyxer and Superhuman's Email Assistant work that way. If you want another email app, look at Superhuman or Shortwave. See the best AI email assistants in 2026.
How much does Spark cost? On 9 November 2026 Spark's pricing page listed a Free plan and two paid plans per user. Plus is $10 a month or $99 a year, and Pro is $20 a month or $199 a year. Enterprise is priced on request.
Does Spark write email replies automatically? Spark lists Auto-Drafts, replies written in your voice for you to review, on its Pro plan.
Does Jace work with iCloud or Yahoo Mail? No. Jace connects to Gmail and Google Workspace, and to Outlook on Microsoft 365 and Outlook.com.
Can I use Jace with the Spark app? Jace saves drafts and labels in your Gmail or Outlook account. Any email app that shows that account's drafts folder will show Jace's drafts. Spark's handling of Gmail labels or Outlook categories can differ from the native apps, so test it on your own account.
Try Jace on your own inbox
Connect Gmail or Outlook and compare Jace's drafts with Spark's on real threads for 7 days. Start your free Jace trial, or compare plans first. Jace is used by lawyers and consultants who answer their own client email. Setup guides: Jace for Gmail and Jace for Outlook.
Also comparing: Superhuman, Shortwave, SaneBox, Fyxer, Front and Inbox Zero.
