Your inbox is full. Every time you open Gmail, the stress hits you again. Superhuman promises to fix that with the fastest email client in the world. It combines AI with keyboard shortcuts to get your inbox to zero in minutes.
But does it really deliver? And is the $1 per month worth it?
Who’s behind Superhuman?
Superhuman was founded in 2015 by Rahul Vohra, Conrad Irwin, and Vivek Sodera in San Francisco. The original idea was simple but ambitious: build the fastest email experience ever. Gmail was getting slower and messier for power users, so they created the ‘100ms rule’ — every action had to happen within 100 milliseconds.
The team raised a total of $1 million from investors like Andreessen Horowitz, IVP, and Tiger Global. They grew to 70,000+ paying customers, which is impressive for a tool without a free version. Superhuman became known for its “Game Design” philosophy — email shouldn’t just be fast, it should feel like a game.
In 2025 something unusual happened: Grammarly acquired Superhuman and then changed its own company name to Superhuman. Now the email client, Grammarly’s writing tools, and Coda all sit under the same holding company. One interesting detail: you can operate Superhuman completely without a mouse, using only the keyboard.
Who is Superhuman for?
Superhuman is built for people who process dozens to hundreds of emails every day. Think founders constantly closing deals, sales professionals managing their pipeline through email, and executives who use their inbox as their workspace. If you’re a power user who values speed and efficiency, this is your tool.
But not everyone needs Superhuman. If you only receive a handful of emails per day, the investment won’t pay off. The same applies if you’re looking for a free email solution. Superhuman intentionally has no free version — it’s premium software for people who want to reclaim their time.
What can Superhuman do?
Superhuman is all about speed and focus. The interface feels extremely fast thanks to the 100ms rule they follow. Every screen, every action, everything responds instantly. It may sound like a small detail, but it makes a huge difference in how you experience email.
- Superhuman AI: The AI automatically drafts messages for you and summarizes long email threads in a few sentences. You give it a few keywords and the AI turns them into a full email.
- Split Inbox: Your inbox is automatically split into categories like VIP, newsletters, and other messages. That way you can see at a glance what’s important and what can wait.
- Keyboard Shortcuts: Everything can be controlled without a mouse. Archiving, labeling, replying — it all happens through shortcuts, so your hands never need to leave the keyboard.
- Read Statuses: You can see when someone opens your email. Useful for sales or when you’re waiting for a reply and want to know whether your message was read at all.
- Team Comments: You can chat with colleagues about specific emails without forwarding back and forth all the time. The conversation stays linked to the original email.
- Remind Me & Snooze: Set reminders using natural language like “remind me tomorrow morning at 9” or “snooze until next Monday.” The email disappears from your inbox and comes back at exactly the right moment.
Superhuman works on all platforms: web, iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS. Linux is not supported. You can add both Gmail and Outlook accounts, which is useful if you juggle multiple work accounts.
How much does Superhuman cost?
Superhuman doesn’t have a free version and also no trial. You pay from day one. There are two subscriptions available.
The Business plan costs $1 per month or $1 per month with annual billing (total $1). This plan adds team features like shared comments and better collaboration. If you’re working with a team on the same emails, this is the better choice.
The price is high compared to free alternatives like Gmail or Outlook. But Superhuman deliberately targets people for whom time really is money. If you save an hour a day on email, those $1 are easy to justify.
What should you watch out for?
The monthly cost is a dealbreaker for many people. $1 per month for an email client feels expensive, especially if you’re used to free Gmail. You really need to process a lot of emails to earn that investment back.
Superhuman doesn’t offer shared team inbox functionality. If you’re working with multiple people in a single support mailbox, this isn’t the right tool. It’s really built for individual inboxes, not shared ticket systems.
The integrations are limited. You can’t connect directly with tools like Asana, Todoist, or other task management apps. If you’re used to creating tasks straight from email in your project management tool, you’ll need to come up with a different workflow.
The search function is less powerful than Gmail’s. If you often need to look up old emails with complex queries, that can be frustrating. Gmail’s search has been refined for years, and Superhuman isn’t at that level yet.
On mobile, you miss the shortcut flow that makes Superhuman so strong on desktop. The app works fine, but it feels more like a standard email app. The keyboard‑first concept doesn’t translate well to a touchscreen.
There are privacy concerns around the read status feature. Superhuman uses pixel tracking to see when someone opens your email. Not everyone is comfortable with their reading behavior being tracked, and your recipients don’t know this is happening.
Superhuman reviews
I went through a few Superhuman reviews to see what people actually run into in practice. Here are the key takeaways.
1. Efficient App
Efficient App gives a thorough review of Superhuman and clearly explains when it’s worth switching. The reviewer starts with an honest confession — she didn’t want to pay for email at first, but after trying it for a month she was fully convinced. She’s been using Superhuman for four years now and can’t imagine going back to Gmail.
The review covers five concrete signs that you’re ready for Superhuman, from hating your inbox to simply appreciating well‑designed software. It’s especially useful that they also call out three situations where Superhuman isn’t the right fit, like when you rely on team collaboration in email or need CRM extensions. The breakdown of inbox splits and keyboard shortcuts is practical and easy to follow.
Pros
- Very detailed explanation of all key features like split inboxes and keyboard shortcuts
- Clear about when Superhuman isn’t a good fit, including alternative options
- Practical examples of how they use inbox splits themselves for different types of emails
- Good tips on snooze functionality and natural‑language input for time zones
Cons
- Includes an affiliate link promotion, which can affect objectivity a bit
- Limited attention to the cost—only saying it’s “worth it” without concrete price comparisons
2. Tiago Forte
Tiago Forte focuses entirely on Superhuman’s AI features and shows how the AI can take your email workflow up a notch. He mainly digs into the newer features that take a lot of manual work off your plate. His excitement about how AI can read context and make decisions comes through clearly.
The review centers on three main features: automatic follow‑up drafts, smart reminders, and intelligent email labeling. The auto‑archive feature for cold pitches seems to be a game changer for Tiago. He gives concrete examples of how he creates custom labels for specific events like his mastermind retreat, and shows how the AI automatically applies them to new emails.
Pros
- In‑depth focus on AI features that save a lot of time on routine email tasks
- Practical demo of custom auto labels for specific projects
- Good explanation of the auto‑archive feature to automatically filter out spam and pitches
Cons
- Limited to only AI features, not a complete picture of Superhuman as a whole
- Few critical points—almost everything is presented positively
- No attention to possible errors or limitations of the AI features
Superhuman alternatives
If Superhuman doesn’t quite match what you’re looking for, other options might fit your needs and budget better.
- Spark Mail: Choose this if you want a modern email client without high monthly costs. Spark offers a free version that focuses less on pure speed, but still provides plenty of useful features for a fraction of the price.
- Shortwave: Choose this if AI features matter more to you than pure speed and shortcuts. Shortwave places more emphasis on AI-powered chat within your inbox and is more affordable than Superhuman.
- Hey: Choose this if you want to try a completely new way of emailing with privacy front and center. Hey uses a different philosophy with a screener system and no traditional inbox, which feels refreshing but does take some getting used to.
Frequently asked questions
Here I answer the questions people ask most often about Superhuman.
Does Superhuman work with Outlook?
Yes, Superhuman supports both Gmail and Google Workspace as well as Microsoft Outlook accounts. You can add multiple accounts from both services and manage everything from one interface.
Is there a free version?
No, Superhuman doesn’t have a free version. It’s a premium tool that costs $1 per month. There’s no trial either — you start paying from day one.
What is the relationship with Grammarly and Coda?
Since 2025, Superhuman has been the parent company managing Superhuman Mail, Coda, and the Grammarly writing tools. Grammarly acquired Superhuman and then changed the entire company name to Superhuman.
Conclusion
Superhuman is the fastest email client you can get, but there’s a price to that. For $1 per month, you get a very fast interface, powerful AI, and a fully keyboard-first workflow. If you deal with hundreds of emails a day and value speed above anything else, Superhuman can earn back that investment.
But for the average user who handles a few dozen emails a day, it’s probably overkill. The limited integrations and the lack of a free version make it a tough pick if you want to try things out first. Look at alternatives like Spark or Shortwave if you’re not sure you want to spend $1 per month.
