HEY vs Superhuman (2026)
By Noahlast updated
HEY
An opinionated email service from 37signals that screens new senders before they reach your inbox and separates receipts and newsletters into dedicated views.
- Pricing
- From $12/mo
- License
- Paid
Best for individuals and small teams who want an opinionated, spam-resistant inbox and are willing to pay a flat annual fee instead of using free Gmail or Outlook
Superhuman
An AI-powered email client for Gmail and Outlook built for speed, with keyboard-shortcut-driven triage, from $25/member/month billed annually.
- Pricing
- From $25/mo
- License
- Paid
Best for professionals and teams handling a high daily email volume who are willing to learn keyboard shortcuts and pay a premium for faster triage
Which should you choose?
Choose HEY if…
wins 3/6 use cases
- You want the Screener to hold every first-time sender for approval so cold email and spam never reach your inbox
- You want receipts in Paper Trail and newsletters in The Feed, out of the main inbox but still searchable
- You want a flat $99/year individual plan, or one $179/year HEY for Families plan for up to 5 people
- You need a native Linux desktop app, which HEY ships alongside web, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android
- You want custom-domain business email for $12/user/month, with the first user at $10/month
Choose Superhuman if…
wins 3/6 use cases
- You want to keep your existing Gmail or Outlook account rather than move to a new @hey.com address
- You handle high email volume and want keyboard-shortcut triage plus a Split Inbox for teams, VIPs, and tools
- You want AI that drafts replies, auto-labels, auto-archives, and with permission sends emails for you
- Your sales team needs HubSpot or Salesforce integration and an MCP server (Business, $33/member/month billed annually)
- Your company needs SSO, advanced security controls, and unlimited seats on a custom-priced Enterprise plan
HEY vs Superhuman: feature comparison
| Feature | HEY | Superhuman |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Yes$99/year (HEY for You, billed annually) | Yesfrom $25/member/mo (Starter, billed annually) |
| Free tier | No30-day free trial, no credit card | Nono free tier for Mail |
| Monthly billing | PartialHEY for You and Families billed annually; Domains priced per user per month | Yesannual billing about 17% cheaper |
| Platforms | Yesweb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Partialweb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android (no Linux) |
| Keeps your existing Gmail or Outlook address | Nonew @hey.com address or HEY for Domains | Yeslayers onto Gmail and Outlook accounts |
| Custom-domain business email | Yes$12/user/mo (HEY for Domains), first user $10/mo | Unknown |
| First-time sender screening | YesScreener holds new senders for approval | Unknown |
| Automatic inbox sorting | YesImbox, The Feed, and Paper Trail | YesSplit Inbox for teams, VIPs, and tools |
| AI drafting and triage | Unknown | YesAI features from Starter; Auto Drafts and Ask AI from $33/member/mo (Business) |
| Keyboard-shortcut workflow | Unknown | Yescore of the product |
| Family plan | Yes$179/year for up to 5 people | Nonone listed |
| Third-party integrations | Partialfewer than Gmail or Outlook | YesHubSpot, Salesforce, and MCP server from $33/member/mo (Business) |
| Seat limits | Unknown | Partial25 seats on Starter and Business; Enterprise beyond that |
| SSO | Unknown | YesEnterprise (custom pricing) |
| Unified inbox for multiple accounts | Unknown | Nono native unified inbox |
| External rating | Yes4.3/5 from 6 reviews (Product Hunt) | Yes4.8/5 from 23 reviews (Capterra) |
HEY vs Superhuman: pricing
Every tier both tools publish, as we last checked them — not just the entry price.
HEY
- HEY for YouIndividual @hey.com address with 100GB storage and calendar; billed annually.$99/yr
- HEY for DomainsCustom-domain business email, per user per month; first user discounted to $10/month.$12/mo
- HEY for FamiliesCovers up to 5 people (1 primary account plus 4 additional family members); billed annually.$179/yr
Superhuman
- Starter$25 USD per member/month, billed annually; up to 25 seats. Includes email productivity, AI features, team collaboration, calendar/scheduling, unified admin and billing, group coaching.$25/mo
- Business$33 USD per member/month, billed annually; up to 25 seats. Adds Auto Drafts, Ask AI, Superhuman Mail MCP, custom auto labels, HubSpot/Salesforce integration, recent-opens tracking.$33/mo
- EnterpriseCustom pricing; unlimited seats, advanced security controls, SSO, dedicated customer success manager, team analytics, priority support.Custom
HEY vs Superhuman pricing: which costs less?
HEY costs less, at $99/year for an individual against Superhuman Starter at $25/member/month billed annually, or $300/year.
For teams, HEY for Domains is $12/user/month with the first user at $10/month, so 10 users pay $118/month. Superhuman Starter for 10 members is $250/month billed annually, and Superhuman Business is $33/member/month. HEY for Families covers up to 5 people for $179/year, and Superhuman lists no family plan. Neither product has a permanent free tier, but HEY offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card. HEY's premium 2-3 character addresses cost an extra $349-$999/year.
Which is easier to use, HEY or Superhuman?
HEY and Superhuman both carry a moderate learning curve for different reasons: HEY asks you to adopt a new address and inbox model, while Superhuman asks you to learn a keyboard-shortcut workflow.
HEY's Screener, Imbox, The Feed, and Paper Trail replace the single-inbox habit of Gmail or Outlook, and moving to HEY means re-pointing accounts and contacts to a new @hey.com address unless you pay for HEY for Domains. Superhuman keeps your Gmail or Outlook account, but mastering its full keyboard-shortcut workflow takes real time, and some reviewers cite that alongside cost as the reason they hesitate. Superhuman Starter includes group coaching.
Which handles inbox clutter better, HEY or Superhuman?
HEY handles unwanted mail more strictly, because its Screener blocks every first-time sender until you approve them, while Superhuman sorts incoming mail with Split Inbox and AI auto-labeling and auto-archiving.
In HEY, rejected senders never reach the inbox again, approved mail lands in the Imbox, newsletters go to The Feed, and receipts go to Paper Trail. Superhuman's Split Inbox separates messages from teams, VIPs, and tools automatically, and its AI can auto-label, auto-archive, draft replies, and set follow-up reminders. HEY's listing notes fewer power-user filtering rules than Gmail or Outlook.
Can I keep my current email address with HEY or Superhuman?
Superhuman keeps your current address because it layers onto existing Gmail and Outlook accounts, while HEY requires a new @hey.com address or a paid HEY for Domains plan for your own domain.
HEY for Domains costs $12/user/month, with the first user at $10/month, and adds custom domains and shared threads for teams. Switching to HEY for You means re-pointing every account and contact to the new @hey.com address. Superhuman does not replace Gmail or Outlook; it sits on top of them, though it lacks a native unified inbox for managing several accounts in one view.
Strengths and weaknesses
HEY
Pros
- The Screener eliminates spam and cold email by requiring approval before any new sender reaches the inbox.
- Paper Trail and The Feed keep receipts and newsletters out of the main inbox without deleting or losing them.
- Native apps on macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android plus a web client.
- HEY for Families extends one subscription to up to 5 people.
Cons
- No permanent free plan and no monthly billing for individual accounts; HEY for You is a $99/year commitment.
- Requires switching to a new @hey.com address (or paying extra for HEY for Domains) rather than layering onto an existing Gmail or Outlook address.
- Fewer third-party integrations and power-user filtering rules than Gmail or Outlook.
- Premium short email addresses (2-3 characters) cost $349-$999/year on top of the base plan.
Superhuman
Pros
- Keyboard-shortcut-driven workflow that reviewers consistently cite as genuinely faster for high email volume.
- AI auto-drafting and Split Inbox triage reduce manual email sorting.
- Works on top of existing Gmail and Outlook accounts rather than requiring a migration.
- 4.8-out-of-5 rating on Capterra, with customer support rated 4.5-out-of-5 by reviewers.
Cons
- No free tier; Starter alone costs $25/member/month billed annually, well above free clients like Gmail or Outlook.
- No native unified inbox for managing multiple email accounts in a single view.
- Mastering the full keyboard-shortcut workflow takes real time investment for new users.
- Starter and Business tiers cap at 25 seats, forcing larger teams into custom Enterprise pricing.
Which fits your use case?
| Use case | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Freelancer buried in cold email and newsletters | HEY | HEY's Screener blocks first-time senders until approved and moves newsletters to The Feed, all for $99/year. |
| Sales lead who lives in Gmail and needs CRM sync | Superhuman | Superhuman Business ($33/member/month billed annually) adds HubSpot and Salesforce integration while keeping the existing Gmail account. |
| Family of five sharing one subscription | HEY | HEY for Families covers up to 5 people for $179/year; Superhuman lists no family plan. |
| 10-person company that wants custom-domain email on a budget | HEY | HEY for Domains costs $118/month for 10 users ($10 for the first, $12 for each additional), against $250/month for 10 Superhuman Starter members billed annually. |
| Executive handling a high daily email volume | Superhuman | Superhuman's keyboard-shortcut triage, Split Inbox, and AI auto-drafts are built for high volume, and reviewers consistently cite the workflow as faster. |
| Company with more than 25 email users that needs SSO | Superhuman | Superhuman Enterprise adds SSO, unlimited seats, and advanced security controls at custom pricing. |
Neither a match?
Both lists carry verified pricing and honest weaknesses for every option.
Popular comparisons
HEY vs Superhuman: migration FAQ
Should I use HEY or Superhuman?
- Use HEY if you want a new email service that screens every first-time sender for $99/year; use Superhuman if you want to keep Gmail or Outlook and triage faster with keyboard shortcuts and AI, from $25/member/month billed annually.
Is HEY cheaper than Superhuman?
- Yes — HEY for You is $99/year, while Superhuman Starter is $25/member/month billed annually ($300/year). For business email, HEY for Domains is $12/user/month against Superhuman's $25-$33/member/month.
Can Superhuman replace HEY?
- Partly — Superhuman speeds up a Gmail or Outlook inbox with Split Inbox, AI drafts, and auto-archiving. Superhuman's triage sorts mail after it arrives, while HEY's Screener holds every first-time sender for approval before anything reaches the inbox.
Does HEY have a free plan?
- No — HEY has no permanent free tier, but every HEY plan includes a 30-day free trial with no credit card. Superhuman also has no free tier for Mail.
Does Superhuman work with Outlook?
- Yes — Superhuman layers onto existing Gmail and Outlook accounts, while HEY is a separate email service with its own @hey.com addresses.