HEY — An opinionated email service from 37signals that screens new senders before they reach your inbox and separates receipts and newsletters into dedicated views.
By Noahlast updated pricing verified
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HEY in 20 seconds
Best for: individuals who want a spam-resistant, opinionated inbox and are willing to pay $99/year instead of using free Gmail or Outlook
Pricing: HEY for You is $99/year, HEY for Domains is $12/user/month (Family plan $179/year for up to 5 people); no permanent free tier, 30-day trial with no credit card required.
- HEY is built by 37signals, the company behind Basecamp.
- HEY for You costs $99/year for one @hey.com address with 100GB storage.
- HEY for Domains costs $12/user/month for custom-domain business email.
- The Screener requires every first-time sender to be approved before reaching the inbox.
Limitations: No monthly billing option for individual accounts.; No permanent free tier.; Switching means adopting a new @hey.com address unless paying for HEY for Domains.
Top alternatives: Fastmail, Proton Mail, Gmail, Superhuman — full list
What is HEY?
HEY is an email and calendar service built by 37signals, the company behind Basecamp, designed around the idea that traditional inboxes (Gmail, Outlook) let too much unwanted mail through by default. Its core mechanic is the Screener: every first-time sender is held until the recipient explicitly approves or rejects them, and rejected senders never reach the inbox again. Approved mail is then sorted into the Imbox (important, human correspondence), The Feed (newsletters and marketing, shown as a scrollable feed rather than mixed into the inbox), and Paper Trail (receipts and confirmations, kept out of the way but searchable). HEY also includes a calendar, a "Reply Later" stack, and thread commenting for team plans. HEY ships native apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android in addition to a web client. Personal plans use a single flat annual price rather than storage-based tiers, while HEY for Domains adds per-user business pricing, custom domains, and shared threads for teams.
HEY is an email and calendar service built by 37signals (the makers of Basecamp) that reimagines the inbox around three views: the Imbox for approved senders, Paper Trail for receipts, and the Feed for newsletters, with a Screener that requires first-time senders to be approved before they ever appear. It targets professionals and individuals frustrated with spam and inbox clutter in Gmail or Outlook who are willing to pay for a from-scratch redesign. HEY for You costs $99/year for an individual @hey.com address with 100GB of storage, HEY for Domains (business use with a custom domain) runs $12/user/month ($10/month for the first user), and a HEY for Families plan covers up to five people for $179/year. There is no permanent free tier, but every plan includes a 30-day free trial that requires no credit card.
Standout feature: The Screener holds every first-time sender for approval before it can reach the inbox, permanently blocking rejected senders and splitting the rest into Imbox, Feed, and Paper Trail views.
Biggest weakness: No permanent free tier and no monthly billing option for individuals — HEY for You is $99/year paid upfront, and switching from an existing email address means re-pointing every account and contact to a new @hey.com domain.
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.
HEY pricing
From $12/mo · verified from the vendor's pricing page
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| HEY for You | $99/yr | Individual @hey.com address with 100GB storage and calendar; billed annually. |
| HEY for Domains | $12/mo | Custom-domain business email, per user per month; first user discounted to $10/month. |
| HEY for Families | $179/yr | Covers up to 5 people (1 primary account plus 4 additional family members); billed annually. |
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